Friday, November 30, 2001

Students propose wellness center
Sarah McClellan
Staff Reporter

Members of Intercom and other campus organizations think a wellness center will help prevent emotional, health, and drug or alcohol related problems on campus, said Angie Taylor, director of the Alcohol and Drug Education center.

A wellness center, an idea brought up by Intercom, at the Nov. 8 meeting with the Student Relations committee of the Board of Trustees, would include awareness programs, peer counseling and health consulting,

“It would help prevent health problems by helping students learn how to take care of themselves,” Taylor said. “It would also help teach students coping skills so they don’t turn to alcohol and drugs. Then we wouldn’t have to be so reactive to problems.”

Kyle Engelbrecht, a member of Intercom — a group comprised of the leaders of 14 campus organizations — said the wellness center was proposed because not all areas that deal with health and wellness are being covered on campus through existing programs.

“We thought there needed to be a spot for students to address all health issues,” Engelbrecht said. “We need a place that can be used as a resource for students to find out about how to live a healthier life.”

Mike Russel, associate dean of campus life, said a wellness center will teach people to stay healthy throughout their lives.

“Anytime people can learn more about things that keep them healthy, it’s a worthy endeavor,” Russel said. “It’s knowledge they can pass on to their families.”

Taylor said a wellness center would also take preventative measures with issues such as sexually transmitted disease awareness, sleep deprivation, nutrition, stress relief and time management.

Heather Patriacca, a member of Intercom, said Mental Health Services had 6,150 visits last year, compared to 2,100 visits five years ago.

“A wellness center would decrease the amount of people that need counseling because they would have the resources to deal with their stress before it gets severe enough for them to go to the counseling center,” Patriacca said.

Monica Kintigh, a counselor at Mental Health Services, confirmed that there has been a significant increase in the number of student visits to the counseling center.

She said the center has spaces for 30 visits a week per counselor for three full-time counselors. This is above the national average of 22 visits per counselor, per week.

No cost estimates and no formal proposals have been made for the wellness center, said Barbara Herman, associate vice chancellor and director of Student Development Services.

Sarah McClellan
s.l.mcclellan@student.tcu.edu