Office of the Assemblies

Dear Logan,

 

Thank you for submitting University Assembly Resolution #27, “Urgent Need for the Hiring of a Military Service-Related CAPS Counselor,” for my consideration. Cornell leadership and our CAPS counselors understand the need to be able to support the mental health of students holding many different identities, including that of a military veteran.

 

CAPS will continue to address the needs of veteran students with current and future staffing. I have asked AVP of Student & Campus Life for Health and Wellbeing Sharon McMullen to provide additional information about CAPS support for our veteran students below. 

 

Best regards,

 

Martha E. Pollack

 

 

Martha E. Pollack

President, Cornell University

300 Day Hall

Ithaca, NY  14853

 

 

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Dear Logan,

 

I want to thank the University Assembly for expressing support for student veterans and for providing this opportunity to engage on the subject of veteran mental health support.

 

At this time, CAPS does include one counselor who is a veteran, as well as one current part-time counselor whose full time job is currently at the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (V.A.). Up until just two months ago we had another counselor who trained at the V.A. in trauma treatment. While this particular staff member has moved on to a new professional opportunity, Cornell Health anticipates a new round of hiring will likely bring in more staff that have experience or training in trauma treatment. 

 

Most of our CAPS therapists are generalists, and we are moving forward with some new positions geared toward building relationships with underserved communities, with a focus first on recruiting therapists to provide more direct support for the Black, Indigenous, and People of Color (BIPOC) communities. However, should the population of veterans continue to grow and need more specialized care, this is something we would consider in future hiring priorities.

 

We have heard feedback from a variety of communities regarding how they use CAPS staff bios to help determine which counselors might be a good fit for their needs, and we are considering ways to redesign our webpage to better support students in making good matches with counselors. In addition, we are asking our counselors to consider including their military service and/or special training in supporting veterans in their bios to help students make informed choices.

 

Thank you again for advocating on behalf of student veterans at Cornell.

 

Sincerely,

Sharon McMullen, RN, MPH, FACHA

Assistant Vice President of Student & Campus Life for Health and Wellbeing

Cornell Health

110 Ho Plaza

Ithaca, NY 14853

health.cornell.edu