The demand for Student Counseling Services (SCS) has increased about 25 percent in the past five years, Joyce Davidson, associate director of SCS, said. 

And intense issues such as mood and anxiety, eating, learning and psychotic disorders, as well as social climate shifts, have played a part in the rise.

Davidson is a candidate for the SCS director position. As a daughter of Swedish immigrants and a mother whose son died from mental health complications, she feels that her personal experiences give her a unique perspective.

“What we do isn’t just about this year and whether you pass these classes,” Davidson said. “It’s about sending folks out to be leaders.”

Davidson’s rendition of the ideal SCS focuses on reputation, timely accessibility, excellence in clinical service, professional training, staff morale and cooperation with other campus partners.

Overcoming stigmas and misinformation, she said, can be accomplished through presentations and programs that teach students and staff about mental health. She applauds student organizations, such as Student Government, for making efforts toward that goal.

New programs for self-help, workshops and career exploration are part of Davidson’s ideal counseling service.

“Because the choices about what to study and how that fits with who I am really are about identity and about individualism, I believe that the initial part of that process does belong in the counseling center,” Davidson said.

Staff training, in Davidson’s opinion, should include seminars and supervision, focusing on creating a nationally recognized training program. She believes a staff should feel energized by their work and should never dread their job. 

“As staff drives, so do the students that they serve,” Davidson said.

The staff, Davidson said, should be diverse in skills and backgrounds in order to relate to students and help those of many backgrounds and circumstances feel comfortable speaking to counselors.

With about 11 percent of Iowa State students classified as international, “It is very important to remember that we’re living in a global society,” Davidson said.

Audience members, including Martino Harmon, senior vice president for student affairs, expressed their concerns for collaboration between campus organizations and creating more conversations between counseling and underrepresented populations.

Davidson agreed that these relationships should strengthen, and would under her direction.

“The needs of folks can’t be met unless we know what they are,” Davidson said.

Challenges, such as understaffing and the need for space, can be solved by sharing staff and space with other organizations, as well as strong, unified leadership, Davidson said.

Based on her experience and dedication to the job, she said that she could be just the leader Student Counseling Services needs.