Information for
Helpful Links
Two evenings a week this semester, first-year students in Russell Sage College’s Kellas Hall can connect with a mental health counselor right where they live.
Associate Vice President for Student Life Tawana Davis, who oversees health services, said this initiative builds on outreach the Wellness Center already does to make its services visible and accessible.
The goal is not to replace traditional counseling, but to create another entry point: a low-pressure, approachable space where students can learn more about the mental health resources on campus.
“It’s less structured than if you came into the Wellness Center,” said counselor Stephanie Buel, MHC-LP, who regularly drops by esports practices, and now spends Monday and Thursday evenings from 5-8 p.m. in Kellas residence hall. (This specific pilot program is primarily for first-year undergraduates living in Kellas, though other students are welcome — they may need to arrange building access in advance.)
You don’t have to make an appointment, and many students come in just to say hello or to pick up a snack or giveaway, she said.
“What’s cool for me is that I know students in different contexts, not just counseling,” Buel continued. “I met them through HEOP, or I met them through esports. It’s very different than if I had only met them in the context of doing counseling with them. They are so much more likely to reach out if they need additional support, but also to feel more supported in general.”
Esports Head Coach Luke Martin’s observations echo Buel’s point.
“I’ve seen many instances where players who come in to do homework or relax outside of practice will stop and have a small conversation with Stephanie that sometimes turns into something more consistent over time,” he said, adding that other students say their casual and comfortable interactions with Buel make them more willing to reach out.
Buel sees the Kellas Hall pilot as a natural extension of these informal connections she’s been building with students. She and her Wellness Center colleagues will use student feedback to assess how it might evolve.
That feedback so far has been really positive, Buel said. “Students have identified that there is a need for this. Not necessarily for them at a given moment, but that there’s somebody there to talk to if they need to, or they can tell a friend about it.”