Student Counseling Center Plants Seeds of Hope

  There are many different resources for mental health here on the USD campus. September is Suicide Prevention Month and in honor, the Student Counseling Center (SCC) is hosting events such as Planting Seeds of Hope. 

     SCC Counselor, Ben Severson, says that in prevention they are always looking for opportunities to bring awareness, and since it is suicide prevention month they are “planting seeds of hope.” 

     “We just did an open house, and we did rock painting, and then while we were doing that we had this idea that we could do this [event],” Severson said. “We had the paints and we’re like well we can just order these little plant pots”

     Events such as these are funded through state grant funds for suicide prevention for mental health first aid. 

     “This is an opportunity for people to come and sit down, see what is going on,” Severson said. “It’s important because then they’ll pop over and look at what people are doing and hopefully reach more people.”

     Severson says that the stigma around mental health awareness has been reduced because more people are willing to entertain the idea of counseling. 

     “When I started, there was like four counselors and now there’s like eight full-time counselors,” Severson said. “We’ve seen more clients in the last year, every year is more and more, but there’s a need for it.”

     There are a multitude of resources available here on campus. Coyote Care (833-569-1686) is a 24-hour crisis line that anyone can call to speak to a counselor. Students can also visit the SCC for a same-day appointment or to schedule an appointment.