“After a client completes the assessment, our software, Titanium, analyzes and puts the data into graphs,” Kostohryz said. “Before counselors walk into the room, they are able to see, week by week, where their client is at and see if there are any critical components such as signs of hurting oneself or others. Being able to have the opportunity to identify things before walking into a session has really helped to advance our training program.”
Each year, CEDAR Clinic trains more than 45 future counselors and supervisors. This year the program has 30 master’s students and nine doctoral students. Each counselor sees five clients per week and works with the same clients throughout the year or until the client meets the goals set forth by the counselor. Students enrolled in the school psychology graduate program also use the clinic as a training facility under the direction of Shirley Woika, associate professor of school psychology.
But it is not just Penn State students that CEDAR Clinic serves. Providing counseling services to the State College community is a goal Kostohryz has been working on for the past two years.
“When we first expanded into the community, we realized a limitation was having only a semester-long internship because the counselor would change mid-year,” she said. “So last year, I worked with Javier and we started a full-year internship program. Now, there are five students completing internships in the schools and community.”
One of those students works as a part-time counselor for the State College Friends School. The others work with different programs provided by the Centre County Youth Service Bureau (CCYSB), including Stormbreak, a residential facility for adolescent girls. Working with these organizations allows the counselors-in-training the opportunity to meet with clients from a different age group and background than what campus students provide, Kostohryz said. It expands their training opportunities.
“Building these community partnerships allows for us to bring mental health services to the community and serve a greater population,” said Casado Pérez, who serves as the assistant coordinator of the internship program.
The clinic also recently joined with CAPS to participate in the Center for Collegiate Mental Health (CCMH) research team. A multidisciplinary, member-driven research network, CCMH is a group of mental-health research professionals that provides college students with accurate and up-to-date information on mental health.
Helping people through their difficult times is the idea behind the counseling profession and it is the purpose for having a clinic on campus, he said, explaining that clients come to the clinic for a variety of issues, including academic stress, anxiety, grief and loss, and relationship challenges with roommates, family members or significant others.
“It’s important that Penn State students and the community know that CEDAR Clinic is here,” Casado Pérez said. “You can go to a counselor without something being ‘wrong’ with you. Everybody needs somebody to talk to and the clinic is a great resource to our campus and community, and they need to know about it. They need to know that they can use it and that they are not alone."
If you are a student who would like to speak with a counselor at CEDAR Clinic, call 814-863-0395 to request an appointment with an intake coordinator at CAPS who can refer you to CEDAR Clinic. If you are interested in outreach or collaborating with the CEDAR Clinic, contact Katie Kostohryz at kzk18@psu.edu or call 814-867-4918.