The mission of the Cummings Support Center (CSC) is to create a positive environment to nurture and sustain the overall well-being of the Cummings School community. The CSC aims to assist students throughout their time at the Cummings School, including periods of critical transition and crisis, by providing support, guidance, and intervention (when necessary). Students are supported through the Student Academic Support Service, the Career Counseling Service, and Cummings Behavioral Health Service.
The CSC is conveniently located on Cummings School’s Grafton campus on 6 Captain William O’Brien Road (next to the Alpha Psi house).
Components of the Center
Student Academic Support Service
This service of the Academic Affairs Office provides a venue for addressing academic issues that commonly arise during the veterinary school experience, including difficulties related to course load, frustration regarding performance self- expectations, academic “burn out,” emotional stressors, or pre-existing mental health issues.
The service is designed to do the following:
- educate students on academic policy
- identify students who are at risk for academic difficulty
- provide supportive services to those students experiencing any level of academic distress in the format of tutoring and academic counseling
- monitor and track students with a history of academic difficulty
- identify students in emotional distress related to academic difficulty and refer them to appropriate counseling or support services
Career Counseling Service
This service provides students with the opportunity to explore career options, to discuss a variety of career-related topics with members of the veterinary profession, and to engage professionals from a variety of areas of veterinary medicine. The Career Counseling Service is staffed primarily by faculty (clinical or research mentoring), alumni, and Massachusetts Veterinary Medicine Association (MVMA) member volunteers.
This service allows students to
- learn about the professional expertise of featured veterinary mentors on a Career Counseling Service website
- meet with professionals from a variety of areas of veterinary medicine
- receive counseling in various topics not covered in conventional classroom discussions or clinic rotations, such as considering professional setting, managing loan payments, and establishing work-life balance
- participate in informal, low-stress, 1:1 or small group interaction with a veterinary mentor of choice
Cummings Behavioral Health Service
The aim of this service is to offer support and intervention to students, drive programs that support help-seeking behavior, and implement critical campus-wide mental health programs and policy.
Counseling Services
The counseling service provides traditional college counseling and referral services to the campus student body. Support is available by appointments, through walk-in consultation, and in any crises that may involve a student at the Cummings School.
This service offers the following:
- two-three trained mental health counselors
- small group and individual counseling sessions
- one semester of weekly counseling per academic year (if needed) per student
- 24/7 telephonic counseling services
To make an appointment to see a counselor call 800 756-3124. This number can also be used to reach a licensed counselor 24 hours/day, 7 days/week.
Mental Health Taskforce
The Task Force will consist of key campus and extra-campus personnel who will 1) recognize student emotional distress; 2) intervene when emotional distress is identified; or 3) effect change in campus policies that can promote the overall mission of the CSC.
The aims of this taskforce:
- to support campus community awareness and normalization of mental health issues
- to encourage campus-wide communication among staff, students, and administration
- to proactively address potential conflicts between mental health and campus policy
- to develop and coordinate mental health safety protocol and post-crisis follow-up plan, as well as leave of absence and re-entry protocols