News Photo by Crystal Nelson Lisa Blumenthal, Alpena Community College’s Strengthening Institutions Program grant administrative assistant, works on her laptop Tuesday at the Alpena campus. Blumenthal helps implement the grant and schedules counseling appointments for students.

ALPENA — Alpena Community College students now have access to a counselor to help improve their mental health.

Funding from a U.S. Department of Education Strengthening Institutions Program grant has allowed college officials to contract with a local counselor and offer students four, 50 to 60 minute counseling sessions in the spring and again in the fall.

The program is available to all college students, including those on the Oscoda campus and students who are dually enrolled or Alpena Early College students. Students can attend counseling in-person, on the phone or online.

College officials started offering the counseling service to students this month after receiving feedback from them last fall.

Amanda Sumerix, the college’s SIP grant director, said a survey was sent to all students in September asking how they were doing. Sumerix said of the 300 students who responded, 30% said they would rank their mental health as poor or very poor.

When asked what services the college could provide to help students, she said about 60% responded by asking for mental health counseling.

Sumerix said a couple of hours are set aside for counseling each week and the schedule is filling up. She said she is encouraged by the student response, as students who attend counseling services are scheduling follow up appointments.

“I’m glad that students are using it and taking advantage of it and that they feel comfortable to come and ask for help,” Sumerix said. “The whole reason for the survey was that we wanted students to know we were listening and they tell us what they need and hopefully we can provide it.”

The college has contracted with Carey Schiller, a licensed master social worker with Northern Therapeutic Center.

Schiller and college officials want to see students receive counseling in a reasonable time, which Schiller said is about a week. She said counseling is an easily accessible service for students and that the service is timely because of the increased stress of the pandemic.

“I think college can be overwhelming and the pressure and demands of class and work life and the sudden changes and adjustments due to the pandemic are all issues that are leading to some feelings of anxiety, some emotions of depression, and of stress, high stress,” she said.

Schiller said students who attend counseling will learn about coping skills, stress management, self-care, and feel supported.

If students need ongoing support after the four free sessions, Schiller said she can help them connect with further services in the community.

ACC received the $2.25 million SIP grant in 2019, a portion of which Sumerix said will be used to improve non-academic services the college provides, such as counseling services.

The five-year grant will also be used to expand capacity in the nursing and allied health programs, strengthen students services, and advance the ACC Foundation.