The start of a semester for Toros may cause some students to experience changes in their physical and mental health. CSUDH is working on building a system that meets Toro’s health needs.
This semester, CSUDH merged Student Psychological Services, Student Health Services, Toro Care, and The Center of Advocacy, Prevention, and Empowerment (CAPE). under the umbrella of Health and Well-Being with a goal to better assist students.
“The main purpose of merging all areas is to increase access to services and to decrease barriers for students as they try to meet their needs and maintain health,” said Dr. Tiffany Herbert, in an email to the Bulletin.
“We hope that students see our cluster as an opportunity to feel empowered about health and encouraged to advocate for themselves while engaging with our services.”
All four of these resources are located in the Student Health Center.
Toros have access to the services because of the $130 “Student Health fee.” Although all four areas work together, they have different functions and goals.
Student Psychological Services (SPS) aims to create a safe environment for students to feel free to be open about their mental health. According to the SPS website, their goal is “to provide quality mental healthcare and create a community of wellness.”
SPS is an important resource for all students, not just those experiencing mental health obstacles. “You don’t really need to be in crisis or be going through something drastically emotionally to have a mental health check up,” said Josephine Lara, a SPS mental health educator.
Toro Care is a support system that started in January 2023. Toro Care’s main mission is to assist students along their journey, to alleviate any hardships hindering them from achieving their academic goals.
“You are not alone on this journey,” said Care coordinator Christopher Battle. Student Health Services (SHS) is a resource for students that focuses on physical health.
According to Susan Flaming Yeats, director of SHS, the main objective of SHS is to teach students about their health and how to take care of it. SHS offers services like blood sugar checks, physical checkups, and testing for sexually transmitted infections.
Yeats encouraged students to, “take advantage of all the things that they have available to them when they’re young and healthy, to learn the healthy habits that will make a difference over the long term.”
CAPE focuses on assisting students that have experienced or are experiencing sexual assault, unwanted sexual experiences, domestic violence, or stalking. CAPE’s services are available to students, staff, and faculty.
Mayra Romo, the program’s director, puts a lot of emphasis on creating a non-judgemental place for students to come in and talk about their uncomfortable experiences. Romo said CAPE’s goal is, “to help students overcome any disruptions in their lives and academics as a result of interpersonal harm.”
CAPE’s services are available by appointment by emailing cape@csudh.edu. The Student Health Center is open Monday through Friday, from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.
