An Update from Counseling Services

Bard Counseling has taken a number of steps to make our services more accessible to the BIPOC community at Bard. We have offered workshops and been invited to participate in a variety of student meetings and discussions about BIPOC mental health, the impact of COVID on communities of color, and other related topics. We work closely with the Office of Equity and Inclusion (OEI) Programs in a variety of ways, including scheduling informal lunches, destigmatizing mental health, being more transparent about who Bard counselors are, and providing counseling tailored to student needs.

Our website has a section titled: BIPOC Mental Health, Racialized Trauma, and Healing, which offers a wide range of mental health resources. In addition, we have compiled a BIPOC Therapist Referral List that is being updated regularly. Our staff attend meetings of the President’s Commission on Racial Equity and Social Justice and the Council for Inclusive Excellence, and participate in training the OEI peer mentors. Bard counselors have been doing antiracism in-service training within our clinical team and continue to discuss how privilege, equity, and social justice impact our work with students of color. Just a couple of months before the pandemic, two counselors partnered with OEI Director Claudette Aldebot  to offer a workshop, “​The Hidden Wounds of Racial Trauma,” for about 65 student services staff.

In order to connect BIPOC students with BIPOC counselors beyond the Hudson Valley, the College has contracted with Montefiore Hospital’s large network of behavioral health providers (including many non-white therapists) to offer the Bard Student Counseling Referral Program. Students can call the Bard-designated 800 number and speak with a program associate who locates a therapist who accepts their insurance, meets the needs of the student, and can offer an appointment within two weeks. The number for students to call to find a therapist is 800-401-4822.

This spring we are offering Let’s Talk Drop-In Counseling and Anxiety Toolbox for any and all enrolled students, wherever they live. Our one-on-one and group therapy programs are open to all undergraduate and graduate students who live within New York State. We also have a weekly therapy dog program on Fridays from 3:30 to 4:30 p.m. in the Campus Center Multipurpose Room. Proper safety precautions will be observed per college and state guidelines.

We encourage you to visit the Bard Counseling website to learn more about our counselors, services, and events. We look forward to seeing you!

---

For more information, call 845-758-6822.

Subscribe: Save this Event: Subscribe / .ics File