The document discusses mental health resources available at UNC Asheville for students struggling with issues like anxiety, depression, and other conditions. The counseling center offers programs and services to help students as well as referrals to the Office of Academic Accessibility for students needing accommodations. While resources exist to support students, greater awareness of available services may be needed as many students report not knowing about the Office of Academic Accessibility or experiencing difficulties utilizing counseling center services due to limited hours. Overall, the university aims to promote understanding of mental health issues and ensure students feel socially supported through available programs and accommodations.

1. Mental Health Resources at UNC Asheville
By Neve Pollard
“Don’t worry, be happy,” is a common saying in American culture.
For college students, this may be easier said than done.
According to the American Psychological Association’s website, the state of mental
health on college campuses is becoming a growing crisis- depression, anxiety, suicidal ideation,
alcohol abuse, eating disorders, and self-injury are common cases seen on college campuses
throughout the United States.
At UNC Asheville, mental health advocacy plays an important role on campus.
“I encourage students to be their own advocate concerning the well-being of their mental
health,” said Jay Cutspec, director of the health and counseling center. “Beyond that, the
counseling center offers outreach programs on campus in order to attract students to our
resources.”
Cutspec said the center’s outreach programs have brought a plethora of new students to
the counseling center. To properly accommodate all students, Cutspec said the counseling center
has walk-in hours so students can be seen the same day they go to the center.
Beck Martens, senior sociology and women, gender, and sexuality studies double major
from Hollywood, F.L., said scheduling a meeting with the health and counseling center is
difficult to do because of the center’s limited weekday hours.
“I don’t understand why the center is open only during class-time,” they said. “It is
inconvenient for busy students.”
Cutspec said the most common mental health issue seen on campus is anxiety and
common physical characteristics of the mental disorder are headaches and stomachaches.
Because of this, he said the health and counseling center is closely connected so mind and body
can be treated at the same time.
Cutspec said the counseling center initially introduces stress reduction strategies such as
deep breathing, meditation, and relaxation exercises to students. Beyond this, it is up to the
student to continue visiting the center.
The counseling center offers several programs to students who are personally seeking to
improve their mental health. Current programs include The Daring Way and Dialectical
Behavior Therapy.
“I would say everyone should go through DBT because it teaches emotional regulation,
life skills, and coping mechanisms,” said Cutspec. “It helps with stress management.”

2. According to James Posedel, certified Daring Way facilitator at UNCA, the Daring Way
program helps students create authentic personal connections based on the research of Brene
Brown. Brown’s research says the power of human connection is found through vulnerability.
Posedel said the group meets twice a week for eight weeks and attempts to address how fear and
shame affect human relationships and how it can be overcome. Less than ten students comprise
the group each semester.
Cutspec said if a student has a mental health diagnosis and is in need of receiving
academic accommodations, the student will be directed to the Office of Academic Accessibility
at UNCA.
The OAA counts mental health diagnoses as a form of disability in which students can
receive accommodations for.
“The biggest disabling factor, for people with disabilities, whether it’s a mental disability
or not, is the misconceptions and preconceived notions of others,” said Joshua Kaufman,
Director of the OAA.
The Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990 defines disability as a physical or mental
impairment substantially limiting one or more life activities of an individual. Kaufman said the
reauthorization of the Act two decades later allowed the government to more thoroughly define
what a ‘major life activity’ is. According to the ADA, a ‘major life activity’ is defined as major
bodily functions as well as functional activities such as learning, reading, concentrating,
thinking, communicating, and working.
According to the ADA, the law prohibits discrimination and ensures equal opportunity
for persons with disabilities in employment, state and local government services, public
accommodations, commercial facilities, and transportation. Kaufman said the ADA laws
combine with Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 to create the guidelines of the OAA.
Section 504 is a civil rights statute that prohibits discrimination against students with disabilities
and ensures their right to fair educational opportunity.
In order to receive accommodations through the OAA, Kaufman said the student should
first establish a relationship with a clinician who can provide documentation of examples of their
functional limitations. He said the student should meet with the same clinician at least three
times before moving forward with the OAA. If a student doesn’t know where to start, Kaufman
says the OAA and Counseling Center offer clinician referral lists.
“Generally I use the term clinician because that covers medical doctors, psychiatrists,
mental health professionals, learning specialists, psychologists, family physicians- any sort of
professional in the field,” Kaufman said.

3. After establishing a relationship with a clinician, the student can move forward with the
documentation aspect of the process. Kaufman said the steps to register are on the website along
with the necessary forms.
The next step would be an ‘intake interview’, he said. This is where the student comes
together with an OAA member to discuss what functional limitations are present and what
accommodations are available for the student based on their situation.
“Testing accommodations, such as extended time for tests, testing in a smaller setting,
priority registration, and the ability to record lectures or have a notetaker are common
examples,” said Kaufman. “Occasional leniency for class absences and the ability to excuse
oneself for a few minutes from the classroom are common accommodations for students with
mental health diagnoses.”
Kaufman said although it has been 25 years since the ADA passed, there is still a
significant amount of misinformation, misconception, misunderstanding, and stereotyping
concerning students with mental health disorders.
Kaufman said the OAA’s goal is to help the UNCA community understand the disabling
part is not in the student, but instead in the environment in which the student is trying to interact.
He said it is his goal to promote social accessibility so students feel comfortable in their
classroom environments.
Oliver Richards, junior classics and sociology double major from Raleigh, N.C., said he
didn’t learn about the OAA until he became an employee for UNCA.
“I had no idea about the OAA until Josh [Kaufman] gave a presentation on it,” he said.
“Raising awareness of the OAA for students would be great because I am not sure if many
students know about it.”
Cutspec said the health and counseling center and the OAA work together to help
students in need of assistance.
“I’d say at some point in everyone’s life they need counseling, and counseling serves to
help people function better and to think about things differently,” he said. “I encourage students
who are experiencing mental health issues to take advantage of these available resources.”