Dr. Kel Lee Cutrell, associate director of counseling services at the University of North Georgia, says Student Counseling hits its peak service time in March and April as final exams near.
"We go from seeing five to six students a day to eight students," Cutrell said.
Student Counseling is able to handle the increase after it hired four new licensed professional counselors for UNG's Gainesville and Dahlonega campuses. Three of the hires, Kevin Young, Risa Herrera and Debra Nelson, serve the Gainesville Campus, while Lisa Allison is based on the Dahlonega Campus.
Cutrell said the additions are a welcome relief, especially on the Gainesville Campus, which operated with only two counselors for months. Now, the campus is fully staffed with five.
"If students called and it was not a crisis, it could be three to four weeks before we could see them," Cutrell said. "Now we have openings within 24 hours."
She said the time between a call and an appointment is crucial.
"It takes motivation and courage to make a phone call seeking help," Cutrell said. "If we don't get them in for an appointment, we may lose that opportunity to help the student."
