A lengthy suicide post on the UCF Reddit page, and a death at Lake Claire, both unrelated, and the conversation about mental health rears an opportunity.

Most will know about CAPS (Counseling and Psychological Services), free to students, thanks to the work UCF has done. Beyond that, a student might believe CAPS is their only on-campus resource for struggles; the Community Counseling and Research Center is another step available to anyone feeling they have reached the end of the line.

The UCF College of Community Innovation and Education Community Counseling and Research Center (CCRC) is a state of the art clinical training facility with 10 counseling rooms that range from a play therapy and adolescent therapy room to adult clinical services. The Clinic offers free individual, couple, and family counseling sessions on weekdays and evenings, and on occasion, conducts group-counseling programs. The CAPS hotline covers the time gap with 24/7 assistance.

FAQ:

Where is the CCRC located? 
The CCRC is located on the campus of the University of Central Florida, within the Education Complex. Please click here for further directions.

What is the cost of services? 
Services provided at the CCRC are free; however, there is a three-semester service limit.

What type of training do your student counselors receive? 
The master’s and doctoral students are at the end of an intensive and comprehensive graduate program and are applying acquired knowledge to their work with clients seeking all forms of assistance. Supervised by faculty members and/or doctoral students learning clinical supervision, the clinical staff provides all the direct care to clients.

Am I an appropriate client? 
Maybe. We see most clients and serve families, adults, adolescents, children and couples. We will only see UCF students who have been referred from the Student Counseling Center on campus. The CCRC offers help to those struggling with:

  • Abuse(non-present) and Neglect
  • Anger and Rage
  • Attachment Issues
  • Career Issues
  • Codependency
  • Communication
  • Depression
  • Divorce
  • Family Issues
  • Fear and Anxiety
  • Grief and Loss
  • Infidelity
  • Marriage Issues
  • Mental Illness
  • Marital or Premarital Issues
  • Parenting Challenges
  • Relationships
  • Sexuality
  • Spiritual Issues
  • Step-Family Issues
  • Stress
  • And more
The UCF Psychology Clinic, attached to the psychology building, offers free to low cost services to students or community members. The therapists are students in the Clinical Psychology Ph.D. program all working to become licensed psychologists and are supervised by licensed Ph.D. clinical Psychologists. The Psychology Clinic can be used for long-term specialized treatment.
 

UCF Athletics has made the mental health of their student-athletes at the forefront of their goals by sending a clear message, even through the big screen on game day, that it is okay to get help.

When it comes to purely academic struggles and non-enrollment, administrators – including deans – will speak with students individually and work one-on-one, having reached out and making contact (and when approached) themselves. This same engagement is still available to students seeking help from their college leaders.

SDES and individual colleges within the university rallied over the past year to reach out to students who had yet to re-register to return to classes, solving any personal, financial, or academic problem the student might have been experiencing.

“This is something that has been a priority for us a long, long time,” said Student Development and Enrollment Services Maribeth Ehasz on a milestone retention rate.

“A year ago we got close. We learned from that how important it is to keep an eye on students through the entire registration cycle. There was a continuous effort to work with the first-year students and a specific high-intensive initiative between May and September to ensure that all students who could, were registered.”

Counseling and Psychological Services is available 24/7 through their hotline: 407-823-2811.