SPS may need to charge for services

Student Psychological Services is considering curtailing
services and charging a $10 fee for appointments next year if
Governor Gray Davis’ projected budget cuts proceed as
planned, said SPS Director Dr. Harold Pruett.

Psychologists at SPS think any obstacle to treatment could be
potentially harmful to students. Many students agree, though some
do not think a fee would be a hardship for most students.

Pruett said the 20 percent planned cut to student services could
force SPS to cut staff, resulting in fewer students being seen for
fewer visits and corresponding longer waits for appointments.
Another possibility could be the fee per appointment.

“We certainly don’t want students to end up having
to wait any longer than ordinarily, and we don’t want to just
deprive some students of services,” he said.

Because SPS sees 2,700 to 2,800 students a year, the wait for
appointments is regularly two to three weeks.

If this wait increased, Pruett said he thinks we could see the
impact on students on campus.

“When students are really distressed and aren’t able
to get the kind of assistance they need relatively quickly, it
impacts on their peers because other students get concerned,”
he said.

In addition, Pruett said he thinks a fee would be a deterrent to
students seeking help.

“Anytime that you charge fees it is another barrier to
treatment, particularly for those people who are struggling as
students are,” he said.

Suzanne O’Connell, a Clinical Social Worker at SPS, said
she thinks the fee itself could become a hardship for many
students, because students are typically seen for more than one
appointment over a period of time and the cost adds up.

“It’s going to be very hard especially for students
struggling financially, who need emotional support and services and
won’t be able to afford it,” she said.

O’Connell said she believes there are many students at
UCLA for whom a $10 fee would be out of reach.

O’Connell suggested the fee would not be a deterrent if
students were entitled to a number of free sessions and would have
to pay a fee to continue additional optional sessions.

“Crisis situations are not usually optional,” she
said.

Research suggests six to eight sessions are needed to manage a
crisis, so SPS offers up to eight and offers referrals for more
long-term care, though this is beyond many students’ budgets,
O’Connell said.

O’Connell said she worries that students may not seek help
at all, which could potentially lead to suicide, law-enforcement
issues, or even simply failing out of school.

“If (students) are having such severe emotional issues
that they can’t concentrate, sit in class, or even get out of
bed, they’re not going to be able to complete their academic
work,” she said. “Our major mission is to keep students
functioning academically.”

Antigone Skoulas, a first-year biology student said a fee would
discourage only those who were reluctant to seek treatment in the
first place.

“People who don’t want to go but someone thinks they
should are not going to be likely to go,” she said.

Skoulas said the fee would not be a hardship for her personally,
but that she knows people for whom it would be.

Third-year Integral Medical Theory student Ryan Abbot said he
did not think a small fee would be a financial hardship for
anybody.

“If someone is inclined to go in the first place, they
would probably still go,” he said.

Karoon Monfared, a second-year Biochemistry student said he
thinks even the current wait for an appointment is excessive, but
he understands why it may increase.

“With budget cuts, the school is in a tough place. Almost
anything they cut is criticized,” he said.

Accurate figures for the cuts cannot be projected until the
final state budget is passed, with the deadline being June 15.

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