By Michael Purtell
College can be a tumultuous time for many young adults’ mental health. Following the example of surrounding SUNY’s, Plattsburgh State will be introducing a new way of tackling student struggles: Peer counseling.
In the fall, Plattsburgh will host its first ever peer counseling training class. Up to 10 students will get the opportunity to train to become counselors for their peers on campus, and then will be able to meet professionally to help others tackle the stresses of college life.
The class and program combo will be coordinated by Shelby Bourgeois, a mental health counselor who was hired to bring this experience to campus. The two-time Plattsburgh alumni found her passion for working at a college setting after spending four years at Paul Smith’s college, and is using that passion to bring this program to Plattsburgh.
Bourgeois’ program is something that came from SUNY sister-school Potsdam, who has been working with Plattsburgh to help get the program off the ground, Bourgeois said.
“Potsdam has had this program on campus for a minute now, and a lot of other schools have been doing it as well,” Bourgeois said. “This is because research is showing that it is very positive for students on campus to give and receive that peer support.”
The first step prospective student-counselors would take is the class, which received enough student interest to be officially held next semester. The class will focus on sharpening hands on skills so that students will be as prepared as possible for real life counseling situations.
“It’s going to be a lot of practicing and role playing,” Bourgeois said. “Obviously we’ll be getting them the knowledge to know how to sit with somebody and listen while keeping an eye out for safety concerns and knowing when to refer.”
Once students complete the course with a passing grade, they’ll take the internship the following semester which allows them to accept clients and meet with students. It is a position students will be eligible for as long as they are enrolled at Plattsburgh.
The program is a one year commitment at minimum, making it a unique opportunity. It’s also an exclusive opportunity. With just 10 slots, if interest surges the course could be hard to make it into. Eight slots have been filled so far.
The small class size is due to Bourgeois being the sole instructor running the course. It is extra important that every enrolled student is getting acute attention and hands-on experience, as they will be expected to assist their peers afterwards, Bourgeois said.
“We’re really hoping to get the max number of students,” Bourgeois said. “The more students we can get through the course the more slots will be available for counseling.”
The class is intentionally available for students of any background, not just students in counseling fields of study. All a participant needs to participate is the will to learn how to properly counsel.
“I think really the biggest component is having somebody who feels like they have a shared experience. And so if we limit it to just, let’s say, psychology or social work majors, it kind of ostracizes students of other majors on campus from helping students who share their experiences,” Bourgeois said. “Anyone trying to get more involved on campus is welcome to apply.”
The experience for counselors has proven to be successful on other campuses, Bourgeois said. Student counselors report feelings of gratitude for being able to give back to their campus communities.
For students who sought out help from peer counselors, the research has shown success for them as well.
“It allows them to have a connection with somebody more relatable than a professional counselor to talk through things such as academic stress or maybe things they don’t feel comfortable going to counseling for,” Bourgeois said. “It allows them a third party and breaks down some of the barriers that come with approaching a professional counseling office.”
