c/o Wesleyan University
Counseling and Psychological Services (CAPS) has hired Tenika Campbell for the newly established Case Manager position starting this semester. According to Director of CAPS Jennifer D’Andrea, the position was created as a means to better fulfill student needs, especially for those pursuing mental health care outside of CAPS.
“CAPS utilizes a biweekly model of individual therapy (every other week),” D’Andrea wrote in an email to The Argus. “For many years, we have been aware of students who either need or want a different level of care, whether it is weekly long term therapy or an intensive outpatient program or some other form of specialized treatment. Students who seek care in the community benefit from assistance in navigating that process, which is where the case manager position comes in.”
D’Andrea noted that the role of Case Manager is distinct from the other positions in CAPS and that Campbell will be responsible for helping students determine the best course of treatment and access to resources.
“The case manager holds 1:1 meetings with students in order to learn what kinds of treatment they are hoping to access, and to provide whatever support they need to connect to that treatment,” D’Andrea wrote. “The case manager will help students access transportation and use health insurance as well as facilitate communication among various treatment providers. The addition of the case manager position will not change any other positions in CAPS.”
Campbell, who has previously worked as a social worker and a Public Safety (PSafe) officer, feels prepared to step into the role and draw on her past experiences.
“My previous role as a public safety officer highlights my ability to engage with students, familiarity with Wesleyan’s campus and the understanding of the community,” Campbell wrote in an email to The Argus. “My experience in that role contributes to my work in CAPS tremendously by effective communication with students to learn what type of treatment they are hoping to access and provide support to them throughout the process. Additionally, my professional experience as a social worker provided me with extensive skills to help facilitate conversations with various treatment providers and meet 1:1 to establish and maintain relationships.”
Campbell explained that she wanted to pursue the position because of her love for the University and its students.
“I was led to seek out the case manager position because Wesleyan is dear to my heart and in this role, I have the opportunity to impact students’ perspective on mental health and become an additional support for them,” Campbell wrote.
Looking forward, Campbell hopes that her work at CAPS will highlight the importance of mental health and bolster accessibility to on- and off-campus resources.
“I hope to work with my colleagues to bring a positive light to the importance of mental health and meet the individual needs of each student,” Campbell wrote. “I also hope to strengthen the relationships with community providers.”
D’Andrea noted the significance of the creation of the Case Manager position and Campbell’s presence on the CAPS team.
“We’re really happy about the creation of the position as well as Ms. Campbell’s decision to join the team,” D’Andrea wrote. “CAPS will be able to increase its reach and provide support for many more students now that Ms. Campbell is on board.”
Sulan Bailey can be reached at sabailey@wesleyan.edu.