The average student at NEIU is typically juggling several responsibilities. There are children and partners to see after, work duties, and last but not least, schoolwork to do. Even if one is a part-time student, that is still a lot to contend with. A hectic life and schedule can cause the calmest of people to cave in under pressure, and the inability to get everything done can lead to stress.
For various reasons, people turn to drugs and alcohol as a means of coping with their problems. There are those that try recreational drugs and hate the way they make them feel, and there are those that become instantly hooked. The smell of alcohol is enough to make some people steer away from it, However for others, they have to come to depend on it for temporary relief. For those that have become addicted, the school offers free services to all enrolled students.
Jessica Lettow, RN and Director of Health Services, says that she sees many students that are looking for help. The students come in and are evaluated to see what it is they need help with. “If it is something we can help with, then we are glad to be of service,” says Lettow. “It is often in our conversations with the students that we may find that they are in need of more extensive services and they are then referred to the counseling office.” However, Lettow says that students need not come to the health services office first. “They can just go straight to the counseling office and there is someone there that will help them.”
John Hoeppel PhD is the Director of the Counseling Office. He and other qualified staff members work together as a team to best serve the student. The counseling office offers individual, group, and couples counseling. Their goal is to help the clients come up with healthy ways to deal with the stresses and problems that they face in their everyday lives. By doing this, the student can work towards achieving their academic and personal goals. If they have a well-balanced lifestyle, they better their chances of reaching their potential and being successful in their lives.
Students can come in to see counselors for an initial intake and assessment. “We often find that some of the issues are combined with other problems such as depression and we try to treat the whole person”, says Hoeppel. “There are many services offered to students and we try to figure out what is going on with each student so we can know how to serve them.” Hoeppel has been around for 29 years and says that he’s seen an increase in the number of students seeking help. “More and more people are coming in with serious problems and the services have really taken off in the last 10-15 years.”
From October of last year to January of this year, intake is up 37%. According to Hoeppel, counseling services have seen a steady increase in demand over the last 5 years. In the last year alone, the office scheduled more than 4,200 individual counseling sessions.
Services offered on campus are free to registered students. If the student needs off-campus services, then the office usually works with outside agencies to see if they will be covered by their insurance.
Once a student graduates, the office works with them to refer to outside agencies that may be covered by their insurance.
There are also limited services offered to faculty, staff, and veterans.
The Counseling Office is located in the lower level of the D-building in D-024. Their phone number is 773-442-4650.