MCW's Student Assistance Program: Build It, and They Shall Come

From the September 15, 2023 issue of the Transformational Times - Student Mental Health 

Take 3 with Dr. David Cipriano - MCW's Student Assistance Program: Build It, and They Shall Come

Dr. Himanshu Agrawal, co-editor-in-chief of the Transformational Times, converses with Dr. David Cipriano, Director of Student and Resident Behavioral Health at Medical College of Wisconsin, about student mental health services. 

 

As the director of student and resident behavioral health at MCW, what would you say has been the greatest accomplishment that MCW has made in the last five years? 

 

David Cipriano, PhD: I would say that one of the greatest successes we have achieved has been improved accessibility. We accomplished this through increasing the number of sessions that are available to each MCW student at no cost to them (from five sessions to ten sessions per academic year) and through bringing ComPsych, a Student Assistance Program onboard (to increase choices, flexible scheduling and out-of-network care options). This has coincided with an increase in utilization of mental health services by MCW students. Please be on the lookout for a detailed description of these results in an upcoming paper to be published in the Wisconsin Medical Journal. 

 

Our second biggest accomplishment is that we have seen a significant decrease in stigma around mental health in survey data that we have been collecting for several years now. This also undoubtedly contributes to increased utilization of our services.  

 

As the director of student and resident behavioral health at MCW, what will be your top priority for the next five years? 

 

David Cipriano, PhD: We have two top priorities: first, to ensure our clinical services are inclusive and welcoming for all students, including those underrepresented in medicine; secondly, we aspire to increase and improve group offerings. This will include general groups as well as specialty groups.  

 

 

As the director of student and resident behavioral health at MCW, what is the one thing that you wish to say to each student at MCW? 

David Cipriano, PhD: I've said this before and I will say it again — there does not need to be a major crisis or a major diagnosis for you to come to us, to seek help.

The stress of training, moving to a new city, leaving behind your old support system, or any of the myriad of personal situations is reason enough to talk to a therapist for a new perspective, more tools and better coping strategies.

David J. Cipriano, PhD, is a psychologist and an associate professor in the Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Medicine at MCW. He also serves as the Director of Student and Resident Behavioral Health.