George Mason University is sponsoring a program to provide immediate emotional and mental health support to university staff, faculty, contractors, and students.
The university community can call Mason’s Center for Psychological Services (GMUCPS) Emotional Support Line seven days/week from 8:30am – 8:30pm. Callers can expect support from trained facilitators in evidence-informed approaches to address acute stress and screening for problems that require more intense treatment. The call line is free, anonymous, and confidential.
The center also offers the service in Spanish, says Dr. Raymond Bradni, one of the licensed clinical psychologists at GMUCPS. He notes that the hours of the Spanish language support line will ramp up to 8:30 am – 8:30 pm by September.
All Mason-affiliated personnel can also request up to three free brief intervention sessions. These brief interventions are designed to help people acquire coping strategies, problem solving skills, and emotional regulation skills to manage their current stressors, said Dr. Bradni. Pilot data suggests that 40% of those who engage in GMUCPS’s brief intervention sessions need no further services.
The center notes that this resource does NOT replace the EAP program but offers some immediate support while employees may be in the process of accessing EAP help.
August 15, 2022
