NCKU Improves Mental Health Care Capacity by Increasing Daytime Counseling Spaces and Night Service Hours-國立成功大學永續發展SDGs

Dr. Meng-Ru Shen, the President of National Cheng-Kung University, mentioned "Making faculty and students pleased" as one of his management philosophies, which has led to the faculty, students, and staff looking forward to the changes. After taking over from the previous president in February, President Shen immediately instructed the Counseling and Wellness Services Division to set up counseling rooms on every campus and recruit more psychologists to implement new policies, such as night counseling services and daytime dorm counseling services. The President indicated that his first step is to pay more attention to the mental health of students.

Previously, mental counseling services were mainly provided during the daytime due to shifts. However, since February, NCKU has recruited more counseling psychologists to extend the office hours to the night. During weekdays, psychologists provide services in three locations, such as the dorms and the library, from 6 p.m. to 10 p.m.. The total office hours open in February will be up to 110 hours.

Starting from March, psychologists will also be available in the dorms during the daytime. Psychologists will provide services for two days per week, two hours per day, to provide a convenient way for students in need.

The "mental leave" has been added to the regulations after the school meeting in December 2022. Additionally, two rooms for individual counseling and group counseling have been built on the third floor for the Counseling and Wellness Services Division to provide sufficient counseling services. The six individual rooms and one group room are equipped with warm, supportive features and provide innovative, energetic, and multifaceted counseling services.

The Counseling and Wellness Services Division is committed to providing professional services and extending counseling capacity. Under President Shen's close attention to mental care, the service hours are not limited to daytime but also extended to the night, with counseling rooms set up on every campus. These policies improve the capacity and accessibility of counseling resources for students and are expected to meet their mental care needs.