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About Us

Our mission

The Center for Counseling and Wellness nurtures a campus culture of resilience, equipping students to grow and thrive emotionally as they engage wholeheartedly in God’s work of renewal in the world.

Our values

Professional Excellence

We are mental health professionals, providing quality care for students based on evidence-based best practices. We are degreed and licensed in psychology, social work, or counseling, and we engage in ongoing professional development to stay current in the field.

Diversity and inclusion

We are welcoming and inclusive of all, including students of any race, ethnicity, national origin, age, religion, ability, gender identity, marital status and sexual identity. We nurture an environment in which everyone belongs, and we engage in ongoing diversity training in order to provide culturally competent services to our campus community.

Compassionate Care

We demonstrate respect and cultivate dignity. We recognize that all people suffer and are in need of compassion, and all people have strength and ability. We create safe, confidential, trustworthy and collaborative spaces in which growth and healing can occur.

Christian Faith

We follow God as the true counselor and healer, cultivating the fruit of the Spirit (Galatians 5:22-23) in our personal and professional lives. We engage in transformative relationships, allowing ourselves and others to be changed by God's grace as we grow together.

Stepped Care Model

Click to view a larger, downloadable PDF version.

The Stepped Care Model is a nuanced and multi-tier system of programs that seeks to meet students where they are in the change process while promoting client autonomy and empowerment. The most-effective yet least-resource intensive intervention is offered first; care is only stepped up to the next level with evidence or prediction of program failure. Students are coached in the creation of connections within the university community that support ongoing thriving and belonging outside of the walls of the counseling center.

Goals of the Stepped Care Model at the Center for Counseling & Wellness include the following:

  • to provide timely student access to mental health care and education
  • to create nuanced, customized treatment plans in response to specific student needs
  • to utilize a strengths-based approach by supporting maximum client autonomy within treatment
  • to connect students effectively with other campus resources and supports
  • to incorporate technological resources in the support of student wellbeing
  • to increase short-term and group interactions with students, allowing for more students to be served by Counseling & Wellness clinicians

After instituting the Stepped Care Model in Spring 2017, the wait time for new clients at the Center for Counseling and Wellness decreased by 56%. In addition, the number of crisis appointments decreased by 61%. Students report high satisfaction and learning outcomes under the Stepped Care Model, with opportunities to engage in mental wellness through a wide variety of resources and supports.

For more information regarding the Stepped Care Model, please contact director Dr. Irene Kraegel at ibk2@calvin.edu or 616-526-7016.

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