More Staff and New Hours at Parton

Just before winter break, Parton Health Center announced new changes to scheduling and staff that would take effect in 2016. Parton reduced the number of hours they are open on Fridays – the health center now closes at 6 p.m. rather than 9 p.m — and also added a full-time and a half-time position, filled by nurse practitioners who can prescribe medications.

As Dr. Gus Jordan, executive director of Parton explained, Parton changed its Friday closing time not to reduce staff hours, but rather as an attempt to redistribute their resources to accommodate students in busier times during the week, such as lunchtime. Parton decided to make this change after a careful analysis of visits and saw that Friday evenings were the least busy hours. Jordan said Parton will continue to evaluate the effectiveness of their hours and try to accommodate students’ needs in the best way possible.

Parton decided to add more staff who can prescribe medication in response to student demands. While most of the illnesses students have do not usually require prescriptions, many students wanted more access to professionals capable of prescribing medicine. With these new positions, fewer students will have to go to Porter Hospital for assessment and diagnosis. Jordan said the new nurse practitioners also bring “a fresh perspective and new expertise, as well as commitment to the student population, to complement our current excellent staff.”

Parton made these changes after close collaboration with many student organizations, such as SGA and Community Council. Emma Erwin, a SGA director of health and wellness, said the SGA is very excited about the changes.

“Gus [Jordan] has actively pursued conversations with relevant student leaders to gain insight and input during the process of formulating these new changes, and dedicated time and energy into presenting the proposed changes to both SGA and community council before implementing them,” Erwin explained.

Jordan is also optimistic that the conversations between Parton and students will continue. Considering the fact that 40 to 45 percent of every graduating class at Middlebury has used the counseling services at some point, Parton is eager to expand their services and accommodate students’ needs.

“With increased stress on campus, more conversations about mental health, and so many new programs and student-run activities, Parton wants to be in sync with that, in a way we perhaps haven’t been in the past,” Jordan said.

In the counseling department, Parton recently turned a part-time counselor position into a full-time position, and approved two graduate fellowship positions. Jordan said the goal for these positions is to “increase the level of diversity, background, and expertise on a two-to-three year rotating basis.” Parton is currently advertising and recruiting for these positions nationwide. More changes and improvements might be coming to Parton in the future, fueled by students’ concerns and criticisms regarding mental health care at Middlebury. Jordan explained two options Parton is exploring and hopes to discuss with students soon. One is an online cognitive behavior program students could access from anywhere in the world, any time of day. The idea is an online counseling approach, which students complete autonomously and can virtually link in a counselor for help if they choose to do so. Parton will be conducting tests with the software company soon.

Additionally, Parton is considering is a 24-hour call-in service, which allows a student to call in and talk to a masters level counselor based somewhere in the US who is familiar with the College. They would be able to talk about student concerns, give suggestions about what to do, and evaluate if the student is in danger and alert the college if necessary. This service would be available internationally, meaning students studying abroad would have access to the calls as well.

Neither option is cheap, but Parton will be in communication with students regarding both options and try to decide which one might be a better place for Middlebury to start. So far, many students have expressed approval with Parton’s recent dedication to address mental health and student stress.

“I think mental health is really important, especially at Middlebury, so I’m happy Parton is considering expanding their counseling services because I think that will help a lot of students,” Maeghan Glidden ’19 said.

“I used to be hesitant to go to Parton because of stories I had heard from upperclassmen but knowing that they’re making changes and working with student organizations makes me trust them a lot more,” Anna Baird ’19 added.