Dear Students,

I’m Wayne Assing, the new Director of Counseling and Psychological Services at CAPS and I’m thrilled to be here. Since joining Bates in May, it’s been fulfilling to work with students and to be part of a broad community that cares deeply about wellbeing.

We have exciting new opportunities at CAPS this semester, and I would like to take a moment to highlight the services we are offering to support student wellness and wellbeing. These initiatives will both expand the clinical options at CAPS and increase students’ access to mental health care.

• Clinical Groups – This fall we began offering counseling group sessions at CAPS that offer support on topics such as body acceptance; BIPOC belonging; chronic health conditions; coping with family dysfunction; first-year experience; international student experience; LGBTQIA+; understanding self and others; trans, non-binary, and gender questioning support. You are not alone in needing support, and being in community with others is helpful to build connection and fulfillment.
• UWill Mental Health Platform for Bates Students – CAPS is partnering with UWill to expand mental health services for students. This is a secure and convenient path to clinical services in this time of heightened needs. Bates has contracted with UWill to offer eight free half-hour telehealth sessions this academic year to students residing in Maine. 
• Thriving Campus – Get connected with a long-term therapist via Thriving Campus. Thriving Campus is a widely used service for college students to find available therapists in the local community using your health insurance.
• 24/7 Mental Health Hotline – ProtoCall, a Bates service provider, is available to students and staffed by mental health professionals who have been trained to work with Bates students. If you have an urgent concern and need to speak to a counselor after normal business hours, call (207) 786-6200 and press “0” to reach ProtoCall.

As always, CAPS continues to have timely, same day appointments as one way to avert students having to go on a waitlist. Using the Flexible Model of Care that was developed at Brown University, we see a large number of students on the same day or within a few days depending on your availability. Students can explore services by calling us at (207) 786-6200, emailing us at CAPS@bates.edu, or stopping by in person at 31 Campus Ave. (Please note: The entrance to CAPS is on Nichols Street, 2nd Floor.)

With all of these services available, we hope you access the resources that you feel comfortable with and most suit your needs for wellness and support. If you need help navigating them, please talk to your Student Support Advisor (SSA) or feel free to call us at CAPS directly – (207) 786-6200. We look forward to working with you throughout the rest of this academic year, and we hope you continue to seek opportunities and connections on campus where you find joy and support.

Best,
Wayne Assing
Director of Counseling and Psychological Services