{"693132":{"#nid":"693132","#data":{"type":"news","title":"Accreditation Renewal Highlights Georgia Tech\u0027s Commitment to Student Well-Being ","body":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EThe\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/mentalhealth.gatech.edu\/\u0022\u003ECenter for Mental Health Care and Resources\u003C\/a\u003E (CMHCR) at Georgia Tech has received renewal of its accreditation from the International Accreditation of Counseling Services (IACS). With more than 30 years of continuous accreditation already on the record, the renewal reaffirms that the Center continues to meet nationally recognized standards for counseling services, clinical practices, and student support, reflecting its ongoing commitment to providing high-quality mental health care and resources for Georgia Tech students.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe accreditation renewal comes at a time when student mental health remains a significant focus across higher education. According to the\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/sph.umich.edu\/news\/2025posts\/college-student-mental-health-third-consecutive-year-improvement.html\u0022\u003EHealthy Minds Study\u003C\/a\u003E, 37% of college students reported moderate-to-severe depressive symptoms and 32% reported moderate-to-severe anxiety symptoms in 2025.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe IACS re-accreditation process involves a comprehensive examination of mental health center operations, services, resources, and relationships within the college community. Centers must submit detailed documentation and undergo an on-site evaluation conducted by peer reviewers.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cGeorgia Tech exemplifies collegiate mental health,\u201d said Annie Patterson, IACS executive director. \u201cTheir (CMHCR) commitment to student mental health, as evidenced by the quality of their operations and the dedication of their staff, serves as an example to other counseling centers within higher education.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EIn its review, the IACS committee praised CMHCR for enhanced services at Georgia Tech, including its focus on supporting returning students\u2019 ongoing mental health care and staff training with CMHCR and the Office of the Dean of Students on new procedures.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003ECMHCR serves as Georgia Tech\u2019s primary hub for student mental health support, offering counseling, crisis response, consultation, outreach, and referral services. In recent years, the center has expanded access and improved care so students can receive timely, high-quality mental health support. These achievements include:\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cul\u003E\u003Cli data-list-item-id=\u0022edcde98ddfab6c2e3a7f5d57909fa0db4\u0022\u003EIncreasing access to mental health services through its Satellite program, where counselors are stationed in each of Georgia Tech\u2019s six colleges.\u003C\/li\u003E\u003Cli data-list-item-id=\u0022edc903dda69dca0a408fadcc3c56e95f9\u0022\u003EReducing and keeping wait times for an initial appointment to less than five days, and students seeking services for a crisis can be seen within 30 minutes.\u003C\/li\u003E\u003Cli data-list-item-id=\u0022eb7f9be40d4dadc933cc9f7511e9ed1b8\u0022\u003EProviding opportunities through the Collegiate Recovery Program for students in recovery from substance abuse to connect with peers, strengthen their healing, and build community while pursuing their academic goals.\u003C\/li\u003E\u003Cli data-list-item-id=\u0022e149e3fbe48da59b99993051b8f283c08\u0022\u003EReducing off-campus referrals by 53% from Academic Year 2024-2025 to Academic Year 2025-2026, allowing more students to receive care on campus after students reported that accessing off-campus counseling can be challenging.\u003C\/li\u003E\u003Cli data-list-item-id=\u0022e99c5b3a5ff08b96331efe8820bfc01b7\u0022\u003EThrough a partnership with the University System of Georgia, offering students access to\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/uwill.com\/\u0022\u003EUwill\u003C\/a\u003E, an online counseling platform that provides three free sessions with a licensed counselor.\u003C\/li\u003E\u003C\/ul\u003E\u003Cp\u003EWhile the accreditation renewal recognizes the Center\u2019s success, Dr. Vidal Annan, the center\u2019s senior director, said the focus remains on continually improving services and responding to the evolving needs of Georgia Tech students.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cI was very pleased with the results from the IACS review, as my goal for the center is to continue to have high-quality counseling services for all students. My staff and I take pride in what we do, and we find joy in helping students strengthen their mental well-being and achieve their personal and academic goals on campus,\u201d said Dr. Annan.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EStudents can learn more about CMHCR services, schedule appointments, and explore mental health resources on the\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/mentalhealth.gatech.edu\/\u0022\u003ECMHCR website\u003C\/a\u003E or by visiting the center in the Smithgall Student Services (Flag) Building, Suite 238.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E","summary":"","format":"limited_html"}],"field_subtitle":"","field_summary":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EThe\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/mentalhealth.gatech.edu\/\u0022\u003ECenter for Mental Health Care and Resources\u003C\/a\u003E (CMHCR) at Georgia Tech has received renewal of its accreditation from the International Accreditation of Counseling Services (IACS). With more than 30 years of continuous accreditation already on the record, the renewal reaffirms that the Center continues to meet nationally recognized standards for counseling services, clinical practices, and student support, reflecting its ongoing commitment to providing high-quality mental health care and resources for Georgia Tech students.\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"field_summary_sentence":[{"value":"The Center for Mental Health Care and Resources (CMHCR) at Georgia Tech has received renewal of its accreditation from the International Accreditation of Counseling Services (IACS). "}],"uid":"36435","created_gmt":"2026-10-07 15:20:02","changed_gmt":"2026-10-07 15:26:50","author":"ballen91","boilerplate_text":"","field_publication":"","field_article_url":"","location":"Atlanta, GA","dateline":{"date":"2026-10-07T00:00:00-04:00","iso_date":"2026-10-07T00:00:00-04:00","tz":"America\/New_York"},"extras":[],"hg_media":{"681375":{"id":"681375","type":"image","title":"TablingEvent_MentalHealthCare_Photos_082825_CR_Finals-12.jpg","body":null,"created":"1791386764","gmt_created":"2026-10-07 15:26:04","changed":"1791386764","gmt_changed":"2026-10-07 15:26:04","alt":"CMHCR","file":{"fid":"265756","name":"TablingEvent_MentalHealthCare_Photos_082825_CR_Finals-12.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/2026\/10\/07\/TablingEvent_MentalHealthCare_Photos_082825_CR_Finals-12.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/2026\/10\/07\/TablingEvent_MentalHealthCare_Photos_082825_CR_Finals-12.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":14434835,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/2026\/10\/07\/TablingEvent_MentalHealthCare_Photos_082825_CR_Finals-12.jpg?itok=PWNo-euA"}}},"media_ids":["681375"],"groups":[{"id":"660408","name":"CMHCR"},{"id":"652360","name":"Student Engagement and Well-Being"},{"id":"1269","name":"Student Life"}],"categories":[],"keywords":[{"id":"193493","name":"Center for Mental Health Care and Resources"}],"core_research_areas":[],"news_room_topics":[],"event_categories":[],"invited_audience":[],"affiliations":[],"classification":[],"areas_of_expertise":[],"news_and_recent_appearances":[],"phone":[],"contact":[],"email":[],"slides":[],"orientation":[],"userdata":""}}}