Mission
To empower students to thrive in the face of life challenges while achieving personal and academic success. A full array of counseling services is provided, including personal, mental health, substance abuse, career, academic and relationship concerns. CAC offers tailored support for the unique needs of student athletes and at-risk groups, including Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, and Transgender students, international and immigrant students, along with crisis intervention including victim advocacy. CAC provides prevention, education and intervention programs and an Empowerment Resource Library.
Counseling Services
Sometimes life’s challenges feel overwhelming. The Counseling and Advocacy Center helps students develop answers to personal difficulties through short-term individual counseling. It’s a place students receive support, find solutions and feel better. Some concerns that students seek counseling for include:
- Academic stress
- Career guidance
- Depression and anxiety
- Grief and loss
- Relationship problems
- Substance abuse recovery
- Suicidal thoughts
- Quit smoking
Let's Talk
Let’s Talk is for current students to check in via telehealth for an informal and confidential individual consultation with a KCKCC counselor. Counselors can listen to a specific problem, provide insight, support and introduce students to what it’s like to speak to a member of the counseling team.
Prevention, Intervention and Empowerment Services
Specialized care is provided through the Prevention, Intervention and Empowerment services. These supports include active learning programs and events in which all students are welcome to participate.
For more personal and individualized needs, confidential counseling and support are provided.
Prevention
Prevention is all about making smart choices and learning positive behaviors to combat negative outcomes. Preventative Education Programs include the Culture of Respect Series on Healthy Relationships, Assertive Communication, Affirmative Consent, and Bystander Intervention. Prevention also includes Title IX Training, Drug Free School Events and Suicide Prevention Training.
Intervention
Intervention is available when negative life events happen despite our best efforts to prevent them. Sexual harassment, sexual assault, relationship violence and stalking are all crimes of power and control. They are a violation of Title IX protections for students and are not tolerated on KCKCC campus. Survivors of one of these crimes can get help from CAC to reclaim their power through nonjudgmental support and advocacy. Survivors have the right to decide how they want to proceed.
Empowerment
Many students need to feel empowered when facing life challenges. Students who major in nontraditional occupations or students who face bullying behaviors and microaggressions may need support for empowerment. The center is a strong ally for members of the LGBTQIA community, plus CAC advises the Gay-Straight Alliance on campus, a club centered on welcoming all students in a shared community of belongingness.
Education and Advocacy
Addressing issues of students concern through educational programs is an essential part of the work of the CAC. The counselors are available to provide workshops and programs to create awareness and understanding on a broad range of advocacy, mental health and healthy lifestyle issues. Education is provided through:
- Empowerment Resource Library
- Workshops and events
- Enlightened Mind newsletter
- Trauma informed practices
- Self-care for student success
- Assessment for career decision making
Crisis Intervention
When a person is in crisis, their ability to act and think clearly is impaired and they struggle to cope with problems. Crisis situations may include but are not limited to:
- Suicidal or self-harming thoughts
- News of the death of a loved one
- Experiencing a traumatic event
- Physical or sexual assault
- Relationship violence
- Unexpected setbacks that are overwhelming
Crisis Intervention Contacts
The Counseling and Advocacy Center provides access to mental health support 24 hours a day at 913-288-7640.
KCKCC provides students with tools for interactive self-help therapy by using the Welltrack Boost app. Download the app and register with the student’s kckcc.edu email address. The app is free and easy to use.
These are helpful resources for local crisis intervention:
- KCKCC Police | 913-288-7636
- RSI Crisis Stabilization | 913-788-4200
- KU Med Center Emergency Room | Located at 3901 Rainbow Blvd. Kansas City, KS
- Suicide and Crisis Lifeline | 988
- Trevor Lifeline, Suicide Prevention for LGBT Youth l 866-488-7386