When transitioning to college, there are so many thoughts and changes to consider. It’s understandable that figuring out how you’ll handle your mental health needs will be overlooked.
SNHU offers a variety of resources to help you cope with your mental health needs and assist with your on-campus success. Resident assistants (RA) can be utilized as listening ears or as guides to the necessary resources on campus. The Wellness Center is staffed with counselors with whom you can schedule regular appointments. There is also the Campus Accessibility Center (CAC).
It’s likely that your biggest stressors and anxieties will come from the classroom. The CAC provides students who have diagnoses with accommodations to create equal opportunity within the classroom. For example, a student who is hearing-impaired may need the assistance of a sign language interpreter to fully participate in class, like an IEP or a 504 might have provided in high school.
However, to obtain services you don’t need to have had an IEP or a 504 in high school. The requirements to obtain services are: Have a physical or mental impairment which substantially limits a major life activity, have a record of history of such an impairment, be regarded as having such an impairment and provide recent documentation detailing the impairment, the date of impairment, explaining the need for accommodations in the college environment and support the need for the requested accommodations as reported by the treating healthcare professional.
Accommodations can also be made for the environment, such as accessible housing for handicapped students. Students are provided with equal access beyond the classroom through the CAC.
It’s important to be aware that in a college setting, the student now bears the responsibility of setting up and following through with using the accommodations. If you are doubtful that you’ll need accommodations, it is best to get them anyway. You choose whether or not your professor is aware of your accommodations.
The CAC is located in the Green Center near the Women’s Center. Any questions can be directed to cac@snhu.edu.
