January 18, 2022 – Starting January 20, Richland Community College is partnering with Crossing Healthcare to deliver free in-person counseling with licensed professional, Malinda Powell, ALMFT. Funding will be provided by The Community Foundation of Macon County to provide this service at no cost to Richland students, staff, and faculty.
Malinda is an Associate Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist (ALMFT) at Crossing Healthcare where she has spent the last several years working with individuals, couples, and families to provide solution-focused mental health care that works in their everyday lives with the goal of enhancing their well-being. Malinda will provide resources and assistance to those students, staff and faculty experiencing symptoms associated with depression, anxiety, and trauma histories.
“I am excited to partner with Richland Community College to be there for students, faculty, and staff. Our office is here to provide a safe place for individuals to strengthen their resilience, gain perspective, sharpen their focus, and add to the mental and emotional tools that will aid them in their academic and personal success,” said Malinda. “Looking for help when we are feeling overwhelmed or distressed can be so difficult. With counseling services available on Richland’s campus, we hope to eliminate barriers that often keep people stuck and alone with their difficulties.”
Dr. Isaac Zúñiga, Vice President of Student Success at Richland, added, “As we continue to move through the pandemic and start the Spring 2022 semester, our partnership with Crossing Healthcare to provide onsite mental health counseling at no cost to our students is critical in supporting student success. Without this mental health service, our students will continue to struggle, oftentimes in silence. I am positive that this service will not only help our students reach their educational goals but will position them to gain success in the next chapter of their lives. Each of our campus wellness student support services are designed to assist our students outside the classroom and ultimately help them build resiliency so that can remain enrolled and complete their academic program.”
Hours for this service are Monday and Thursday – 9am to 1pm. Appointments are recommended and can be made at www.richland.edu/wellness, but walk-ins will be available as well. The location of this service will be on Richland’s campus at the Macon County Soil and Water Conservation Building, 4004 E. College Park, Decatur, IL 62521.
