You can view the letter by clicking on the link or by reading below. By clicking on the link the letter will be in an easier-to-read format.
https://docs.google.com/document/d/1TQX_XQLlp1dPwjkGszOgg0rHUNNz1yUeqlXqOMekcRc/edit?usp=sharing
*TW: This letter will be addressing topics such as suicide, sexual assault, and mental health issues. Please only continue reading if you feel comfortable doing so.*
Dear West Virginia University Community,
My name is Steven Chettleburgh and I am a sophomore at WVU. I am the creator of the Change.org petition with over 1,647 signatures urging WVU to better equip mental health resources such as the Carruth Center to meet growing student needs.
I was sitting and looking out my window across from the U-Place parking garage on Friday, April 16th. The street was completely empty, not a single person or car was in sight. It was the quietest moment by my apartment window that I could imagine. That day, I saw someone fall off the parking garage, and it felt like everything was playing out in slow motion. I heard a thud that echoed through my apartment windows and across the entire street. A moment later, I saw a student lying dead on the sidewalk.
The moments since then have been really difficult. I felt completely helpless and felt deep remorse that someone was in so much distress that they thought it would be best to end their life and never open their eyes again. Every time I walk by the U-Place parking garage, I see Ben falling constantly. It hurts and haunts me every time.
Shortly after Ben fell, students voiced their mental health struggles through various social media platforms. Their stories made me feel like something needed to be done so every student can get the help they need and so that way no one feels that their only option is suicide.
To allow students voices to be heard, I created a change.org petition and within two days, it had over 1,660 signatures. The number of individuals signing the petition continues to grow everyday. This letter intends to urge the school and the Carruth Center to make change. I want to highlight that no one who signed this petition is directly blaming Ben’s death on the Carruth Center or on the school. The signers of this petition want to hold the school accountable for all the negative experiences and struggles West Virginia University students have faced when trying to get mental health help from the school and from the Carruth Center.
Before releasing the change.org petition, I did not realize how many students deal with and work to overcome mental health challenges. As part of my petition, I asked WVU students to email me their personal stories about their mental health experiences and their experiences with the Carruth Center. I told them that I would not post their name with the experience. 18 students personally emailed me with their stories and trusted a complete stranger to read and distribute their experience. I want to say thank you to these students because you and the people who signed this petition will make change happen. At the end of this letter, I will post their unfiltered and unedited experiences.
Finally, I want to say I am not an activist. I am not a mental health expert. I partially struggled with mental health at the end of my freshman year of college and second semester of my sophomore year of college. I realized that someone needed to step up to get this done so I decided to do it.
The school looks at the Carruth Center as a complete solution to encompass all of students' mental health. I fear that as an entire community, we have not recognized the shortcoming of the Carruth Center and have assumed that the Carruth Center “is perfect” and “serves all student needs”. After reading many comments on social media and receiving very personal emails from students, I know we have change to make. If we can make changes to the Carruth Center to better serve students, more students will be supported.
After reading all these responses, I have identified the following 6 issues that need to be addressed so the Carruth Center can better support students’ mental health needs.
To make an appointment you have to call the Carruth Center at “304-293-4431”. You can not make an email appointment.
There are not enough appointments available for students.
Many students were forced or convinced to be put in group counseling even though they wanted individual counseling.
The Carruth Center is not able to help all students with their mental health needs.
The Carruth Center charges students fees to use their services after 12 sessions. (Many students were told or were under the impression that you could only go 5 times). In addition, many students can not afford the Carruth Center or don’t want their parents to see charges on insurance.
There is a lack of communication between the Carruth Center, the students, and WVU professors.
These problems are described in more detailed below:
1). To make an appointment you have to call the Carruth Center at “304-293-4431”. You can not make an email appointment.
This barrs students from being able to get help they need because they are afraid of making a phone call.
Student Statement Snipits:
“I emailed them (the Carruth Center) and they would not allow me to schedule an appointment over email without calling, well one problem with my disorder is when I try to talk about it to someone I don’t know especially someone over the phone I shut out and don’t talk about it.”
“It was nearly impossible for me to get up the nerve to call the Carruth Center, and had an anxiety attack doing so”.
Solution: We would like to see the ability to schedule appointments on the phone, over email, and through an online scheduler such as calendly.
2). There are not enough appointments available for students.
Many students have found that there is a long waitlist to be able to be accepted into the Carruth Center as the Carruth Center is “first come, first serve”. This has made it hard for students to receive the help they need.
Student Statement Snipits:
“My friend waited months before they would give him help because they believed his problem wasn’t as serious at the time.”
“I managed to call and was met by a response of being put on the end of a wait list, and if I couldn’t wait, to try somewhere else.”
"Caruth Center needs to do more than put you on a waitlist for at least a month."
Solution: We would like the Carruth Center to expand access so any student wishing to receive help can get help!
3). Many students were forced or convinced to be put in group counseling even though they wanted individual counseling.
I personally have gone to the Carruth Center and like the many students who emailed me I found that they tend to push students into group counseling even though individual counseling might be better for the students.
Student Statement Snipits:
“He was severely depressed and he needed help and when they finally gave him help it was in a group session, he was not comfortable with sharing specific details that he desperately wanted to talk about in front of a group.”
“Carruth tried to put me in a group session because that’s all they do and I didn’t even go because it was not going to help me.”
Solution: We would like to see the Carruth Center encourage students to make their own decision on which type of counseling is best for them, instead of by default recommending group counseling.
4). The Carruth Center is not able to help all students with their mental health needs.
The amount of emails and responses I got to this were heart breaking. Many students felt that they took the step to reach out for help but the Carruth Center told them that their problems were too much to handle. After this happened these students felt more depressed and felt hopeless. If you don’t believe me look at how many mini statements there are below:
Student Statement Snipits:
“Two counselors at the Carruth center told me my prior history was “too much” for them to help me and I was “not mentally equipped” to handle college.”
“They told me I was “too much” and they couldn’t help me. at that time I felt hopeless about getting better.”
"They turned me away because they “couldn’t help me” when I was extremely suicidal.”
"I was told that virtual counseling was not offered to out of state students, if we were not on campus.”
"I got dropped by my last therapist from missing 3 appointments after 3 years.”
"The Carruth center turned me away after I expressed to them I was not in a healthy mental state.”
“The Carruth Center suggested I reach out to a place that was “more capable” of dealing with my issues”. “Because of this I was so distraught that I physically and mentally felt that I could not call another center.”
“The Carruth Center told her that her condition was too serious and that she had major mental health issues.”
Solution: We as students want to advocate for more mental health resources at the Carruth Center so students don’t get turned away, don’t get told “you have too many problems” and can feel supported and helped.
5). The Carruth Center charges students fees to use their services after 12 sessions. (Many students were told or were under the impression that you could only go 5 times). In addition, many students can not afford the Carruth Center or don’t want their parents to see charges on insurance.
Many students expressed to me that they felt they could not reach out for help at the Carruth Center because they were afraid that they wouldn’t get their problem solved within the 5 or 12 visits allowed.
Student Statement Snipits:
“They didn’t offer her any help, except maybe find a new therapist. They said this, knowing she did not have access to her insurance or money to pay for cost of visits.”
“Students deserve accessible counseling from the same university that costs tens of thousands of dollars to attend each year. The limited “free” sessions are hard enough to get, without recognizing that outside mental health counseling is usually at a minimum $50 session (at least with the student health insurance plan offered by WVU).”
Solution: Students should not be charged for mental health help. Students should have unlimited access to the Carruth Center for free.
6). There is a lack of communication between the Carruth Center, the students, and WVU professors.
The Carruth Center does not raise awareness to professors about the importance of mental health. It does not guide professors to help students who may be suffering from mental health inhibitions. This results in students who have mental health problems not being understood by their professors.
Student Statement Snipits:
“My professors haven’t been understanding at all, and my “counseling appointments” at the Carruth Center don’t help in the slightest.”
“Not only that they told me to just withdraw from my classes and basically lose 10000 dollars and now i'm a whole semester behind.”
Solution: The Carruth Center/school should develop training modules on mental health to help educate professors (similar to the covid modules we did).
TW: The next pages are statements from actual WVU students on their experiences with mental health issues and the Carruth Center. These statements detail suicidial thoughts/ideation, sexual assault and other mental health issues. Please only continue reading if you are comfortable doing so.
Student 1:
“My therapist back home encouraged me to visit the Carruth Center because she was unable to counsel across state lines. I had my previous mental health information sent over. Two counselors at the center told me my prior history was “too much” for them to help me and I was “not mentally equipped” to handle college. I was handed withdrawal papers and walked through that process. Not once did they try and guide me through my struggles, nor was I referred to outside help. To be told my mental health baggage was “too much” for them to provide care made me feel like I was a lost cause. I thought “if they can’t help me, who can?” It sucked then, and sucks now. WVU needs to implement change in this department. Whether this be hiring more adequate and equipped counselors and mental health professionals, allocating more funds to the center or just listening to students needs and acting on them. Do better WVU.”
Student 2
“My story about carruth is similar I have severe Borderline Personality Disorder (BPD) and at the time I needed carruth was earlier in this semester I emailed them and they would not allow me to schedule an appointment over email without calling, well one problem with my disorder is when I try to talk about it to someone I don’t know especially someone over the phone I shut out and don’t talk about it. So I just said “I’m sad and I need to talk to someone, Carruth tried to put me in a group session because that’s all they do and I didn’t even go because it was not going to help me. People who fail to recover from BPD or do not seek help are more susceptible to suicide, according to the US National Library of Medicine National institute of Health “nearly a third of youth suicides, most of whom are male, can be diagnosed with BPD by psychological autopsy.” I for one experienced suicidal attempts at a young age to me it was instinctive and I was not aware that my BPD was basically taking over me at the time. I have got help and I was fine until I needed carruth which they were no help at all. Before it got bad again my parents had me come home to go to the counselor in my hometown. I am very disappointed in the fact that WVU praises Carruth but in reality it is absolutely no help especially to people with severe mental disorders.”
Student 2 Friend:
“I have two stories I would like to share with you about my experiences at carruth one is about my friend and the other is about myself. His story happened last semester when his dad passed away, he called Carruth and they put him on a waiting list. He waited months before they would give him help because they believed his problem wasn’t as serious at the time. He was severely depressed and he needed help and when they finally gave him help it was in a group session, he was not comfortable with sharing specific details that he desperately wanted to talk about in front of a group. He seemingly found it useless and had to spend a lot of money at Chestnut Ridge that he didn’t have.”
Student 3:
“In the fall of 2019 I was having debilitating panic attacks, depression, and suicidal thoughts. It was nearly impossible for me to get up the nerve to call the Carruth Center, and had an anxiety attack doing so. I managed to call and was met by a response of being put on the end of a wait list, and if I couldn’t wait, to try somewhere else. I explained that I was feeling hopeless about life and that I had been raped and was very desperate for an appointment and that I was afraid of what might happen to me mentally if I wait any longer. I also explained that I didn’t have any other resources and didn’t want to burden my parents. She suggested I reach out to a place that was “more capable” of dealing with my issues. Because of this I was so distraught that I physically and mentally felt that I could not call another center. I told my mom what happened and she called many other facilities in the area and finally found one with openings. I was lucky that I could talk to my parents and say what I was feeling and have support. Many students don’t have this luxury of parental support (financially and emotionally) and need to be able to seek help on their own through the school. I would not be here without the help I received from the mental health center outside of the university. WVU needs to take students mental health seriously and provide adequate help. My experience with Carruth was one of the most horrible parts of trying to get help and almost deterred me from seeking out help completely.”
Student 4:
“I just wanted to write you an email about my experience with the Carruth center. I had a roommate who was severely mentally ill, and who had suicidal ideation. I had a difficult time getting her help because she came from a cultural background that didn’t believe in mental health, so she was unable to ever use her insurance (she was on her parents) because of this.
I got her to go to the Carruth center 2-3 times. By her 2nd-3rd visit she told me that not only did they keep switching counselors on her, after I guess she told them about her trauma and past, they told her, to her face, that her condition was too serious and that she had major mental health issues. They didn’t offer her any help, except maybe find a new therapist. They said this, knowing she did not have access to her insurance or money to pay for cost of visits. Because of how they treated her, she never received mental health help, and completely spiraled, I had to end our friendship because of it. I was completely disgusted by their actions and I never EVER recommend them to a friend ever again.
Don’t know if this helps, and even though it wasn’t me seeking services I feel like I saw who completely insufficient the Carruth center is and how they fail students daily.”
Student 5
“This past semester, I've gone through a really rough patch with my anxiety, depression, and panic attacks, while also working nights. This caused me to really struggle with classes and the motivation to go, and therefore I fell behind. I had one professor who was really understanding and gave me opportunities to make up the work that I missed, but the rest of my professors were not concerned in the slightest when I told them that the drop in my grades was due to my mental health, and were unwilling to work with me. I'm now worried that I won't be able to stay in my major. I got "help" from the Carruth Center, but I wouldn't really call it help. I met with a counselor who just repeated my problems back to me and offered no solutions. It felt like a waste of my time. The drop in my grades and unwillingness of my professors to work with me has only caused an increase in my mental health issues, to the point that I find it hard to function sometimes.”
Change.org Student 6:
"My freshman year I was struggling with the mental aftermath of sexual assault and my mother’s breast cancer diagnosis and treatments. I also had to work almost full-time to try to support myself. I went weeks with $30 in my bank account and had to eat ramen cups for dinner for weeks straight. I was severely depressed to the point of being suicidal. I almost failed out of school. My advisor knew that I was going through a lot of heavy stuff but never mentioned the Carruth Center. I have heard horror stories from my friends about how the Carruth Center treats students, so I would’ve been hesitant to go there anyway. We need change."
Change.org Student 7:
"I’ve been going through a really rough patch with my depression, anxiety, and panic attacks lately. My professors haven’t been understanding at all, and my “counseling appointments” at the Carruth Center don’t help in the slightest. They just repeat my problems back to me and offer no solutions."
Change.org Student 8:
"I went to the Carruth center my freshman year because my therapist back home recommended I find someone on campus to help me. After explaining my issues to the Carruth center, they told me I was “too much” and they couldn’t help me. at that time I felt hopeless about getting better. All I really needed was someone to talk to about my problems. Luckily I was able to afford a therapist off campus, but not everyone has access to that. The Carruth center needs to change to be better equipped to actually help students instead of turning them away."
Change.org Student 9:
"They turned me away because they “couldn’t help me” when I was extremely suicidal. Not only that, they told me to just withdraw from my classes and basically lose 10000 dollars and now I'm a whole semester behind. Reading these other comments make me believe that there NEEDS to be change."
Change.org Student 10:
"I was told that virtual counseling was not offered to out of state students, if we were not on campus. I was trying to get help over quarantine but was waitlisted for about 3 months and because I went home for quarantine, the counseling “wasn’t covered”. Something must change.”
Change.org Student 11:
"I’m signing because I needed help before too. The Carruth Center has not only been unhelpful for me, but people I know have used it. It’s not a place to get help. It needs to change."
Change.org Student 12:
"I got dropped by my last therapist from missing 3 appointments after 3 years. Therapists think after that, that you aren’t a person worth helping. I also know and have dealt with dark thoughts myself and mental health clinics are still not ready with the right resources for mental health. Although the view of the importance of mental health has grown greatly, students and people my age are still scared to get help because as soon as you tell someone about how your feeling they are scared they are gonna get thrown into a mental ward. Throwing kids in mental wards isn’t helping. It’s taking their last things that they are living for and throwing it in the trash because “it’s better for them”. It’s in fact isolating and only makes things worse. WVU needs to learn how to deal with these kids a different way, a better way, and this petition is the start."
Change.org Student 13:
"I’m signing because the Carruth center turned me away after I expressed to them I was not in a healthy mental state. With time left in the semester I felt helpless and I don’t want anyone else to feel this way."
Change.org Student 14:
"I feel there needs to be change with how the Carruth Center handles mental health situations. I haven’t needed it or experienced the help myself but I have heard many stories to where I feel change needs to happen!”
Student 15:
“To whom it may concern.
I first attempted to utilize the Carruth Center’s resources in my sophomore year at WVU. I am currently a junior without active mental health services. Prior to coming to WVU I received weekly therapy sessions in my home state. Leaving for college meant that I was unable to see my therapist at home until the semester breaks. I have a long background of trauma and have been living with multiple mental illness diagnoses since middle school. When I finally worked up the courage to go to the Carruth Center I went through their intake process. They asked me about my concerns of which I had a few. These were considered to be more serious concerns such as eating disorder behaviors, self-harm, and derealization/dissociation. I had a lengthy conversation with one of the therapists on staff about how these issues came about from past trauma and prolonged exposure to abusive individuals in my life. This is the first time I was told that the Carruth Center is not meant for long term mental health treatment. I was anxious and upset, and this discussion did not help my mental health. I had gone from weekly therapy to nothing and I was struggling to cope. The Carruth Center often told me that their services are intended to serve issues that can be solved such as stress from school, maybe a relationship problem. While these can be things that negatively impact our mental health, I feel this does a big disservice to students such as myself who have a mental illness diagnosis. I was essentially encouraged not to become reliant on the mental health services provided by the Carruth Center, because I was only going to receive so many free sessions of mental health services. I was also told in my intake session that I needed to narrow down my concerns because they were too many to really discuss in only a limited amount of time. This left me to try and prioritize my struggles when everything felt equally debilitating. Once I finally started seeing a therapist through the Carruth Center, I could only see her every other week. This was tough since I came from weekly therapy, but I was able to manage. I was lucky that my first therapist was fantastic and did what she could to help me before she left the center. It was when I had to switch to a new therapist that I experienced a lack of experience or ability to sensitively discuss some mental health issues that are still heavily stigmatized such as self-harm. On top of this, I began having the discussion that my free sessions were running out. My therapist never discussed plans of what would happen next, or any referrals she could give me. I ultimately left the center. My experience with the Carruth Center left me feeling that it is more of a stress clinic than anything else. Students who really need the services the most are told their struggles are too complicated, too many, too much for a short-term mental health service. The Carruth Center should be better equipped to support the needs of the students that walk into its doors whether they have severe depression or want to learn about some skills to manage their stress. The inability to provide more long-term services or refer students to someone who can leave students without proper mental health treatment can often be life-saving. No student should be told their problems are too complex or that they have too many struggles. Mental health treatment should not be limited to a specific number of sessions when a student is not ready to leave therapy. Sincerely, A very concerned student.”
Student 16:
“The music school front loads its students. It is not uncommon for a freshman to have 18+ credit hours in addition to mandatory classes that don’t bear any credit. The sheer stress of this combined with time spent outside class to rehearse for ensembles and practice instruments led me to severe depression and multiple breakdowns and panic attacks. Ultimately I made the decision halfway through my second semester to drop out. Not that it was a decision I had to make as I ultimately failed out of the college.”
Student 17:
“WVU does not care about students’ mental health. They pretend they do but they don’t. They only see students as numbers with bank accounts. When you confront an official and reach out about mental health issues, they tell you you need to speak to each professor individually yourself or drop out. Many of us cannot afford to drop out because many of us will lose our scholarships and financial aid if we take a semester off with no chance at recovering that money. Many professors are insensitive to how students are dealing mentally and think the solution is more time management and to go outside for a walk. Being told to do yoga or listen to music is so tone-deaf. Many students are dealing with a plethora of issues: financial concerns, weight of classes, weight of extracurriculars, roommate conflicts, existing mental health issues, and more. These issues do not go away by telling us to contact Carruth which is consistently overwhelmed and not helpful as it is. We begged and pleaded for a break this semester, but we were not heard. We didn’t want a break to run amuck on spring break, we desperately needed a break from school. The stress of online learning and how much we are now having to teach ourselves is astronomical. It is too much to bear and WVU could care less. The kind words they say are only a facade.”
Student 18:
“Arriving on campus at the beginning of last semester got me away from places that I was not happy in and allowed to me move on from a lost relationship. I did not go to the school for any help with this, simply being here with people that became my friends helped.”
Student 19:
“This semester has been excruciatingly hard with keeping up on deadlines. I’m taking the same number of credit hours I’ve taken the past few years, but this year I feel like I am suffocating in work/deadlines/lectures/assignments. Some professors have been great and offered deadline extensions, but others have not made any effort to be helpful which is causing extra stress on myself and my GPA. While I understand making mistakes and forgetting deadlines is MY problem, I’d think that professors would understand the magnitude of how different online schooling is from in person and that we are all humans who, inevitably, make mistakes and have emotions that might blind us / prevent us from staying focused and being productive (i.e., anxiety, depression, etc.).”
Student 20:
“While I have never sought support, I have heard numerous negative experiences which is troublesome. Often (from my knowledge), many of the counselors at Carruth are graduate or PhD candidates with minimal experience outside of classes. Yes they have full time staff, but currently they have less than they should. It is disrespectful of WVU to turn away students who need help or tell them their problems are “too much to handle.” It is troubling that WVU has only highlighted this center after a death of a fellow student, and it is absolutely disgusting for the leadership here to say people can ask for help when they know very well that they are not equipped to handle even half the student body if they need it. I heard Carruth counselors speak at the beginning of the semester to a group of student workers about very dark topics, with no trigger warning. A friend and coworker had just gone through a very difficult time and the experience did not help. Regardless of what WVU thinks about money, students need to be supported by professors, faculty, staff and by any function they claim to have available to students.”
Student 21:
“Called Carruth center last year, said they would call me back or email me. Never heard from them again. However I do not blame the Carruth Center, I feel as though they are doing the best with what they are given by the University. The university needs to do better.”
Through various social media polls (i.e. Instagram, Twitter, etc), we asked WVU students to share their personal experiences with their mental health struggles and with the Carruth Center. These statements below reflect a portion of the responses we received.
Student 22:
“When I was depressed, I went to the Carruth Center and they said there were only generic group talks.”
Student 23:
“We need to see action from WVU. Not words, action. Myself and others have tried to use the resources available only to be told our problems aren’t urgent enough and handed a paper by the Carruth Center of External providers in the community.”
Student 24:
“When I was suicidal in September and asked WVU for at least a couple weeks off to help myself, they said my only choices were to talk to my professors individually or drop out. Mental health is important. We need actions, not words anymore. Help your students.”
Student 25:
“When I tried to get help from the Carruth Center, they said there were no spots available. I still have the email.”
Student 26:
“The counselor assigned to me kept calling me the wrong name.”
Student 27:
“Loved every moment at WVU, but the moments I was struggling, there was zero help.”
Student 28:
“I was turned away by the Carruth Center and told that my case was too advanced for them.”
Student 29:
“I tried to get help from the Carruth Center after being raped on campus. They asked me if I heard of Title IX.”
Student 30:
“I tried to get into the Carruth Center in the fall and there was a waitlist until February.”
Student 31:
“When I was a student, the Carruth Center saved my life. I hope more people can say the same.”
Student 32:
“Things have definitely changed since 2009, because the Carruth Center saved my life.”
Ending Statement:
To everyone who sent a statement or considered it:
I feel incredibly sad reading the 32 statements that students sent me. No one should be denied mental health services or told their problem is not an issue. I want all students to know that many people want to support you and the 1,560+ people who signed this petition support you! Thank you for submitting a statement to help spur change for the WVU Community.
I had a meeting with administration:
To continue to advocate for the mental health of WVU students, on Thursday, April 22nd, I met with the Carruth Center Director, T. Anne Hawkins. (tahawkins@mail.wvu.edu) and G. Corey Farris, Dean of Students (Corey.Farris@mail.wvu.edu) to discuss mental health change from this petition. I felt like they listened to my feedback but, I also felt that they tried to invalidate the student experiences which have been listed in this petition, which I believe is unacceptable. My personal counselor in the Carruth Center specifically told me that she thought the students' experiences were exaggerated, not true, or not fully informed, and I also believe that is unacceptable. I fully believe all the statements sent to me and we as students still need to continue fighting for change!
The problem has not been solved and IS NOT FINISHED:
We need to hold the Carruth Center accountable to make sure they follow through with the changes they promised. After talking to the administration and former staff members at the Carruth Center I am unsure that changes will actually be made. We need someone to step in the role of being the main advocate for WVU students to continue to hold the Carruth Center accountable, because I worry that they just told me what I wanted to be told during the meeting I attended.
The 42 pages below are all the student who support changing the Carruth Center to better serve the students:
I hope the university will make change and prioritize students needs,
Thank you for taking the time to read this letter.
Sincerely,
Steven Chettleburgh
Change.org petition founder