Mercer’s Counseling and Psychological Services has initiated new programs and strategies to fit the needs of students on campus in recent years. The organization partners with many offices and organizations across campus to support students, including campus health, Housing and Residence Life and TRIO programs. Student Government Association’s wellness committee and CAPS collaborated on Mercer’s fall semester Wellness Fair.
CAPS was recently recognized in the Princeton Review’s 2026 Mental Health Services Honor Roll for its proactive support for students through administrative policies and programs on campus. The Princeton Review polled administrators at 540 colleges and students at 300 nationwide colleges and universities to assess the success of programs that promote student well-being. Out of nearly 500 institutions nationwide, CAPS ranked No. 22 among 30 undergraduate institutions selected for the honor roll.
“I really think it’s a testimony to how much our students trust us,” CAPS Director Emily Piassick said. “We work hard to earn and maintain that trust and to keep Mercer a mentally healthy place. It’s an honor to be recognized for that.”
Assistant Director Shaun Kell said CAPS has made significant strides over the past few years to work towards its goal of providing “the best clinical and mental health services possible, for the full range of students at Mercer.”
CAPS works with academic and peer advisors to support first-year students in particular. Peer advisors teach "radical health" courses that provide students with base-level crisis-resolution and wellness strategies.
“All that we’ve done – that is either a new initiative or a new emphasis – has been in response to the needs and wants of students on campus,” Kell said.
Piassick said that students expressed a need for more counseling availability and same-day accessibility. The organization started a new initiative in recent years “to address urgent student needs that couldn't wait another week for a scheduled appointment,” Piassick said.
“Say they just failed a test or are having an anxiety attack,” Piassick said. “They can call CAPS and from there we can assess the situation and then meet with them the same day to help in any way we can.”
Kell said that students often requested access to peer support rather than simply the professional staff.
“We did some digging into other universities and colleges with successful peer counseling programs,” Kell said. “We sort of developed our own from there with AWARE.”
The newest addition to CAPS is the Advocating for Wellness and Responsibility Everyday program. The initiative connects students seeking support with trained Mercer students who may be more appealing as counselors because of their proximity to the same issues that the students seeking help are facing.
CAPS recently selected 20 students to serve as peer educators for the program, which is in its pilot phase this semester. Members will engage with fellow students through tabling events, presentations and social media. Seven of the 20 AWARE members are also peer counselors who offer one-on-one support to students.
CAPS has several upcoming engagements in the spring, including at “Come out to Cruz” week from March 9-15. It will include events such as “Fresh Check Day,” “Halfway There Fair,” Bear Day and Bearstock.
“We’re really excited about Fresh Check Day, which is sort of like our spring Wellness Fair that focuses on empowering students to take care of themselves and help fellow students who may be in a crisis,” Kell said.
Hannah Mock ‘28 is a communications and graphic design double major at Mercer and is currently a staff writer for The Mercer Cluster. When she’s not at a coffee shop catching up on her studies, Hannah is working on her latest artistic projects or out hiking a new nature trail. Her favorite things to write about include arts and culture, social issues and community accomplishments.
