The month of May is Mental Health Awareness Month, and OSU Institute of Technology is highlighting our campus mental health counselor Kaitlin Rouk to remind students of the free and confidential services available to current students. 

There are a variety of reasons for seeking counseling services. Many college students reach out to address grief, anxiety, depression or trauma. Rouk is also available to help identify coping skills needed to manage symptoms from diagnoses such as ADHD and OCD and help promote student success in and out of the classroom. 

Appointments and walk-ins with Rouk are available Monday through Friday from 7:30 am to 4:30 pm for in-person or virtual sessions and is one of many ways to help manage life issues. 

Another option is Cowboy Care, an online telehealth service. Students can access 24/7/365 unlimited telehealth visits free of charge to address urgent medical care visits, in-the-moment crisis intervention, mental health counseling, psychiatry, nutritional counseling or financial wellness. A quick start guide to Cowboy Care is available online to get started. 

Counseling sessions are always confidential with a few exceptions, which include a court order, health and safety emergencies such as imminent danger to oneself or others, and child or elder abuse.

“What you say in a session stays in a session,” says Rouk. “It’s just the client and I having a confidential conversation.”

It is always better to reach out early when you have experienced trauma or are not feeling yourself, according to Rouk. 

“If students have some type of trauma in their life, a sudden death in the family, and can’t recover from that quickly, it is a good time to reach out,” says Rouk. “If you have trouble getting out of bed, if things you enjoy no longer bring you joy, or you are feeling stuck, those are all good times to reach out and seek help.”

At OSUIT, there is a focus on the whole student. Mental health concerns can impact academic performance and success and the ability to achieve goals. 

Sessions with Kaitlin Rouk can be scheduled through the counseling website, by calling 918-293-4988, emailing kaitlin.rouk@okstate.edu or visiting her office in room 142 in the Student Union across the Bookstore. 

If you have a mental health emergency and require immediate assistance, the Cowboy Care Crisis Line can be accessed by texting “Hello” to 61295 or dialing 988 for the national suicide prevention hotline.