Goals of Outreach Services and Developmental Programming

  1. To communicate the role and availability of clinical, consultative, and psychoeducational functions of CAPS as part of the overall mission of Student Development and Enrollment Services (SDES) and the University of Central Florida (UCF).
    1. Challenging stigma assigned to CAPS as associated with mental illness and with help-seeking
    2. Improving approachability and usefulness to community, particularly populations that under-utilize psychological services
  2. To respond to psychological and emotional needs that emerge in the overall UCF Community.
    1. Related to any given crisis impacting a UCF community
    2. Related to any identifiable pattern of behaviors suggesting emotional or psychological vulnerability impacting a UCF community
  3. To provide informative materials and programs to UCF student communities aimed at facilitating personal, interpersonal, and social wellness.
    1. To better inform the community about mental health, personal effectiveness, interpersonal connections, and to facilitate development of life skills in these areas.
    2. To provide information about mental illness or psychological distress toward creating a more empathic and supportive community.
  4. Create Community/Climate of Mental Health Support:
    1. Provide training to student leaders who often serve in paraprofessional counseling roles (RA’s, peer advisors, etc) and other student affairs professionals.
    2. Training would include empathic understanding of issues in campus community and provide skills training in response to distressed students.
    3. Prompt conversation and/or contemplation on intrapersonal and interpersonal experiences toward facilitating “therapeutic connections” that can naturally exist in the community beyond formal mental health service delivery.
  5. To stimulate the student community regarding the development of their character, and citizenship, both of which are informed by the campus climate.
    1. To play an identifiable role in improving students’ skills in self-management, personal and professional interaction, and ethical community engagement.
    2. Increase awareness of social justice issues and introduce skills in forming relationships across lines of gender, gender identity expression, age, ability level socio-economic status, sexual orientation, nationality culture, race, and religious beliefs.

Additionally, CAPS Outreach efforts aim to meet goals as stated by SDES summarized below.

  • Promote student retention and progression to graduation Create opportunities for students to develop and strengthen leadership skills.
  • Assist students to further develop purpose, integrity, ethical practices, and civic responsibility.
  • Embrace diversity and inclusiveness.
  • Foster student engagement in the Central Florida citi-state and the global community.