Since joining USC Student Health as executive director and division chief for counseling and mental health last fall, Dr. Robert Mendola has worked to expand students’ access to mental health services on the University Park and Health Sciences campuses. Mendola, a board certified adult psychiatrist and professor of psychiatry at the Keck School of Medicine at USC, brings more than two decades of experience directing psychiatric services at Cornell University’s student counseling center. Under Mendola’s leadership, USC Student Health will have added 10 more mental health providers to its staff by December, substantially increasing its capacity to provide counseling directly to the students who seek it.
An additional position that has been announced, for a sexual violence prevention and education specialist, is also part of the expanded team at USC Student Health, joining the new director of relationship and sexual violence prevention and services, Brenda Ingram. She came to USC from Peace Over Violence, a rape crisis center for the state that provides prevention, counseling, case management and legal advocacy. She is putting energy into expanding outreach and education, through programs such as VOICE (Violence Outreach Intervention and Community Empowerment), a peer outreach program that trains students to support another student in crisis.
USC Student Health has also created a series of patient education materials (including several videos) to help them navigate to resources, understand standard of care for sensitive exams (publication is available in Chinese translation), and advocate on behalf of their own health. Translation services in multiple languages are available to patients upon request.