The Sacramento State Psychological Services Department, usually a service for students in crisis, is in a crisis of its own. Over recent years, the popularity of the program has grown, but the department has not. Because of a small budget, the department is unable to accommodate the demands of the students.

Equilla Luke, director of Psychological Counseling, acknowledges that there is a problem.

“We have a small team of people, once we’re booked up, we’re booked up,” Luke said. “Because of budget problems we have to live within our means.”

The team of people in Psychological Services is working hard to find ways to accommodate every student who wants to use the service.

“We recognize that we are not serving students in a timely manner,” Luke said.

Sac State senior John, whose last name is being withheld for privacy, witnessed this first hand when he tried to visit Psychological Services drop-in hours, which are designed to treat students with no appointment and on a walk-in basis.

“I really felt like I needed to talk to somebody and when I went in around 2 p.m. they turned me away,” John said. “They said that they were full for the day.”

It seems that this is an administration problem. The Associate Vice President of Student Affairs, Lori Varlotta, acknowledges the problem and sees a solution in the future.

“From a university perspective, Psych Services is very important,” Varlotta said. She said that students are treated according to their problem.

“If a student comes in with a legitimate crisis or emergency, the student will be seen that day,” Varlotta said. She said as for the future of the program, we could only wait and see.

“As the budget situation becomes clearer, we will decide which areas in student services need attention,” Varlotta said.

Psychological Counseling is a free service provided by trained professionals to all Sac State students. The staff is made up of professional counselors, psychiatrists, psychologists, social workers, post and pre-docs. They also do testing and assessment for learning disabilities.

Your problem does not have to meet any criteria for you to be seen — they are open to anything that a student presents. This can range from grief counseling after a death to family and marital problems.

So, if you are planning to use the department’s services, get in there fast. At the very beginning and very end of each semester, appointments are very accessible. In the middle of the semester, the spots fill very quickly.

Appointment Hours:Monday – Friday, 8-5 p.m.Student Health Center, 2nd floor278-6416

Drop-In Hours: Monday: 10-11:45 a.m., 1-2:45 p.m., 4:45-6:30 p.m.

Tuesday: 10-11:45 a.m., 1-2:45 p.m., 4:45-6:30 p.m.

Wednesday: 1-2:45 p.m., 4:45-6:30 pm

Thursday : 10-11:45 a.m., 1-2:45 p.m., 4:45-6:30 p.m.

Friday : 10-11:45 a.m., 1-2:45 p.m. Student Health Connection, 1st floor, University Union 278-9355