The IUSA Congress recently passed a resolution urging IU Counseling and Psychological Services to provide students who have been designated victims of sexual assault with free psychiatric visits.
According to the IU Health Center website, if a patient has paid the IU Health fee, the patient’s first psychiatric visit costs $40. Subsequent visits cost $20.
If a patient has not paid the IU Health fee, the patient’s first psychiatric visit costs $100. Subsequent visits ?cost $50.
Though CAPS offers those who have paid an IU Health fee two free counseling sessions — distinct from psychiatric visits — per semester, IUSA representative Andrew Guenther said he believes two free counseling sessions are not sufficient in treating mental health disorders triggered by sexual assault.
According to the resolution, students designated victims of sexual assault by a licensed medical caregiver or a police officer would receive free psychiatric visits until a licensed mental health care professional deems the sessions no longer necessary.
“In discussions I had with students before bringing this legislation to the floor, many students were concerned as to how we’d define sexual assault, as my original draft did not include stipulations about licensed medical caregivers or police officers signing off on the cases,” said Guenther, an Indiana Daily Student ?columnist.
Though Guenther said he trusts students to be truthful about whether or not they are victims of sexual assault, he felt that adding a provision stating that students would be designated victims of sexual assault by a licensed medical caregiver or a police officer increased the chances of the resolution passing.
“While I would love to make it so that students do not have to pass a litmus test in order to seek out free psychiatric care, tough choices had to be made while writing this ?legislation,” he said.
Though the resolution passed, several IUSA representatives still expressed ?concerns.
Certain representatives were concerned that, while providing victims of sexual assault with free psychiatric visits, CAPS ought to provide victims of other traumas or patients with other concerns with free psychiatric visits.
“It is a very valid point of concern and one that I hope to be able to address in the near future,” Guenther said. “However, as members of the assembly ultimately agreed with, we have data on mental healthcare relating to sexual assault and other sexual crimes. We did not have data on what I called ‘miscellaneous mental trauma and ?illness.’”
However, Guenther said he would love CAPS to expand to provide free psychiatric visits to all students but start by providing free psychiatric visits to students affected by sexual assault.
“By opening this door, we will have more opportunities to expand upon this policy in the future,” he said. “However, myself and other representatives feared pushing forward with too much gusto and turning CAPS off to the idea of these reforms all ?together.”
Certain representatives perceive CAPS as underfunded were also concerned that such a policy isn’t feasible.
“Anything that we’re going to pass about CAPS has to be very deliberate and very attainable,” IUSA representative Maggie Oates said during an IUSA Congress assembly meeting Tuesday.
Though Guenther said he would love IUSA to explore CAPS funding, concerns about funding should not preclude IUSA from exploring free psychiatric visits for sexual assault victims.
“If we can make strides to help our brothers and sisters who’ve experienced these traumas, we should,” he said. “And we will continue to make additional strides in the future. Striving for perfection is not an option. It is a necessary part of living in a society with flaws that can and ought to be addressed.”
