By Kayla Landers, April 29, 2025
Every year, the percentage of students experiencing mental health challenges seems to get worse; in 2025, that percentage is projected to be 71%.
Cal Poly Pomona’s Counseling and Psychological Services is a short-term, confidential and comprehensive mental health facility on campus. All CPP students who paid the mandatory student health fee are eligible to use CAPS services.
Arthur Ritmeester, the interim associate director of CAPS, said he encourages anyone considering getting help, even students who may be scared to reach out for support, to contact CPP’s mental health facility.
“We often hear students worry whether their concerns are serious enough, except they’re all thinking the same thing,” Ritmeester said. “Yes, your concerns are important, and you deserve support if you think it may be helpful.”
If students wish wishes to contact CAPS, they need to call the CAPS office during operating hours and request to speak to a therapist. The front office staff will ask about their availability for an initial consultation over the phone, and a clinician will reach out within a business day, according to Ritmeester.
“If students feel that they need immediate support, they can walk into our office during business hours to meet with a clinician, although there may be a short wait if the clinician is meeting with another student,” Ritmeester said.
While Ritmeester’s explanations of accessing mental health resources seemed easy, some students have faced barriers in their approach.
“I have not taken advantage of the mental health services personally, only because I have been confused,” said Sofie Ortega, a student studying music pedagogy..pedagogy. “It is honestly not very easily accessible online. Every time I’ve gone in to look at them, the online system has confused me.”
Ortega said there is a lot of information surrounding how to refer a friend, accessing a crisis hotline and other services like that, which are incredibly helpful. However, she found it difficult to learn how to talk to a counselor herself.
“I think the services should be much more easily accessible,” Ortega said. “They should be talked about more, and they should be advertised more.Imore. I don’t think the mental health services we have on campus are bad, and it is a good thing that advisors are so open about it and offering it, but I just think it could be done better.”
Ortega said that if students who are hesitant to seek help begin to feel confused about how to get help, they might be less likely to continue navigating possible mental health resources.
Hannah Perry, an English education student, agreed that finding resources can be an issue for some students.
“I think finding the resources can be hard for some students,” Perry said. “Some of my peers in other majors don’t know half the resources we have because they don’t see emails, and professors aren’t reminding them.”
With finals coming up, which could be seen as one of the most stressful times of the semester, Ritmeester recognizes the fact that students are dealing with a lot, so it may be more difficult for students to use CAPS resources. Not because they don’t need it, but because students may not feel as if they have time to work on themselves.
“We adjust our services at the end of each semester so that we can be more responsive to students who can only make it in once or twice,” Ritmeester said.
For students who still find themselves struggling to cope with stress, Ritmeester outlined a series of steps students could take to improve their mental health during finals, especially if they are unable to meet with any therapists from CAPS.
Ritmeester said students should try to get at least seven hours of sleep per night, especially when they are going through more demanding times. Along with this, students should take time for meals, incorporate movement into their day and take breaks while studying.
“Your brain needs all this support to function,” Ritmeester said. “Taking care of your mental health involves a lot of preventative care.”
Feature image courtesy of Kayla Landers
