Donna Washington’s first couple of months at Ottawa University so far have helped her build relationships with the people that need her, if nothing else.
Working to provide individual counseling for students, as well as doing consultations with faculty and staff about students Washington is looking to use her past experience as a mental health clinician and adjunct instructor to give students guidance with whatever issues they may have.
“It was kind of the ability to marry the two,” she said. “To be on a college campus, and provide mental health services for students, it was a good deal.”
Being married to a member of the OU alumni board and having worked at the Elizabeth Layton Mental Health Center in town the past five years, Washington is no stranger to Ottawa.
Being new to campus though, Washington has had to make an effort to introduce the services she can give students.
“Once students started coming to campus for freshman orientation, I was involved in some of those activities, and got to be around students in an informal way, which was kind of nice,” she said.
Working on different ways to operate programs and organize activities, Washington hopes to have group programming in place by next semester, and month-to-month programs beginning this month.
“(October) is domestic violence and mental health awareness month, so it’s kind of a dual-month,” she said. “The 15th through the 19th, there’s going to be various activities going on on campus to heighten awareness about domestic violence.”
Highlighting that week will be a speaker from the Willow Domestic Violence Center at 7 p.m. Oct. 16 in the Mowbray Union.
Through planning for events and activities, Washington said people are still figuring out the fact that there is even a counselor on campus for students.
“It’s picked up a lot,” she said. “I’ve gotten the feel that people are glad to have a counselor, and it’s not even about having extreme mental health issues. I can kind of work with the gamut.”
Washington said she works with those just going through different phases of life all the way to any number of mental health issues one might have.
“I see people in very different places in life, and that’s very interesting,” she said. “It’s been nice because the students have really appreciated it, even if it’s one session.”
Washington said she is enthused by the idea of helping young people find their way.
“I think there’s so many possibilities for young people, and sometimes they just need to have a support they have never had before,” she said. “It might just be a small thing, but then there’s other people that need some more help, and maybe I can guide them in the right direction.”
Washington can be reached in the nurse’s office in the Union, or by email at donna.washington@ottawa.edu.