Update: June 9, 2020

Dear CSULB students and campus community,

We at CAPS would like to offer the following addendum to our initial statement.

The match that has reignited a movement was the killing of George Floyd. His death is not a singular occurrence and reflects a longstanding and entrenched history of structural and systemic injustice and violence. Like so many before him, his death is a call for change; his death is a call for action, solidarity, reflection, and education. For some, the understanding that the United States of America does not offer the same protections, rights, and privileges to all its people, may seem far-fetched. But George Floyd’s public death illustrates this truth: for decades, the United States has enacted a system of oppression on its Black and Brown people.

We recognize that it is not enough to be saddened by these injustices; it is our duty to act to dismantle the systems of oppression that hold anti-Blackness in place. CAPS iscommitted to addressing anti-blackness and other forms of systemic oppression, racism, and discrimination, both internally as a center and externally in our community.

As a staff, we have begun and will continue the dialogue around race and privilege. Clinical policies and procedures are being re-evaluated to ensure that students feel safe and are treated with dignity and respect. We pledge to create spaces of support and spaces of healing specifically for Black and non-black students and will continue to assess how CAPS can further support the mental health needs of our diverse CSULB community.

The CAPS Team

UPDATE: May 27, 2020

Dear CSULB students and campus community,

In light of recent news highlighting discriminatory and deadly acts towards Black/African American people in our country, the CAPS team is reminded of the difficulty many of our students face on a daily basis. These injustices happen all too often and are also not isolated to just our Black and African American community. We have also become increasingly aware of Asian/Asian American people being blamed for the COVID-19 pandemic and targeted for retaliatory attacks and harassment. These are just the most recent stories in the news, though we know there have been many in our history for all people of color.

The CAPS team identifies as a center focused on social justice, and we condemn any kind of bias and hatred that unfairly oppress any group of people. We wanted to acknowledge that these recent incidents can have negative and profound psychological impact on the individuals who identify themselves similarly. If you are affected by these incidents, we would like you to know that CAPS is here for you. If you would like to talk to a counselor to process the impact of these experiences, please call our main number 562-985-4001.

Sincerely,

CAPS Team

UPDATE: March 23, 2020

Special Advisory Related to CSULB Counseling Services during the COVID-19 Pandemic

Due to the current Corona Virus (COVID-19), Cal State Long Beach has moved instructional classes and services online. The university is committed to the health and safety of its students and are following the directives of the State of California and health experts. Similarly, Counseling and Psychological Services (CAPS) is suspending all face-to-face counseling services, therapy groups, and workshops, and moving to remote (telehealth) services. We are committed to our students and are working to meet the mental health needs of our campus during this time.

It is important to note that remote or telehealth services has differences from traditional in-person counseling services. In a situation such as now, it can provide access to services for students even when our facilities and the campus are closed to access.

Here are important guidelines to remember:

• We do have counselors over the phone for crises and emergencies. Our current hours are Monday thru Friday 9 AM to 3 PM, during this time you can call our main number at 562-985-4001 and ask to speak to a counselor. After hours and on weekends, you can call that same number and follow the instructions to connect to a counselor.
• There may be disruptions in services with CAPS as the situation unfolds. We will try our best to keep our website up to date with this information.
• Communication and connection to CAPS may be slower than normal due to the fact that counselors will be working remotely from the main office and each other. We will try our best to respond in a timely manner.
• Our services will be limited in comparison to what we can normally offer. We will assess your needs and try to provide short term services via telehealth or we may recommend that you connect to other mental health services in your area. A counselor will help you to find those referrals based on your location.