University searches for Counseling Center director

Cory Clark and Louis Cerbo, the two finalists for director of the Counseling and Psychological Center, spoke to URI community members about their plans for the Center. PHOTO CREDIT: Nick Pierson

In the final steps of the search for a new director of the Counseling and Psychological Center, the University of Rhode Island held virtual community forums with the two finalists on Monday and last Wednesday, respectively. 

The two final candidates, Cory Clark and Louis Cerbo, gave presentations addressing a specific topic provided by the University’s search committee and interacted with community members.

The prompt, according to the moderator and Associate Vice President of Student Affairs and Student Success Lori Ciccomascolo, was to discuss their “vision for the URI Counseling and Psychological Center as it relates to the mental health and well-being of college students.”

Clark’s forum, held on Sept. 22, came first. The presentation brought in approximately 25 attendees through the virtual platform. He has served as the interim head of the URI Counseling Center since May 2020. Prior to his interim position, he served as the assistant director and director of training for the URI Counseling Center for 12 years. Clark holds a Ph.D. in philosophy in counseling psychology from West Virginia University.

In his presentation, Clark proposed a “tiered system” for student counseling. According to him, this means determining what an individual student’s level of need is and providing them the resources based upon their situation. His presentation outlined options such as single solution-focused sessions, monthly check-ins, group counseling options, intensive outpatient programs and more. 

“First and foremost, it’s a community effort,” Clark said. “When I say ‘the Counseling Center,’ I also kind of incorporate the mental health needs of our students. We don’t have the resources to do it all, and we have a lot of resources on campus to help.”

Cerbo’s virtual forum was held on Monday, Sept. 27. He got a Ph.D. of education in counseling/clinical psychology from Brown University in 1990, and he is currently the deputy director of the Rhode Island Department of Behavioral Healthcare, Developmental Disabilities and Hospitals (BHDDH).

He also discussed his educational background and previewed what he plans to bring to the University. Through his various experiences and positions, Cerbo said he has learned the importance of inclusivity and accessibility and sees a bright future for the Counseling Center. 

“[My goal is] to create an environment where students feel valued, respected and accepted [and] providing a place that is welcoming and students can utilize without stigma,” Cerbo said. 

In his presentation, Clark highlighted the importance of supporting students of color specifically. Some of his suggestions and outlined efforts to achieve this included matching the Counseling Center staff diversity to that of the community, continuing training around diversity issues and dedicating time to “build trust in underrepresented communities.”

Cerbo said the main points within his vision are to increase the accessibility of available services, provide follow-up care outside of sessions and link education to community resources which will ease anxieties. 

Cerbo continued by discussing three major areas he would like to focus on alongside the staff of the Counseling Center: binge-drinking, trauma-informed care and suicide.

“It’s not our role to judge what a crisis is, it’s our role to adjust our clinical skills to what the individual is experiencing,” Cerbo said. 

Community members were invited to ask both candidates questions after their presentations.

Paige Ramsdell, assistant dean of students for accessibility & inclusion and director of Disability Services, asked Clark to outline what a balance between academic rigor required for graduate programs and mental health might look like. 

“We want our students to be well, but also recognize that graduate school is an academically rigorous process,” Ramsdell said. 

In response, Clark noted that this semester the Counseling Center is offering a graduate student support group. He suggested that bringing graduate students together to recognize the gravity of their shared experience was powerful and can be beneficial for students. Clark also recognized the need to make the Counseling Center’s hours more accessible to graduate students. 

The community was also able to ask Cerbo about his vision for the Center. Erin Earle, director of campus visit experience, asked Cerbo about making sure all students feel included and welcome to the Consultation Center, regardless of their gender, race or identity. 

“I would go to the people that they trust, whoever that could be,” Cerbo said. “The goal is to engage them.”

He then explained as to previously working on a similar task during his work at the Rhode Island Department of Corrections. Cerbo also included his priority on working closely with the staff to ensure a supportive workplace environment. 

The Counseling Center is currently located in Roosevelt Hall and is open Monday to Friday from 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. and is open late Tuesday and Wednesday until 6:30 p.m. The Counseling Center has been without a permanent director since 2020, and the University plans to announce the selected candidate for the director position once the search committee has deliberated.