Why Are Universities Hiring ‘Embedded Counselors’?

FILE - In this Nov. 14, 2019, photo, a student attaches a note to the Resilience Project board on the campus of Utah Valley University, in Orem, Utah. The purpose of the project is to let students know that it is OK to struggle.

About a fifth of surveyed colleges have at least one mental health counselor embedded with a specific group, such as athletes or international students. Now, Virginia Tech is trying something new – counselors who live in the dorms with students, to build trust and provide around-the-clock support.

Kate Hidalgo Bellows of the Chronicle of Higher Education investigates. (April 2023)