UPEI psychologists will give students 'second level of support'

The UPEI administration has decided to put provincial funding for student mental health toward hiring two clinical psychologists.

In addition to operating counselling services on campus, the psychologists will teach in the new Doctorate in Psychology (PsyD) program in psychology that's starting next fall.

"If we didn't have our clinical psychologists here then that student might be referred to a psychiatrist. The wait list for a psychiatrist, my understanding, is six months to a year," said Jackie Podger, vice-president of administration and finance at UPEI.

"At least now we are able to give a second level of support to the students that they wouldn't have gotten."

The province provided$100,000 in new funding after the UPEI Student Union lobbied for it last year.

The clinical psychologists will also oversee 10 studentswho will start in the program next fall. Their training will includedoing student assessments in the P.E.I. public school system.

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With files from Laura Chapin