Nashville, TN – June 20, 2023 – Fisk University has experienced a dramatic increase in enrollment over the past 5 years, fueled by a tailored emphasis on student outcomes and success. Last year, the University was ranked the #1 institution in the country by Forbes for academic effectiveness, a testament to its exceptional focus on delivering transformative experiences and student outcomes. Consistent with this focus on student outcomes and success, Fisk is very excited to announce the launch of the Center for Student Mental Health and Wellness. “This Center is crucial to our students and was made possible through a generous donation from the Garrison family,” said Executive Vice President Jens Frederiksen.

The mission of the Center is to give all students at Fisk University access to the highest levels of mental health services and support. The Center will achieve this mission by employing the best, culturally competent, and evidence-based counseling strategies and practices customized to each student’s individual needs. According to Vice President of Student Life Dr. Natara Garvin, “The main objective of the Center is to provide students with various counseling services from one-on-one counseling to group therapy/sessions designed to help students balance their professional and personal lives as well as to help them deal with other difficulties and challenges they may encounter.”

The Center will be on campus and will be available to all students Monday through Friday from 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. during the fall and spring semesters. Services will also be available via Zoom during the winter and summer breaks to all students enrolled in classes during those periods. In addition to individual therapy sessions, the Center will also host group boost sessions to help students deal with everyday student issues. The Center will have a dedicated presence on the [Fisk.edu webpage](https://www.fisk.edu) and students will be able to peruse all the services the Center provides as well as schedule appointments for one-on-one/group sessions.

The Center will also focus on research in the field of health disparities as well as the intersection of technology and mental health. According to Fisk University Provost Dr. Robert Carr, “The Center will work in conjunction with the John R. Lewis Center for Social Justice to address healthcare disparities (specifically mental health) by combining technology and treatment.” This combination will ensure strategic applications for transformative change, including:

– Utilizing education and technology to advance the research of health disparities.
– Growing a workforce devoted to the study of health disparities.
– Creating unique advancements in technology that will provide healthcare professionals with tools to train, track, and curtail the negative impact of health disparities.
– Generating localized, state, and federal best practices to reduce health disparities.

For any additional information, please contact Maya C. Brown at mcbrown@fisk.edu.

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About Fisk University 

Fisk University is a highly-ranked historically Black university, according to U.S. News and World Report, and is the oldest institution of higher learning in Nashville, Tennessee. Fisk’s outstanding faculty and students continue to enhance the University’s international reputation for academic excellence. Fisk’s scholars continue to make strides in all areas of the industry from Social Justice to the sciences. A Fisk education prepares students to become beacons in servicing the community and well-rounded leaders and scholars in their respective fields. Fisk offers more than 20+ undergraduate and graduate programs in Biology, Chemistry, Physics, Clinical Psychology with a bridge Masters to Ph.D. program through a partnership with Vanderbilt University. For more information, visit Fisk.edu.