Staff members at UNC's Counseling and Psychological Services will keep their offices open all week to walk-in appointments for students needing assistance in dealing with grief and trauma.
Professional staff members also will be available at all campus events, including the noon memorial service in Polk Place and tonight's candlelight vigil to offer support for grieving students, officials said.
"We're really there for the students," said John Edgerly, director of CAPS. "Some students will be moved, particularly if they were traumatized over 9/11. ... This brings back memories over that previous trauma, and they may need someone to talk to."
Staff being available for students at the center, as well as at programs around campus, is part of the CAPS response plan, Edgerly said.
"Whenever we have a trauma, we move to a response plan that opens up the facility to students and sends people to events on campus," Edgerly said.
Professional staff members are prepared to assist students dealing with a variety of emotions resulting from traumatic events, Edgerly said.
"The reactions range from people who are having difficulty sleeping because they can't get it off their minds ... to a number of people who have lost loved ones and may range from clinical counseling sessions all the way to medication, if it is appropriate," he said.
Although CAPS hasn't yet experienced an increase in the number of students requesting counseling attention, staff members are prepared to meet the needs of all students who seek it.
Most importantly, Edgerly said, he hopes that students will feel comfortable contacting CAPS so they can receive the counseling they need.
