Student Experiences with Confidential Resources at Penn

by Anonymous

Note: This article has not been updated since 2022. It was included in this year’s issue because of its relevance to the lives of all students.

Content warning: this article contains mentions of sexual assault

Penn describes confidential resources as organizations with which “the information you share with them generally will be held in confidence, consistent with the University’s obligation to address these complaints—unless you give them consent to disclose the information you’ve shared with them.” 

Often, Penn refers people who are victims of sexual misconduct to confidential resources. However, many students have had traumatizing experiences when trying to speak to a confidential resource about their experience with sexual violence. Similarly, students have had negative experiences with confidential resources provided for other issues, which we discuss in this article.  

In order to hear about these experiences, we conducted an anonymous survey on our Instagram so that people could share their stories. The most cited confidential resource was Student Health and Counseling, informally known as CAPS. CAPS is an on-campus mental health service that provides references for outside care, 24/7 counseling by phone, walk-in counseling appointments, and regular short-term appointments. They claim that they serve to make students’ mental well-being a priority. 

Assuming that CAPS was a safe resource, one student who responded to our survey had called the CAPS 24/7 hotline as they were experiencing an anxiety attack. CAPS paired the student with a counselor right away, but after a 15-minute conversation, all the counselor told the student was to meditate and go for a walk. This instance clearly shows either a lack of understanding of how to respond to a mental health crisis and/or a lack of capacity and staff at the center. 

Furthermore, in the first paragraph of text on the CAPS website, they claim that inclusivity is very important to them to serve Penn’s diverse student body. Student groups often explain that individuals can request folks of certain identities if they have a preference. Yet, multiple students responded to the survey expressing that CAPS was discriminatory. One person said that in an introductory conversation, “the therapist…made a bunch of comments about my needs following recent trauma that was racist.” The student never received an apology from CAPS and did not return for a year and a half due to their experience. Another student wrote that they stopped using CAPS services because their therapist continuously misgendered them. Although CAPS aims to be a resource that helps students, in reality, CAPS often further perpetuates the harm that these students are trying to work through.

Another confidential resource that multiple students mentioned was the Penn Women’s Center (PWC). Their website claims to promote gender justice and support students both personally and professionally. Yet, according to one student, PWC has refused to change its name after years of pressure due to “history and legacy.” Other formerly named “Women’s Centers” at universities across the country have changed their names to make these spaces feel safer and welcoming for people of all genders, as women are not the only people harmed by gender discrimination. Penn State, for example, changed the name of its Center for Women Students to Gender Equity Center. Another student said that they went into the center “distressed” and was told to use a bath bomb to calm down. The student said they felt like they were being rushed out. These testimonies show that despite its stated goals, the PWC does not serve its purpose to be a comforting and safe space for all students of oppressed genders.  

The last confidential resource mentioned in the survey was the Special Services Unit. Special Services is a division of the Department of Public Safety and was created with PWC after student protests for transparency related to sexual violence. While the organization is intended to protect students’ safety, it has done the opposite by criminalizing a number of students trying to seek mental health care (See: Campus Policing). One student who shared their story in the survey was seeking mental health care for their roommate and was put in touch with Special Services. After explaining their need for a mental health professional, they were transferred to the Penn Police Department. Quickly following that conversation, five police officers showed up in their RA’s office and tried to coerce the student into speaking. The student who told us this story said, “It is hard for me to express my anger at this situation. It is a blatant illustration that people who need mental health assistance are treated as criminals before they are treated like people.” 

Although several folks have had negative experiences with many of the confidential resources at Penn, others say they would have been lost without the guidance they provided. It is worth noting that many of the confidential resources self-advertise as “options counseling services,” meaning they are available to talk individuals through their choices moving forward after experiences of trauma such as sexual assault. Evidently, they need to more clearly communicate that they are not meant to provide long-term care and that therapy and community support need to be found elsewhere. Of course, when CAPS is so inconsistent, it makes sense that many students are frustrated with being bounced around Penn’s resource web trying to receive care. The truth is that good resources are incredibly difficult to come by, especially at institutions like Penn where mental health and non-academic needs have not always been a priority. Some alternative resources are available here, but often they don’t feel like enough. We encourage folks to build support networks of friends, family, and faculty whenever possible so that you feel safer leaning on them when disruption occurs.