Athens-Clarke County is facing a growing shortage of mental health care providers, leaving both college students and local residents struggling to find prompt and affordable treatment.
Why It’s Newsworthy: Athens’ shortage of mental health providers leaves students and residents without timely access to care, worsening an already growing mental health crisis.
Athens Mental Health Resources Fall Short of Demand
Athens is officially marked as a Mental Health Professional Shortage Area, meaning the demand for providers is significantly higher than the amount of providers available in the area. That shortage is reflected in troubling data: 18.2% of adults in Athens-Clarke County report frequent mental distress, compared with the Georgia state average of 15.9%, according to U.S. News & World Report.
Lilybet Jones, a third-year psychology and communication studies major from Blue Ridge, Georgia, is among many of the students who feel the shortage of healthcare in Athens.
“What [CAPS] has is pretty good, but the amount that they have is really not enough to meet the demands of students, because they only really have two or three professional people and then the rest of it they just outsource,” Jones said. “I think for a college this large, they really should dedicate more to that, especially given the statistics of how many people here struggle with things.”
Counseling Services Struggle to Keep Up
At the University of Georgia, students often wait weeks for counseling appointments through the University Health Center’s Counseling and Psychiatric Services. This problem mirrors the Athens community’s lack of mental health resources. From long wait times to costly sessions, many community members seeking professional help struggle to do so.
“If I tried to go to CAPS and I got told that I’d have to wait a month to even get an appointment, I would be really discouraged. I feel like CAPS is so beneficial, because if you’re a UGA student, it’s free, and obviously anywhere else you go, it’s not going to be free,” said Anna Baumann, a third-year accounting major from Acworth, Georgia.
I think it is a loss for a lot of students when you’re not getting the help you need within a reasonable time frame.”
Shortage Extends Beyond Clinics
The problem deepens beyond outpatient care. Across Georgia, staff shortages mean that existing beds go unused, sometimes leaving 20% to 50% of facility beds empty, according to the Atlanta Journal-Constitution.
The crisis has been years in the making. A 2015 assessment showed that Athens-Clarke County had about 238 mental health providers per 100,000 residents, but this number has not kept up with growing needs.
“I think the challenge actually in Athens is to get the information out to the public, that these facilities and services are available,” said Linda Campbell, a professor in UGA’s Department of Counseling and Human Development Services.
Programs Work to Bridge the Gap
Community organizations have stepped in to help fill the gap. Initiatives like the Athens-Clarke County Justice Mental Health Collaborative aim to connect people in crisis with support instead of jail. Local nonprofits and hospital programs also provide cheaper counseling and crisis hotlines.
As the demand rises for mental health professionals, Athens’ dual role as a college town and a diverse community highlights the need for broader, more sustained solutions.
Saleha Alam is a third-year student majoring in journalism and political science.
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