History of Counseling Services at Wichita State

Counseling and Psychological Services (CAPS) at Wichita State University has evolved considerably since its establishment, developing from a traditional campus counseling center into a comprehensive mental health, prevention, and wellness program. Over the decades, CAPS has expanded both the scope of services it provides to students and its influence on the broader Wichita community.

The history of CAPS can be traced to 1951, when the university established the Student Counseling Center. At the time, the center provided vocational testing and guidance as well as assistance with personal and academic concerns. The center was originally housed in Room 105 of the Administration Building, now known as Jardine Hall. It operated under the direction of Jackson O. Powell, who also served as Dean of the College of Education.

By 1959, the Student Counseling Center had relocated to Fiske Hall under the direction of William T. Hooper. Hooper led a team of three staff counselors who provided a range of counseling services, with students also being referred to a consulting psychiatrist when specialized psychiatric care was needed.

During the early 1960s, the Student Counseling Center faced the possibility of closure because of funding concerns. Despite these challenges, some faculty members continued providing counseling services on a part-time basis, allowing the university's commitment to student mental health support to continue during a period of financial uncertainty.

In 1973, the Student Counseling Center became involved with the Wichita Collaborative Psychology Internship Program (WCPIP), which had been established in 1953. This partnership represented an important development in the center's role in professional training. WCPIP is the longest continuously accredited consortium in the country dedicated to training future psychologists. As of August 2025, more than 500 psychologists had completed their internships through the program.

A significant organizational change occurred in 1983, when a budget crisis led to the merger of the university's testing and counseling centers. The resulting Counseling and Testing Center (CTC) provided personal counseling, crisis intervention, and psychological assessment while also administering university testing services. This merger initiated a period of greater organizational stability under the leadership of Donald Nance, PhD, LP.

By the early 2000s, the CTC had expanded its educational mission by beginning to train practicum students from Wichita State University's Psychology Department. This development further established the center as both a provider of clinical services and an important training environment for emerging mental health professionals.

Beginning in 2015, under the leadership of Maureen Dasey-Morles, PhD, LP, the university received a federal SAMHSA Garrett Lee Smith Campus Suicide Prevention Grant. This funding supported the launch of the #WSUWeSupportU initiative and the Suspenders4Hope® campaign. These initiatives represented a significant expansion of the center's role, emphasizing suicide prevention, mental health awareness, stigma reduction, and community education in addition to traditional clinical services.

In 2018, the university underwent another major reorganization under the direction of Jessica Provines, PhD, LP. Testing services were separated from counseling, and the clinical unit was renamed Counseling and Prevention Services (CAPS). The new name reflected an expanded philosophy that emphasized not only treatment, but also mental health promotion and prevention. That same year, CAPS broadened its professional training partnerships by beginning to train students from Wichita State University's social work, professional counseling, and psychology programs, as well as master's-level psychology students from Emporia State University.

Another major milestone occurred in 2020, when CAPS moved into the newly established Student Wellness Center within the Steve Clark YMCA. Locating CAPS alongside Student Health Services created a more integrated approach to student well-being by bringing physical health, mental health, and wellness services into a shared environment. The onset of the COVID-19 pandemic that same year accelerated changes in service delivery. CAPS rapidly transitioned to telehealth and other online services, establishing a hybrid model that expanded access beyond traditional in-person counseling.

During this period, Suspenders4Hope® continued to expand and further broadened CAPS's impact beyond direct clinical care. The program incorporated suicide prevention, mental health education, stigma reduction, and community training, ultimately developing into a nationally recognized initiative serving organizations beyond Wichita State University.

In 2023, the university further reorganized its prevention efforts through the creation of HOPE Services (Health, Outreach, Prevention and Education). While CAPS retained responsibility for clinical mental health services—including individual, couples, and group counseling; crisis intervention; consultation; and professional training—HOPE Services assumed a primary role in campus-wide prevention, outreach, and wellness education. The two units continue to work collaboratively to address the broader mental health and well-being needs of the university community.

Today, CAPS serves as Wichita State University's primary student mental health resource. Its services include confidential counseling, crisis response, consultation, outreach and educational programming, and applied training for future psychologists and counselors. The department's mission has expanded far beyond its original focus on vocational guidance and personal counseling. CAPS now represents an integrated model of mental health treatment, prevention, education, and professional development designed to promote student well-being, support academic success, and foster a campus culture in which mental health is recognized as an essential component of student success.

 

Christopher Leonard, PsyD, LP              2023-present

Jessica Provines, PhD, LP                      2017-2023

Maureen Dasey-Morles, PhD, LP           2006-2017

Don Nance, PhD, LP                                1983-2006

George Comstock, PhD                          ?-1975?

William T. Hooper                                    1959?-?

Dean Jackson O’Powell                          1951-?

*This information is compiled from CAPS records, The Sunflower articles/archives, Human Resources, WSU Library archives, and personal interviews. If you believe something is in error, please email counselingcenter@wichita.edu.