While the Task Force found that CAPS provides excellent services to
a wide range of students, one of the most frequent concerns raised by students,
families, and others with whom we consulted was the wait time for
being seen for non-urgent appointments. Penn should ensure CAPS continues
to deploy its resources effectively to keep wait times for first-time
appointments in non-emergency situations to no more than seven days,
even during periods when demand is high. When students request a firsttime
appointment, irrespective of whether they are experiencing stress or
distress, they should have prompt access to a CAPS clinician. The addition
of three clinicians to the CAPS staff in the fall of 2014 significantly
reduced wait times and the expanded space where CAPS was relocated in
January 2015 allows for additional onsite counseling and programming
space. We strongly support efforts to continue to ensure that the office is
able to efficiently meet the needs of Penn students. We also support CAPS
efforts to develop a web-based wellness application that could serve as a
useful tool in aiding students in need of support. The wellness application
would allow CAPS to leverage its education and outreach efforts and
should be developed in collaboration with students as soon as possible.