Student Resources

Welcome

Welcome Note From Dr. Elisabeth Sundermeier, Campus Psychologist and Coordinator of Counseling

Thank you for your interest in KCAI Counseling Services.  We are a multi-layered service, with some resources on campus and some resources off campus.  It is our belief that help comes in many forms, but it always exists. (So do not give up hope!)  Help comes most effectively when you combine factors of availability (what kind of help is possible), advisability (what kind of help experts recommend), and personal preference (what kind of help you want).  That is why we provide the following layers of service.

 

On-Campus Service

Here on the KCAI campus, we offer weekly, ongoing individual counseling for 35-45 students per week.  We are staffed by one licensed doctoral level psychologist and several staff members who have a masters degree in psychology or higher.  

 

Off-Campus Service

Our services are so popular that we often have overflow needs.  So we are proud to be one of the few local college counseling services that also offers students free off-campus options when their schedule does not fit the counseling service hours.  We partner with New Directions Behavioral Health, a referral service that offers students FREE access to 6 sessions (sometimes more) with a participating mental health provider. All New Directions Providers have a minimum of 5 years professional experience, making it a solid equivalent service to that provided on-campus. Click here to access the Well Connect, New Directions web page. Use School Code KCART to log in.

 

Emergency/Urgent Information
911…Police/Ambulance
816-931-6666…KCAI Security
1-800-448-3000...National Hotline Through Boys Town 24 hours
1-800-273-TALK...LifeLine 24 hours

Recommended Mental Health Emergency Room:
Truman Medical Center ER
2310 Holmes
Kansas City, MO 64108

Counseling

Requesting Counseling Service at KCAI

Please note: Counseling requests should be sent to Dr. Elisabeth Sundermeier, Psychologist and Director of KCAI Counseling Services. 

Three important notes on accessing service:  

(1) All questions related to counseling services should be emailed to Dr. Sundermeier at esundermeier@kcai.edu. 

(2) Second, keep in mind that the service is not a hospital/24-hour service.  We provide primarily non-urgent care that is associated with the regular business hours of the college (8:30 to 4:30 Monday through Friday, August through May).  So if you are in an emergency situation, you MUST get help via emergency services, 911, a local emergency room, or your psychiatrists' after-hours hotline. (More emergency information can be found at the bottom of the page).

(3) Finally and most importantly, here is how you make contact and request service.  Email esundermeier@kcai.edu. Title your email “Counseling Request” and paste in the information below:

  • Chosen Name:
  • Legal Name:
  • Date of Birth:
  • Year in School:
  • Phone Number:
  • All Available Hours, Monday Through Friday: 
  • Any Preference of Counselor (We will try to accommodate but cannot guarantee):

NOTE: Once you have submitted a request, you will be responded to within 2 business days (email Dr. Sundermeier to inquire if this does not occur).

 

Additional Resources

Additional Resources
For helpful college student mental health resources, go to www.jedfoundation.org. 

Click here for a podcast by Dr. Sundermeier on "The Brain Science of Grief."

 

Disclaimer
This page is for informational and educational purposes. Reading it is not intended to be a substitute for mental health services provided by a professional. Any reference to outside websites and links will take you to various online self-help resources outside of KCAI. Please note, the KCAI counseling office, KCAI, and Board of Trustees do not own and are not responsible for the content of these external websites.