Welcome to Mars Hill University! We are so pleased you have chosen to join us. We have adapted this guide to help make your transition from high school to college as smooth as possible. If you are or have previously received treatment for a mental health condition, there are several things to keep in mind as you make your transition to college. This guide will help walk you through those considerations. The guide may also be useful if you currently receive or have received treatment for any chronic medical condition.

While we will focus on local resources in this guide, please check out the JED Foundation Set To Go website for even more resources and support. We especially recommend the following from their website:

• First Weeks of College: Parent Tips
• What to Know About Stress and Your College Student
• Help Your Teen Transition to College with a Mental Health Diagnosis
• Caring for Your Child’s Mental Health From Afar

MHU Student Health Center

Nash Building
Monday – Friday 8:00 am – 5:00 pm
Services include counseling, medical services, and accessibility/disability services.

COUNSELING SERVICES

MHU Counseling Center

The Mars Hill University Counseling Center is an inclusive, nonjudgmental, and safe space where students can receive emotional support regardless of what they may be experiencing. Counseling services are free and confidential for all students. Please see the MHU Counseling Center webpage for more information. If you have questions, please feel free to reach out to our staff:

Cynthia Cox, MA, LCMHCA, NCC, Director of Counseling Services, (828) 689-1272
Kirby Knight, BS, CADC-I Recovery Program Coordinator, (828) 689-1188

How do I make an appointment?

Email: counseling@mhu.edu
Phone: (828) 689-1272
Offices: Nash Hall 1st floor

Sessions available Monday – Friday, 9 a.m. – 5 p.m., or by appointment

The Mars Hill University Counseling Center is an inclusive, nonjudgmental, and safe space where students can receive emotional support regardless of what they may be experiencing. Counseling services are free and confidential for all students. The Counseling Center offers the following support services for students:

• Short-term and long-term counseling depending on the nature of the concern, including family sessions and couples counseling upon request
• Consultation services when there is a specific personal concern or specific concern for another student that may not necessarily require counseling
• Counseling groups to offer students additional support and to empower students to support one another
• Mediation services upon request or upon referral
• Campus-wide screenings for mental health related topics and for alcohol/substance use
• Educational workshops to promote mental health awareness and wellness
• Referrals to outside providers for extended treatment, psychological evaluation, and medication management.

If you are dealing with a mental health crisis after hours, call Campus Security at (828) 689-1230. They will then connect with the campus counselor or Mobile Crisis Management Services (see below).

Crisis Management

Crisis Resource Link: Crisis-Resources.pdf

Students experiencing a mental health crisis during or after hours can call Campus Security at (828) 206-1230. Security will then connect the student with a campus counselor, 988 Lifeline, or Mobile Crisis Management Services of Western North Carolina (1-888-573-1006).

Local mental health partners

RHA Health Services offers a wide array of mental health and substance use programs/services provided by experienced and compassionate professionals. This includes facility-based services in RHA offices, community-based services, and crisis services to serve people where they are.

The Pisgah Institute is thelargest, most comprehensive behavioral health practice in Western North Carolina. Pisgah Institute partners with the Counseling Center for preferred referrals. They offer consultation, medication management, and individual psychotherapy.

Medical Services

The Mars Hill University Student Health Center, located in the lower level of Nash Hall, is the health facility for the campus community. The Student Health Center staff provides primary care for full-time students. The Student Health Center is part of the student life office and works closely with this office in order to assist in each student’s physical and emotional development during his/her college experience.

A physician, physician’s assistant, or nurse practitioner associated with the Hot Springs Health Program assesses sick and injured students at the center on Monday through Friday from 9 a.m. until 10 a.m. on regular class days. during fall and spring semesters. Visits will be made by appointment only and may be scheduled by calling 828-206-2932 during regular business hours. Arrival time is between 8:30 a.m and 8:45 a.m. Physician services at the Student Health Center are at no additional cost to the student. Prescription costs will be the financial responsibility of the student.

NOTE: The MHU Student Health Center is not a hospital and does not provide Emergency Services.

Renee Sprinkle, RN
Director of Medical Services
renee_sprinkle@mhu.edu
Phone: (828) 689-1243
Fax: (828) 689-1445

The center may be closed in the afternoons for meetings, trainings, campus events, vaccine clinic days, blood drive days, etc. For Information regarding closings and delays, monitor the Daily Announcements, MHU student life Instagram, and the Hub for additional details.

Additional Community Resources:

Mars Hill Medical Center (part of the Hot Springs Health Program)
Mon-Sat 8:30 a.m.–6 p.m., Sun 1 p.m.–6 p.m.
119 Mountain View Rd
Mars Hill, NC 28754
(828) 689-3507

Madison County Health Department

Mon-Fri 8 a.m.–4:30 p.m.
493 Medical Park Dr.
Marshall, NC 28753
(828) 649-3531

Local Urgent Care Centers and Hospitals

Mercy Urgent Care Weaverville
61 Weaver Blvd.
Weaverville, NC 28787

MinuteClinic at CVS Pharmacy Weaverville
121 Monticello Rd.
Weaverville, NC 28787

EmergOrtho Orthopedic Urgent Care Weaverville
159 Weaver Blvd.
Weaverville, NC

Mission Hospital Emergency Care
509 Biltmore Ave.
Asheville, NC 28801

AdventHealth Emergency Care (Hendersonville)
100 Hospital Dr.
Hendersonville, NC 28792

Pharmacy Information

In order to maintain your prescriptions and prevent delays in obtaining refills, talk with your current provider and/or pharmacy about transferring your prescriptions to one of the pharmacies closer to campus. There are two pharmacies in Mars Hill (both within walking distance of campus):

CVS Pharmacy
191 Carl Eller Rd.
Mars Hill, NC 28754
(828) 689-5757

Ingles Market (grocery store)
225 Carl Eller Rd.
Mars Hill, NC 28754
(828) 680-9569

Other nearby pharmacies:

Prescription Pad of Weaverville (offers delivery to campus)
3 North Main St.
Weaverville, NC 28787
(828) 484-7800

CVS Pharmacy
121 Monticello Rd.
Weaverville, NC 28787
(828) 645-5802

Walmart Pharmacy (located in Walmart Supercenter)
25 Northridge Commons Pkwy.
Weaverville, NC 28787
(828) 645-9071

Publix Pharmacy
165 Weaver Blvd.
Weaverville, NC 28787
(828) 645-9071

Walgreens Pharmacy (approximately 16 miles away—North Asheville)
841 Merrimon Avenue
Asheville, NC 28804
(828) 225-5113

Other Campus Resources

Accessibility/Disability Services

Kirby Knight
Director of Accessibility Services
disabilityservices@mhu.edu
Nash 109
828-689-1188

Now that you are in college, it is up to you to request accommodations; your IEP or 504 plan won’t transfer automatically. You will need to learn to advocate for yourself, but we are here to help you with that transition!

To begin, you will need to provide (send or bring with you) current documentation of your disability (within the last 5 years) that includes the following:

• History
• Formal diagnosis
• Recommendations for accommodations

You will need to schedule an appointment with Kirby Knight to discuss your documentation and create an appropriate accommodations plan for you each semester.

For specific information on Accessibility Services, visit the MHU Accessibility Services web page.

Center for Religious and Spiritual Life

The mission of the MHU Center for Religious and Spiritual Life is to provide the campus community with spiritual and religious support, leadership, and opportunities for personal growth and development through six focal areas:

• Pastoral care
• Spiritual formation
• Exploration of purpose and calling
• Mission, service, and social justice
• Interfaith engagement
• Connection to communities of faith

To schedule an appointment, contact chaplains@mhu.edu or:

Rev. Stephanie McLeskey
smcleskey@mhu.edu
(828) 689-1299

Academic support services on campus:

Student Support Services (a Federal TRiO Program) is a resource for students who are First Generation college students, come from a low-income background AND/OR have a documented disability.  Space is limited to 165 MHU students.

Services and resources may include, but are not limited to:

• Academic and Personal Advising
• Peer tutoring
• The SSS Computer Lab and Resource Center
• The SSS Study Center
• Assisting students with academic accommodations
• Workshops and Seminars
• Exposure to Cultural Programs

To apply for the program, visit the Student Support Services (SSS) office on the main floor of Renfro Library in the Center for Student Success (Renfro 205)

Questions?

Contact any SSS staff member at ssstrio@mhu.edu or call the main office at (828) 689-1138.

MHU Writing Center

MHU Math Center

Adapted from Set to Go – Transition of Care Guide, with permission from The Jed Foundation (JED). JED is a nonprofit that exists to protect emotional health and prevent suicide for our nation’s teens and young adults. Set to Go, a JED program, guides students, families and high school educators through the social, emotional and mental health challenges related to the transition out of high school to college and adulthood.