Another psychologist has quit from health services this month.
Reddit user “Anon62082” posted on reddit saying “Third psychologist quits Counselling Services.” The user claims this is the third psychologist who has quit within the last two months.
A position has been vacant as there was a job posting for a full-time psychologist posted on the external careers page for the University of Waterloo.
A reason for multiple psychologists quitting, according to reddit user middlingartsstudent was that agency work can be quite taxing for these counsellors.
“We don’t function on a time scale that’s equivalent to the community at large,” Sacha Forstner, past Feds Board of Directors member, said in “Stop History from Repeating Itself,” published March 29. “If you’re waiting six or seven weeks for an appointment, that’s obviously not adequate when the term is only 12 weeks.”
In the job description that was posted, and viewed by Imprint on May 17, full-time psychologists may have to work “unusual hours and schedules including evening hours and participation in an on-call system.”
Earlier this year, the Office of the President sent out an email stating that “They now include 22 full-time counsellors, two psychiatrists, a mental health nurse and peer support groups in addition to the more than 25 health centre professionals who themselves address mental health issues on a routine basis.”
When Imprint called Counselling Services for the number of staff members currently working at Health Services, we were directed to the Campus Wellness Report from April 2017, which did not state the number of filled versus unfilled positions.
Later, Matthew Grant, Director of Media Relations for UW, refused to comment on the matter citing it as an HR matter and redirecting us once again to the Campus Wellness Report.
Imprint reached out to the UW Privacy Officer, Karen Jack. Her request for information revealed that of the mandated 22 full time equivalents there are only 20 currently working.
It was also highlighted that full time staff are expected to work 32 hours a week.
