Welcome to the Wellness Center!
RCSJ-Cumberland offers mental health counseling to assist students with a variety of life’s stressors. These services are free to all part-time and full-time students, and are offered with the confidentiality and professionalism offered at any mental health treatment center.
Notice: Effective March 23rd, Student Counseling and Wellness Services will be available to help students who need support or community resources via Zoom: a cloud based meeting space where students and counselors can talk face to face.
Zoom is free to download to a laptop, smartphone, or tablet at https://zoom.us/signup or via an app store. To schedule an appointment, please email Heather Bense at hbense@rcsj.edu, John Wojtowicz at jwojtowi@rcsj.edu, or at wellness@cc.rcsj.edu. Please note that appointments will be scheduled during regular business hours.
If you make a Zoom appointment with one of us, we will provide you with our Zoom Meeting room number. From there, all you have to do is click on the link and we will be able to see one another! For more detailed instructions, please read here.
We are also available to speak via phone. Heather's number is (856) 691-8600 x1495 and John is (856) 691-8600 x1497.
Since the campus is closed, students might be able to access the community food pantries here. Please note we have not vetted each of these personally, but they should be helpful.
The JED Foundation provides tips and resources for students and parent-students for coping with anxiety and stress related to COVID-19: you can review the resources here.
Lastly, please know that we are still here for you even at a distance. While this semester has offered more speed bumps than any of us could have anticipated, we know that together we can do this.
Please do not hesitate to reach out.
Warmly,
Heather & John
How Do I Obtain Services?
You can reach us three ways:
- Call the Wellness Warm Line at (856) 691-8600, ext. 1258 and someone will pick up between 8:30 am and 10 p.m.
- Email or Call John Wojtowicz, LSW, VAWC
EOF/Mental Health Counselor
856 691-8600, ext. 1496
- Email or Call Heather Bense, LCSW, DRCC
Director, Student Counseling and Wellness
856 691-8600, ext. 1495
Services Offered
- Short-term, solution focused counseling
- Student specific counseling strategies
- Assessment and Referral services
- Wellness Education Workshops
- Staff and Faculty Consultation
Service Location
The Wellness Center is located in the first floor Academic Building with the Veteran’s Resource Center.
Office hours are: Mon-Friday, 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.
Text HOME to 741-741 to speak with a certified crisis counselor 24/7 from the Crisis Text Line
Immediate Needs
For mental health emergencies at any other time, please contact the following resources:
Cumberland County Guidance Center (856) 455-5555, or
New Jersey Hope Line (856) 654-6735, or
Dial 911 for emergencies
List of all the Food Banks in South Jersey
Resiliency Tips for Students During the Coronavirus Outbreak
The coronavirus pandemic has created a variety of concerns and uncertainty specific to students, not only in juggling your new and different learning responsibilities, but also in maintaining your well-being and in helping those around you.
Dr. Kate Felice has put together some practical suggestions and resources here to help you in keeping yourself mentally, physically, and emotionally healthy. Some may be more pragmatic for you than others, and that’s okay. Any effort toward self-care is a useful one. Remember that the only way to effectively do all that you need to get done, particularly during challenging times, is to be aware of your own wellness and take care of yourself.
Stress and Coping During the Coronavirus Outbreak
Being separated from friends on campus can be hard for many – especially extroverts. The CDC has offered some recommendations on caring for your mental health while practicing social distancing.
