At New England College, students are challenged to integrate all facets of themselves as they pursue their academic interests. Our programs highlight the College’s commitment to developing a culture of self reflection, personal responsibility for physical health, comprehensive fitness opportunities and psychological and emotional balance. The health and happiness of each student are of paramount importance in the NEC educational experience.
The health services offered at New England College help keep students healthy while on campus. We provide care for acute illnesses and injuries. Physical exams are done by our nurse practitioners, and we have the capability to perform laboratory studies. Immunization updates are done if needed and available. Our nurse practitioners are able to write prescriptions should one be needed. If a health concern needs further evaluation by a specialist, referrals are facilitated by our staff to outside providers. Our staff provides educational outreach and programming for our students on a regular basis, which helps keep the student informed of health risks and ways to stay healthy.
The counseling services offered at New England College are designed to help students function more effectively in a college environment. This includes providing counseling and therapy for students who may be experiencing situational or ongoing psychological difficulties. We also provide educational outreach and programming to meet the developmental needs of our students. The counseling staff is committed to creating and maintaining an open and accepting environment in which our students feel welcomed, safe and valued. While we primarily provide short term therapy, we are able to provide outside referrals for longer term therapy including substance abuse treatment programs. Counseling services are available Monday–Friday from 8:30 a.m.–5:00 p.m. Some of the helpful counseling services we provide include: resolving personal problems, assistance with stress and time management challenges, performance anxiety, eating disorders, sexual, physical and emotional abuse, family, peer or roommate concerns, anxiety and depression, grief, anger, sleep difficulties, academic stress, alcohol or other substance abuse problems. If needed, our nurse practitioner is able to supplement counseling with pharmacologic treatment for some mental health conditions.
Prescriptions can be filled at the local pharmacy, conveniently located in Henniker. Henniker Pharmacy: 603.428.3456
There are two ways to schedule appointments with a counselor or psychiatrist: By Phone
Please call 603.428.2253 between the hours of 8:30 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. from Monday–Friday to speak with the Administrative Assistant or leave a voicemail at any time. Please note that we are closed on the weekends. By Email
Please email counseling@nec.edu any time during our business hours. If you need care during the hours the Wellness Center is closed, you can seek care at an urgent care center in Concord or call Riverbend Mobil Crisis Services at 844.743.5748. We accommodate requests for initial appointments as soon as possible, usually within five–seven days, depending on staff and student schedules. Please note that while we will do our best to honor a student’s wish to meet with a specific staff member, this is not always possible. Referrals
Generally, an initial appointment with a counselor is necessary to determine appropriate referrals to off-campus services. As requested, or when otherwise appropriate, Counseling Service staff will make referrals to other mental health professionals, usually for specialized psychological testing, individual psychotherapy, group psychotherapy, or private psychiatric medication management. Please call to discuss referrals to an off-campus clinician, or email counseling@nec.edu. Information about referrals is considered confidential.
Our Wellness Center nurses are available to discuss health concerns and provide self-care tips over the phone. If an appointment is needed, the staff is able to schedule this.
New England College and the surrounding communities have a wealth of resources to address students’ needs in the event of a crisis or emergency. During regular business hours, please seek immediate help from: The Wellness Center on Union Street (across from the Quad) at 603.428.2253 or Campus Safety at 603.428.2323 for both medical and mental health emergencies or 911 After business hours, please seek immediate help from: Campus Safety at 603.428.2323 or 911 for both medical and mental health emergencies Riverbend Emergency Mental Health Services: 603.226.0817 Riverbend Mobile Crisis Unit: 1.844.7.HELP4U (1.844.743.5748) *mental health only National Suicide Prevention Lifeline:
For 24-hour support, call 800.273.8255 or Text 741741. Veteran’s Crisis Line:
Free 24-hour confidential support for Military Veterans in crisis and their families and friends. Call the Veterans Crisis Line at 1.800.273.8255 and Press 1 or text 838255. Click here for a downloadable list of after-hours contacts.
Approaching a Friend
It can be uncomfortable to approach a friend about their wellbeing. You may worry about invading their privacy, making things worse, or you may simply not know what to say. If you are genuinely concerned about somebody, it is okay to express interest or concern—they can always decline to talk with you if they are uncomfortable. Whatever the case, your expression of genuine concern may be what your friend needs to seek help, if not from you, from someone else. Below are some pointers for initially approaching a friend about whom you are concerned.
Talk of Suicide or Violence
You should never ignore someone’s comments or behavior regarding suicide or violence. Don’t assume that these are only jokes, ploys for attention, or that they are just passing moods. If you are not comfortable talking directly to your friend or you feel he/she is not responding, bring your concerns to someone at counseling services, your dean, or your residence hall supervisor. While students who talk or behave in suicidal or in violent ways certainly need your sympathy and support, don’t assume that this is all they need. Individuals who have difficulty managing their feelings and impulses may require professional counseling and/or medication.
National Suicide Prevention Lifeline
Call the lifeline anytime at 800.273.8255 or text to 741741.
Veteran’s Crisis Line
Free, confidential support for Veterans in crisis and their families and friends. Call the Veterans Crisis Line at 800.273.8255 and Press 1 or text to 838255.
Taking care of yourself
Engaging with someone in distress, whether as their confidant or simply as their friend, can be stressful. In addition to feelings of sympathy and a desire to help, you may also feel stressed, helpless, fatigued and even angry or resentful. If you find yourself feeling overwhelmed by a situation, you can call the Wellness Center and receive a confidential consultation regarding your friend. Remember, while you may play a very special role in your friend’s life, there are other caring individuals on campus who may be able to offer them support that you can’t. It is not your role to solve your friend’s problem, but to help them access resources that enable them to solve it themselves.
Whether or not you choose to meet with a Counselor, the resources outlined here may offer you some insight, support, and guidance in how to engage with both difficult experiences and challenging opportunities. Counseling Services staff have compiled a list of recommended readings about common mental health concerns. In addition, we offer online psycho-educational pages, meditations, and assessments both for mental health concerns and for personal strengths that you may choose to build upon. We also offer a list of tools you may check out from the Counseling Service and both on-campus and community-based sources of support.
Recognizing Signs of Distress
Academic Indicators
Personal/Physical Indicators
Other Factors
Is it OK to Ask?
One of the biggest barriers to reaching out is the worry that it’s none of our business or that students will be embarrassed. But students actually feel cared for and recognized when asked how they’re doing. Asking about suicide is difficult but potentially life-saving. If you hear or see signs of hopelessness or depression, you might say: “Sometimes when people are feeling bad they have thoughts of suicide. Have you had any thoughts about hurting or killing yourself?” Asking about suicide will not give someone the idea or make things worse. In fact, it may be a relief for the student to know you’re open to hearing about whatever they’re feeling. If a student is having thoughts of suicide, continue talking. Find out if they’ve acted on or plan to act on the thoughts. Express concern and say that you want to make sure they get connected to further help. Call CPS with the student, or walk them over to McCosh Health Center. If the student refuses, call the student’s director of student life with the student, in order to make a plan to keep them safe.
Instructions for Completing Wellness Center Health Information Forms
** DO NOT UPLOAD MULTIPLE DOCUMENTS IN THE SAME FILE. The informed consent and immunization record must be entered into its own section. We will ask you to redo the upload if this happens.
Please note: Per the NCAA, your physical exam must be done within six months of the first day of your team’s practice. The athletic health information is in addition to the Wellness Center health requirements.
NEC’s Wellness Center and counseling services staff includes three mental health counselors, a nurse and nurse practitioner, and support staff members. Jessi Hull, Medical Director
APRN
Jessi joined NEC in 2022, after 17 years working for the Elliot Hospital Health System. Jessi worked as a nurse on the inpatient pediatric unit for 13 years, then spent the next four years as a nurse practitioner in a busy family practice. Besides her ASN from Manchester Community College and an MSN from Rivier University, Jessi has a bachelor’s degree in Outdoor Education. Working in college health is Jessi’s dream job, and she loves having the opportunity to influence the development of lifelong positive health practices in young adults. Jessi also loves hiking, paddleboarding, rescuing animals, and just generally spending time outdoors with her husband, son, and dogs. Kim Malo, Medical Assistant
LNA
Kim is a New Hampshire local. She went to Florida for the first time in 2021 and absolutely loved it. Before coming to NEC in 2021, she worked at Concord Hospital for 18 years in OBGYN/Labor and delivery as a LNA scrub tech. She enjoys family time, summers at the beach, walking her Shiba Inu pup, good movies, and shopping. She has three adult children, and she married her high school sweetheart. She has recently begun to travel, which has been a wonderful experience for her. Isaac Hirschfeld, Registered Nurse
Isaac joined NEC in the fall of 2022. He earned a Bachelor of Science in nursing from the University of New Hampshire. For nine years, he worked for the Elliot Healthcare System in a medical unit and an urgent care. Having experience caring for people of all ages, he is excited to work with college students in promoting lifelong wellness. Overall, Isaac is a fan of geek and nerd culture, dabbling in tabletop gaming, movies, digital art, and cosplaying. His focal passion is for hobby board games, and on the side works on designing his own board games. Conversely, he enjoys the outdoors by hiking, skiing, traveling around the world, and lying in a hammock. Chris Kouroyen, Director of Mental Health Counseling
LCMHC, LMHC
Chris joined NEC in the spring of 2024. He has a Bachelor of Arts in Sociology, minor in Addictions from Keene State College and a Master of Arts in Clinical Mental Health Counseling from William James College. Prior to NEC, he worked as an in-home therapist in the greater Boston area, was the director of a hardware secure juvenile treatment facility, and as a college counselor. He holds licenses in the states of New Hampshire and Massachusetts. Chris has strong clinical experience in case management while working with children, adolescents, and young adults. He has expertise with neurodivergent populations and co-occurring diagnoses, including but not limited to, adjustment disorders, learning disabilities, anxiety, depression, trauma, substance abuse, and autism spectrum disorders. Chris’s theoretical orientation takes influence from, but is not limited to, wholistic and person-centered approaches, narrative therapy, expressive arts, play therapy, motivational interviewing, cognitive behavior therapy, and collaborative problem solving. Chris is an avid skier and basketball player and enjoys spending time with his family, friends, and animals. Katie Jones, Mental Health Counselor
Katie joined NEC in the spring of 2022. She has a bachelor’s in psychology from Salve Regina University and her master’s in counseling from Plymouth State University. Prior to NEC, she worked at a trauma-focused community mental health agency and Colby-Sawyer College. Katie has a background in being a former collegiate student-athlete and in sports psychology. Katie enjoys her time going on walks with her German Shepherd and watching Disney movies. Carolyn Valiquet, Administrative Assistant to the Wellness Center
Carolyn has been employed with NEC since 2016. She came to NEC after 18 years with New London Hospital in primary care and specialty services experience. Carolyn is a 1984 graduate of the University of New Hampshire with a BA in Political Science and a minor in criminal justice. She and her husband, Jim, have five children and six grandchildren. Carolyn and Jim love camping, big-band music and the doo-wop singing groups of the 1950s. She enjoys reading; needlepoint; American history, especially the lives of the First Ladies of the United States; and gardening.
Intercollegiate Student-Athletes
All incoming student-athletes must also submit the following information to the Athletics Department. Forms can be accessed through the Athletics Sports Medicine site. This information is in addition to all of the medical paperwork requirements for all new students.
All athletes are required to submit documentation of sickle cell screening results. All athletes must have a sports physical examination (PE) within six (6) months from date of first sports practice.
If athletes have any questions please contact the Head Athletic Trainer, Heather Jones at hjones@nec.edu or 603.428.2260.
Recommended Vaccines
PLEASE NOTE: The Wellness Center accepts PPD (skin testing) for tuberculosis, but a TSPOT or Quantiferon Gold test is preferred. If you have a positive test, you must have a chest x-ray performed. NOTE: We require copies of the PPD or TSPOT laboratory report and the radiologist reading of the chest x-ray to be submitted to the Wellness Center.
The student health insurance plan is managed by Student Financial Services. Please contact them at 603.428.2226 with questions about this process. For additional information or assistance regarding the specific student health insurance plan, please contact Wellfleet Customer Services at 877.657.5030.
Students who miss classes or exams due to illness are responsible for notifying their instructors. The Wellness Center does not provide notes or medical explanations which is a policy supported by the Academic Standards and Advising Committee.