UNS — Career Development Center (CDC) Universitas Sebelas Maret (UNS) Surakarta held an online Workshop on Peer Assistance on Monday (14/6/2021). This workshop aims to introduce the CDC UNS counseling service for UNS students. Three speakers were invited to the workshop. They are Citra Tectona, S., M.Pd., Dr. Ribut Purwaningrum, M.Pd., and Fadjri Kirana A., S.Psi., M.A., who are members of the CDC counseling team. One hundred and five participants attended the workshop through the Zoom Cloud Meeting.
The Chief of CDC UNS, Dr. Ir. Kusnandar M. Si, attended the workshop and delivered an opening remark. He mentioned that digital development leads to complex problems regarding rapid information distribution. “Basically, data and information could affect the decision-making process. Therefore, rapid information distribution will lead to complexity, particularly in university students’ life,” Dr. Kusnandar stated.
Appropriate management and action toward the rapid information distribution will open new opportunities for students to achieve their careers. Through Student Counseling Unit (BKM), CDC UNS feels called to assist UNS students in responding to the phenomenon. “CDC has a division to help students with these complex problems,” Dr. Kusnandar said.
Oky Dea Novianti, S.P, led the event with Citra Tectona as the first speaker. In her material, Citra Tectona introduced the Student Counseling Unit (BKM) UNS as a unit in CDC UNS that aims to provide positive mental health, problem-solving, decision making, and behavior change. BKM UNS offers two services, preventive and curative services. The preventive service is a service to prevent mental disorder that includes needs assessment through a questionnaire assessed by BKM UNS Team. A seminar or workshop will be held to solve the need, and it will be evaluated regarding its effectiveness and benefits for students. The curative service is a healing service that includes counseling through an in-depth interview, group counseling, and consultation.
Several common problems faced by university students are personal/social problems, academic problems, and career. BKM UNS also develop collaboration with UNS Medical Center that involves psychiatrist. Students could access BKM UNS through the CDC website at cdc.uns.ac.id. in the future, Dr. Ribut Purwaningrum mentioned that CDC UNS would provide peer assistance, a counseling program conducted by students for their fellow students. Those providing peer assistance are selected students from Counseling Education Program, Psychology Program, and other programs.
How to Get the Service
To access the service, students could start from their academic advisor (PA) and agreeing on consultation time. If this session cannot solve their problem, the PA will provide a PAK reference. PAK and students could have a consultation according to the agreed time. If this stage cannot solve student’s issues, then students will be referred to BKM UNS. Students and BKM UNS conduct a consultation, and if this still cannot solve the problems, students will be sent to UNS Medical Center. Through this referral, students could have a consultation with a counselor. If all of these stages could not solve students’ problems, BKM UNS will refer students to other institutions outside UNS. Humas UNS
Reporter: Alinda Hardiantoro
Editor: Dwi Hastuti