Jeanne Stanford has been named permanent director of UCSB’s Counseling Services after serving as acting director for the past two years.

Stanford, who earned her doctorate at the California School of Professional Psychology (now part of Alliant International University), joined UCSB in 1995 after five years at UCLA’s Student Psychological Services as a staff psychologist.

She takes full control of Counseling Services, noted Vice Chancellor Michael Young, at a time when colleges across the nation are “facing a growing demand on student mental health services.” On campus, Stanford “will play a key role” in launching and maintaining the Healthy Campus Initiative that aims to strengthen and improve these services.

Stanford said she welcomes the challenges. “This is the first time in a long time that student mental health is on the table (as a priority), she said. “It’s an exciting time.”

Helping students, and their parents, through the transitions of college life is one of the chief jobs of Counseling Services, she said. “The stresses of school now—high GPAs and competition—can be overwhelming.” She immigrated to the United States from Jamaica when she was four, so she empathizes with those coping with the dislocations of high-stress transitions.