March 2, 2017

Ball State welcomes William Betts, PhD, as director of Counseling and Health Services. Betts came to Ball State from the University of Colorado School of Medicine, where he was an assistant professor and the associate director for Behavioral Health Policy at the Kempe Center for the Treatment and Prevention of Child Abuse and Neglect.

In his new position, Betts will oversee the Health Center, the Counseling Center, the Testing Center, the Office of Victim Services and the Office of Health Alcohol and Drug Education. Betts, who started here Feb. 20, will spend his first few weeks meeting with his staff and other members of the Ball State community.

“I am very excited to join Ball State and I am impressed with the high quality services that are being provided to students,” Betts said.

As director, Betts will lead a department that provides more than 20,000 medical visits and 4,800 therapy visits per year to Ball State students. His department also provides health and wellness outreach programs that reached more than 34,000 people last year.

Betts said the number one priority of Counseling and Health Services is the physical and mental health of Ball State students.

“While there may be a wait for some kinds of services, in urgent situations we ensure that students receive the appropriate care right away,” Betts said, adding that he and his staff will continue to explore ways to decrease wait times and improve services for students. “I have been impressed by the number of stories in the media expressing support for the Counseling Center. It is a sign of the respect the community has for the services that we provide.”

Betts, an Indiana native, brings extensive experience in the administration of health and counseling services. He received his bachelor’s degree from Indiana University and his doctorate in clinical psychology from DePaul University in Chicago. He also completed a post-doctoral fellowship in program evaluation and administration at the University of Colorado.