Poornima Sundaravelu Puts HEART Into Students’ Mental Healthcare
By Rob Biertempfel
Two years ago, Poornima Sundaravelu, a mobile crisis clinician with Counseling and Psychological Services (CaPS), arrived at Carnegie Mellon University to help launch the Higher Education Assessment and Response Team (HEART).
HEART clinicians partner with the CMU Police Department to respond to mental health crises on campus and support distressed students. When necessary, they also assist with hospital transport.
The program takes a fresh approach to student well-being and gives priority to using healthcare professionals over traditional police-only responses. Because HEART clinicians carry smaller caseloads than typical community crisis teams, they can dedicate more time and care to every student.
“It is more hands-on,” Sundaravelu said. “We’re able to tailor our care to what each student needs."
When Sundaravelu joined CMU in December 2024, HEART’s building blocks were in place. Two months later, the program was up and running, complete with a marked vehicle parked in the College of Fine Arts lot. Building the program was both challenging and rewarding.
“It was actually really fun,” Sundaravelu said. “When you start something new, there’s more room to collaborate and also put your personal touch on things.”
Much of HEART’s funding and structure was in place before her arrival. Still, the realities of providing crisis care on campus required ongoing adjustments.
Some of the program’s most meaningful practices developed naturally as protocols evolved. HEART clinicians are able to do more than simply hand over information to hospital staff and step away.
“We can sit in the waiting room with students and be there for them through the entire evaluation," Sundaravelu said. “That’s important, especially when it’s someone's first experience with a mental health hospital system.”
Over time, Sundaravelu’s role grew to include long-term guidance. She checks in with students during hospital stays, coordinates academic accommodations through Student Affairs and helps students transition back to campus life.
“One of the concerns students have when they’re hospitalized is, ‘Oh, my gosh, I’m going to miss my classes,’” Sundaravelu said. “I can support them through the process so they can focus on healing.”
This relationship-first care is at the core of HEART’s mission. Sundaravelu and fellow clinician Natalie Cohen typically respond when campus police receive calls about a student from concerned friends, family or faculty. On scene, they partner with officers to keep the situation calm, ensure everyone is safe, and decide on the best next steps.
Sometimes that means creating a personal safety plan; other times, it means arranging an evaluation at a hospital. Either way, HEART’s care continues well after the emergency passes.
“We’re not just sending them a list of referrals,” Sundaravelu said. “I’ve been seeing some students for months, often every week at first and then through monthly check-ins. Being able to provide support as the academic year ebbs and flows is very helpful.”
Beyond responding to crisis calls, Sundaravelu and Cohen see walk-in students for triage at the Highmark Center for Health, Wellness and Athletics and offer short-term therapy. Operating late afternoons and evenings from Tuesday through Saturday, HEART fills a vital gap for students who need support outside typical office hours.
Growing up in Champaign, Illinois, Sundaravelu saw the impact of mental healthcare firsthand through her mother, a child and adolescent psychiatrist who served as a resource for families in their community.
“Seeing how much she helped others inspired me to follow a similar path,” Sundaravelu said.
After earning a bachelor’s degree in neuroscience from the University of Pittsburgh and a master's degree in public health from the University of Illinois Chicago, Sundaravelu gained hands-on experience at an inpatient psychiatric hospital. She began in the intake department before moving into clinical case management, where she provided individual, group and family therapy.
When she returned to Pittsburgh, she helped conduct a suicide research study with young adults at UPMC Western Psychiatric Hospital. While she enjoyed the research, Sundaravelu missed working directly with patients. She said her current role at CMU is the perfect fit.
“I’m able to connect well with students across the university,” she said. “By meeting students where they are, we can help make accessing care feel more approachable.”
Her work at CMU has also earned global attention. Earlier this year, she presented on suicide risk assessment in the emergency department and physician well-being at a conference in India, introducing the HEART model to an international audience.
“It’s exciting to build this program at CMU and have their support to share our work internationally,” she said.
Looking ahead, CaPS hopes to expand HEART’s coverage to Sundays and Mondays, and add overnight hours. For now, Sundaravelu and Cohen continue to show how personalized, compassionate care can make a lasting impact on student life.
“Being even a small part of that progress is so fulfilling,” Sundaravelu said. “It reminds me every day that I’m in the right place.”