Hodnett, who has been at Elon since 2012, had been serving as interim director since Jan. 1.
Anita Hodnett has been promoted to serve as director of Counseling Services at Elon, effective May 1, 2021. Hodnett has been serving as interim director since Jan. 1, following the departure of Marie Shaw.
Hodnett joined Elon in 2012 as a counselor and was named assistant director of Counseling Services in 2017. She has served as the primary staff counselor for the Elon Law School since 2018. Hodnett also previously served as acting director of Counseling Services in fall 2017.
Hodnett is a licensed clinical mental health counselor and a national certified counselor. She earned a bachelor’s degree in psychology from the University of Virginia, where she also earned a master’s degree in education and education specialist degree. Prior to joining the Elon staff, Hodnett served as staff counselor and assistant director of Disability Services at Winthrop University. She has extensive community-based mental health experience with the Catawba Community Mental Health Center in Rock Hill, South Carolina, and the Cardinal Clinic, LLC in Fayetteville, North Carolina.
Appointment to the director’s role follows Hodnett’s strong performance as interim director and acknowledges her long-term support and advocacy within the larger Elon community. Her commitment to student outreach includes leading the launch of the Let’s Talk program, which focuses on connecting with student populations that under-utilized mental health services by offering casual, drop-in consultation opportunities in locations across campus. She has been instrumental in developing mental health initiatives with the Center for Race, Ethnicity and Diversity (CREDE), including the ALANAM Sisterhood Circle, and has been a regular member of the planning committee for the annual Phillips-Perry Black Excellence Awards.
Hodnett serves as the faculty/staff advisor for Active Minds, a recognized student organization that works to empower others to speak about mental health through advocacy, spreading awareness, and promoting positive practices. Hodnett has also served as a member of the University Behavioral Intervention Team and the Student Life Assessment Committee. At the 2016 Phillips-Perry Black Excellence Awards, the Black Student Union recognized Hodnett with the Janice Ratliff Community Service Award for her positive impact on the campus community.
Hodnett will assume leadership and direction for Counseling Services including oversight of all operations and staffing. Counseling Services advances the educational mission of Elon University by providing quality psychological interventions, outreach, and consultation services to address the emotional, social, and academic needs of Elon University students. Counseling Services has nine staff clinicians, a psychiatric nurse practitioner, and a program assistant.