The University Counseling Center will reintroduce itself to campus next week with an event highlighting the importance of caring for one’s mental health and the range of free mental health and wellness services available to students.
Light Up the Night will take place from 6 to 9 p.m. Thursday, Sept. 8, at Centennial Mall.
“As we begin a new semester, we want to shine a light on the mental health concerns that effect our students, provide a sense of belonging and let students know that we and our campus partners are here to support their overall wellness,” said LaTasha Sullivan, director of the Counseling Center. “This is an opportunity to meet the Counseling Center staff as well as see some of our offerings.”
In addition to information about mental health resources, there will be food, music, raffles and giveaways, and activities including glow-in-the-dark archery and yoga.
Nearly 20 departments and offices from across campus will participate.
The event will also launch STAR, a new campus-wide mental health and suicide prevention campaign that’s aimed at training individuals how to ask someone if they’re struggling — including if they are thinking of suicide.
Sullivan said people can be afraid to ask those kinds of pointed questions, but early intervention can be a deterrent to suicide and can help get individuals the support they need more quickly.
The Counseling Center is offering training sessions throughout fall semester. More information, including how to sign up for a training session, will be available at the event.
The event also will serve as the debut for the Counseling Center’s STAR campaign video, which helps to capture the journey of a student struggling with their mental health.
“We hope what people are seeing and feeling in these images helps spark conversation, introspection and reflection,” Sullivan said. “We know that suicide is one of the top three leading causes of death in college-age individuals, and it’s important for all members of our community to be able to support a student in need.”
The University Counseling Center, located in the University Health Center, offers students free and confidential mental health counseling, advocacy and case management services.
In addition to one-on-one and group services, the Counseling Center’s website offers many online resources, including self-help toolkits on depression and anxiety, smartphone applications and resources specifically for underrepresented students.
“We’re really focusing this year on sharing the message that we want to be a part of prevention, not just intervention,” Sullivan said. “We’re able to provide services for students in crisis, but we’re also offering things for the maintenance of mental health. We want to put resources in every student’s hand.”
The Counseling Center plans to build on last year’s well-attended mental health screening days and offer additional support workshops.
Light Up the Night is co-hosted by the Student Advocacy Office, Office of Residence Life, the Catherine S. Eberly Center for Women, the Office of Recreational Services, the Office of Student Involvement and Leadership and the Office of Multicultural Student Success.
If you or someone you know is thinking or talking about suicide, call the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 988 or visit suicidepreventionlifeline.org for additional resources.
