Anxiety, stress, homesickness and depression can hit at any time for anyone. Luckily for the students at Southern Utah University, there are resources to help with these and many other mental health challenges, big or small: Counseling and Psychological Services and the Health and Wellness center.
“The Health and Wellness center primarily does resource connection and prevention and education,” said health and wellness coordinator Madison McBride.
Located in Room 175 of the Sharwan Smith Student Center, Health and Wellness provides a variety of services in order to help alleviate stress, such as a self-care station and a place to sit down and rest.
Health and Wellness also acts as a liaison for other mental health resources such as CAPS. Located on the second floor of the Bennion Building, CAPS is proud to offer a wide range of services, including individual counseling, couples counseling, group therapy, workshops and crisis help. CAPS also partners with other associations in the university such as the wellness center, financial aid and even housing. Though CAPS spends most of its energy on their direct clinical services, they are struggling.
“Demand for services has been very high,” said CAPS Director Dr. Curtis Hill. “There’s been a 45% increase from last year alone, so we’re a little concerned. We’re doing our best, but with that increase, our office will be really stretched.”
That is why there are a variety of online resources available to SUU students. There’s a specific online website for those who are waiting to be seen by CAPS and a self-help tool kit with all kinds of different categories to pick and choose from. The stress management link will educate those who need it on different types of stress and how to organize it in helpful ways rather than ones that could cause mental health struggles.
CAPS also directs students to helpful apps like Timelycare, Togetherall, TAO, and Trula. Timelycare is a website and app that acts as a Zoom meeting-style mental health resource. In that same way, Togetherall is similar to Reddit, while TAO is similar to Netflix. Trula is a resource that allows a person to connect with a peer mentor. But if anyone is in need of immediate help, they can use these hotlines.
The Health and Wellness Center also hosts a variety of different events, in tandem with other university resources, to bring awareness to mental health and other health related issues. The next one is on October 2; Donuts Against Domestic Violence. CAPS next event is on October 9 in the Church Auditorium from 4-5 p.m. and will discuss homesickness.
Author: Kaylee Condie
Photographer(s): Courtesy of SUU
Editor: Audrey Gee
life@suunews.net
