CHEP’s Resources for Mental Health Awareness

September is National Suicide Prevention Month, and the Center for Health Education and Promotion at Millersville University is committed to spreading mental health awareness and resources.

“I wholeheartedly believe suicide prevention is an important and critical topic that should be addressed on college campuses,” says Margaret Thorwart, director of CHEP.  “The work we do day in and day out is centered around student wellbeing.”

Below is a full list of events organized by CHEP and other MU offices to provide students with the resources they need to stay mindful and healthy:

Past Events

• All 11 of CHEP’s peer educators undertook suicide prevention training through the Counseling Center.
• Student Affairs brought Wes Woodson to campus during EPPIIC Arrival Weekend to speak on anxiety, mental health and seeking support.
• The first week of classes, CHEP brought queer educator Mx. Jacob Kelley to campus for an interactive sexual health workshop and a healing from sexual violence keynote speech. Many of the points Kelley touched on were related to mental health and how to seek help, overcome and not give up.
• So far this semester, CHEP has completed four Green Dot training sessions, reaching over 100 students. These trainings address noticing changed behaviors and mental health of friends and peers, encouraging students to be active bystanders who check in with their friends and can help share resources. There will be one more student training and an employee training session this semester.

Present Events

• “Wellness Wednesday” tabling this week, organized by the peer educators, focuses on gender identity and gender dysphoria, specifically addressing mental health challenges surrounding that topic.
• The current “Shatter the Red Zone” campaign addresses mental health and specifically directs students to supportive services including the Counseling Center.
• CHEP is working with public relations classes to bring about a social norms campaign based on data collected last spring. Part of the campaign will discuss mental health and the loneliness Millersville students are experiencing on campus, with the goal of informing students where they can go for support and how to cope in healthy ways.

Future and Ongoing Events

• Students and staff with CHEP, Student Access and Support services, the Counseling Center and Health Services will attend the Mental Health America of Lancaster County Suicide Prevention Conference.
• The “Fall into Wellness Fair” on Wednesday, Sept. 27 will have tables representing all nine dimensions of wellness, including emotional and intellectual wellness. The fair will take place from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. in the SMC Promenade.
• A “Lunch & Learn” event focusing on group wellness coaching will take place Thursday, Nov. 2 from 12:15 p.m. to 1:15 p.m. in SMC 118. This session will mainly focus on mental health, healthy coping strategies and stress reduction.
• New this semester is Wellness Coaching, a free service provided through CHEP to MU students. Wellness Coaching is an individualized process for helping students achieve a higher level of well-being and performance in their academic pursuits, as well as life in general, when change is desired yet feels difficult to achieve. The service aims to empower students to explore health topics of stress, sleep, social support and substance use. Students can choose what they want to discuss and which health behaviors they want to set goals around.

There are many resources available to all Millersville University students who may find themselves struggling with their mental health and wellness. CHEP and the Counseling Center encourage students to make use of these services. For more resources from CHEP, visit https://www.millersville.edu/chep/resources.php

24-hour Suicide & Crisis Lifeline: Call or Text 988