Queensborough and the MHANC Join Forces to Tackle Mental Health
It was a full house last Friday at the Student Union as faculty and staff gathered for Queensborough’s Mental Health First Aid (MHFA) training session.
Sponsored by the QCC Counseling Center and QCC Office of Human Resources, and led by the Mental Health Association of Nassau County (MHANC), it was an opportunity for attendees to share self-care techniques and learn best practices in MHFA.
Mental health is an issue Queensborough takes seriously.
According to data from the Counseling Center, 957 students made a total of 2138 appointments to use its services during the past academic year. It noted that students are more likely to come towards the end of the semester, as not only are they concerned about academic-related issues (grades, academic standing, stress), but issues such as coping with the holidays.
With numbers like that, it should come as no surprise that the college offers an Introduction to College (ST-100) course over the span of five or eight weeks where counselors explore and engage first-semester students in discussions related to student wellness.
With our status as a JED Campus – which prioritizes professional development and communication – and feedback from faculty and staff surveys indicating a desire for more information about mental health, Queensborough created this space to strengthen how faculty and staff responded to students experiencing mental health crisis
Which leads us to Friday’s MHFA training.
A total of 30 attendees representing more than a dozen offices – including ASAP, the Office of Accessibility Services, and the Male Resource Center – participated, with the class reaching full capacity.
After a brief icebreaker and introduction, attendees were treated to a full-day course on mental health first aid that included a slide show, video presentations, as well as a textbook and workbook.
Some major takeaways from the course were the definitions of mental health, knowing to employ more empathetic, person-first language while discussing it, and how to effectively help those in need following the ALGEE formula:
- Assess for risk of suicide or harm
- Listen nonjudgmental
- Give reassurance and information
- Encourage appropriate professional help
- Encourage self-help and other support strategies
And when it was over, all participants received a certificate – as is customary for all MHFA courses provided by the MHANC.
It’s important to note that even with this knowledge, recipients of the certificate are not mental health care professionals. Just like with CPR, they are merely the first line of defense before personnel – such as those in the Counseling Center – are able to render proper assistance.
That said, the class is still a boon for Queensborough.
“It is our hope that faculty and staff will have increased awareness of the issues that are part of our students’ experiences and become more comfortable speaking with them and connecting them with the appropriate resources,” the Counseling Center said in a statement. “The goal is to normalize conversations around mental health, decrease stigma and increase help-seeking behaviors.”
Now, more than ever, Queensborough is in the position to provide the services students need to ensure they thrive both in and out of the classroom.
If you’re interested in this opportunity (or were too late before), the MHANC will be hosting another class here in the spring; though the date has yet to be determined.
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