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The UNC shared details of its upcoming campus community mental health summit on Thursday.
The university will host a gathering of mental health researchers and experts to speak with students, staff and others related to UNC on Monday, November 15. The summit, which will last from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., aims primarily to discuss campus culture, crisis services and prevention strategies in Carolina.
A message from UNC Chancellor Kevin Guskiewicz, Vice Chancellor of Student Affairs Amy Johnson and Distinguished School of Medicine Professor Samantha Meltzer-Brody detailed what students and other attendees can expect .
“As the summit takes place virtually, we encourage your engagement and dialogue with the presenters,†the trio wrote. “Registration is open to all students, faculty and staff, and you are welcome to join us for a session or the whole day depending on your schedule. The program will be recorded so that you can see any discussions you missed at your convenience, and we can share it more widely with key stakeholders and friends in our Caroline community.
The summit comes after several tragedies on the UNC campus this fall semester. In September, a UNC student committed suicide near the Forest Theater, while two others committed suicide during the same weekend in October.
As the campus community held rallies, set up exhibits recognizing their three peers, and even called attention to mental health issues during track and field games, Guskiewicz said the university would work to continue the dialogue on mental well-being. He said that in addition to the summit, a campus-wide campaign will soon be launched to promote and support mental health awareness.
Meanwhile, the UNC system announced funding grants for several mental health initiatives, not only at the Chapel Hill campus, but at 11 other institutions as well. The system has awarded more than $ 980,000 in total to schools with the goal of “increasing behavioral health capacity and strengthening mental health resources.”
A statement from the system said the money came from the governor’s emergency relief fund for education, with the grants designed to give its universities the ability to make “immediate investments” in their resources, programming and education. their staff.
“These grants should help campuses expand their mental health services to meet the real and growing needs of students,†said Peter Hans, president of the UNC system. “We must do all we can to support our students who have faced additional stress during the pandemic. Mental health well-being is a high priority for our universities and a key component in helping students achieve their academic goals. “
According to Friday’s statement, the UNC system says UNC-Chapel Hill will use its funding of $ 98,027 to “develop student peers and improved web resources.”
To register for the UNC Mental Health Summit on November 15, register here. To read the full message from the UNC leadership on the summit, visit the Chancellor’s Office website.
If you or someone you know is thinking about suicide, the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline, 1-800-273-8255.
UNC students can contact UNC Counseling and Psychology Services on the 24-hour hotline at 919-966-3658.
Photo via Johnny Andrews / UNC-Chapel Hill.
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