Table of Contents
Listen to the Episode
In this episode of Care Conversations, Matt Geracie, director of mental health – scheduled counseling at TimelyCare, discusses strategies for colleges and universities to support students’ mental health during times of uncertainty and crises around the world. Join Matt and host Taylor Stakes for a discussion on how to foster campus connections, help students manage anxiety, and support students in and out of the classroom.
Care Conversations is an audio series by TimelyCare, higher education’s most trusted virtual health and well-being provider. Each conversation offers thoughtful insights from a subject-matter expert on different topics impacting the health and well-being of campus communities.
What proactive measures can colleges and universities take to help manage students’ anxiety related to the global crises happening every day?
Matt Geracie:
That’s a really good question. I think, in general, we have to try to get ahead of it as much as possible. And when looking at building a resilient campus, there are a couple of good things to focus on.
- Foster connection on campus
Do we have things in place that can promote students connecting with each other? That is of utmost importance, whether that’s setting up events for students, having plenty of clubs or activities, or staying mindful of the online student population, which I think is one of the bigger challenges with schools now as we’re going to more of an online format. But even setting up things like peer-to-peer support and doing whatever we can to foster connection. I know that can be a challenge, but a lot of research shows that the more engaged folks are on campus, the more connected they feel and the higher the probability that they can do well. There are great retention numbers in terms of students being engaged and involved on campus. - Ensure students are aware of support resources
Nowadays, schools have many great resources for students. And I wish when we were in school that we had these resources. One of the biggest challenges is making sure that students are aware of them. There’s the obvious benefit of students knowing about it, but there’s another added benefit of normalizing that those services exist and that a lot of students are using them.
What resources should institutions provide for students to address anxiety and uncertainty?
Matt Geracie:
A few things come to mind:
- Host workshops
Schools can host workshops or seminars that focus on managing stress and mindfulness. - Expand access to support
Some campuses are considering expanding access to support and adding additional drop-in hours on campus. - Promote services
Campus can promote available services if they’re not already promoting. Whatever folks can do to support peer-to-peer help is great. - Prioritize digital hygiene
It’s important to discuss digital hygiene and promote limiting social media consumption, setting digital boundaries, and curating healthier habits. I heard this idea the other day of designating specific areas on campus as screen-free zones where students can disconnect to provide a space where they’re calm and can focus. But I thought it was a really cool idea, especially during this time when we cannot avoid information about what’s going on in world events.
What recommendations do you have for colleges and universities to support international students experiencing political unrest in their home countries?
Matt Geracie:
With international students in general, it’s important to be intentional about providing specific support. Even without considering things that are going on in their own home country that are really distressful, just being an international student in general is hard.
I imagine what it’s like to go to another country, go to school and, not know anybody there, and adjust to the culture. It would be very difficult. It’s great when campuses have groups specifically for international students or opportunities to meet other international students. One of the biggest challenges is feeling like you have community when you’re in this new place and when you’re away from your home.
So, anything they could do to help create community and make people feel supported is great, and then they could promote the resources available on campus to students when needed.
How can faculty and staff support students as they face stress inside and outside the classroom?
Matt Geracie:
Faculty are really the front line of what happens on campus. From my experience working in higher education, I know it is not uncommon for students to feel very comfortable sharing a lot with faculty. Often, it’s through the lens of, “I couldn’t, you know, do this assignment because of this, or I’m going to be out of town for that.”
Considering the role that they play, it’s really important that they also promote the resources available and know when to refer students to help. Many campuses are now doing Mental Health First Aid training for all of their staff, and I think that could be a really valuable thing, especially for those working on campus. Things can happen all the time, whether you’re a faculty member or a staff member. You never know when there’s going to be a student who needs a little bit of help.
I think that it’s great to get that training and promote it on campus so that people can feel comfortable about the resources available and how to handle certain situations with students.
Taylor Stakes:
One thing I tell my students when they approach me with certain issues that I’m not equipped to handle is to check in with our counseling center on campus. If TimelyCare is available, check out TimelyCare because I’m not a mental health professional. So, I always defer to the professionals.
Matt, thank you so much for joining us today and thank you all for listening. If you’ve enjoyed this conversation, check out our other episodes until next time. Take care.
This transcript has been edited from the original conversation for clarity.
