Tag inclusive practice

Supporting Students with Mental Health Challenges

An illustration of people cultivating a stylized brain as if it were a plant.
Campuses across the nation are seeing a rise in the frequency and intensity of mental health challenges among college students. This trend is apparent at UAF and many staff and faculty members are left wondering how to best support students experiencing mental health challenges. This teaching tip will describe how the UAF Student Health and Counseling Center (SHCC) can be utilized as a resource for helping students in need of mental health support.

Leveraging campus partnerships to reinforce help-seeking behaviors

Lauren Divine, right, a tutor with UAF's Student Support Services, works with Sante Lee-Sonkoh during a session in the SSS study lounge in the Gruening Building.
Faculty are a key conduit in a student’s academic path—connecting them to vital resources in the virtual and physical campus environment. Educators have an opportunity to model help-seeking behaviors that aid students from all backgrounds but significantly benefit students from traditionally underrepresented and under-resourced backgrounds.

Demonstrate you care

A photo of a painted mural of colorful hands

Remember the night before Christmas? You’re excited. You’re exhausted. Right now many of your students are simply tired. Check in with them, please. Michelle Pacansky-Brock suggests you “find a way to connect with your students…show them that the life you…