University Health Services Mental Health Services hosted its first annual Mental Wellbeing Resource Fair on Tuesday during World Mental Health Day.
Campus partners and providers from UHS as well as representatives from the Dean of Students Office and the Multicultural Student Center were stationed at Library Mall.
Representatives from the organizations shared information with students about services and programs they provide to promote students’ mental health and wellness while on campus.
“Our outreach goal this year is to inform, collaborate and become more visible in the campus community,” Brittany Howell, associate director of campus and community engagement at UHS, told The Daily Cardinal. "We want to provide students with the resources to holistically care for their physical and mental well-being.”
The university provides an abundance of resources catered to various goals and needs of students, according to UHS.
“With us being a big campus, sometimes it’s hard to know what resources are available," Howell said.
The fair was meant to address the lack of knowledge about mental health resources and create awareness of the many resources and outlets that students can connect with across campus to support their individual wellness.
Organizers said the university offers individualized services to guide students and determine which programs fit their needs.
“Once we make [students] aware of what’s available, they can choose and make that decision for themselves,” Howell said.
In addition to UHS, various student organizations and services on campus are dedicated to students’ mental health and well-being. One such organization is Badger Supporting Peers In Laidback Listening (SPILL), a student-organized service that supports peers by providing an anonymous, confidential peer-to-peer network “made of and for UW-Madison students,” according to SPILL’s mission.
Students can write to SPILL about their worries and issues and receive advice within 24 hours from students who have faced similar situations in the past.
Other participating campus partners included University Recreation and Wellbeing, Badger Recovery, Wheelhouse Studios, Pres House and the National Alliance on Mental Illness.
Interested in more information? Additional information about student mental health and wellness resources can be found on the Be Well page on the Student Affairs website.
