The final seminar in the Spring 2024 Mental Health Seminar Series, "A Community of Care: The Role of Social Support in Mental Health."

Presenter Desiree Griffin Ph.D., lead us in an exploration of the intersections between social connections and mental health. In this session, we reflected on how a sense of belonging relates to resilience and mental health. We considered how to build a community of care by reviewing practical approaches to cultivate meaningful relationships and the communication skills that make them possible. Come explore the transformative power of community and networks that sustain mental well-being.

Desiree Griffin, Ph.D., has been in her role at UNC Chapel Hill for 12 years. She received her undergraduate degree and Ph.D. from the University of Alabama in Clinical Psychology, and joined UNC Chapel Hill after a residency at the Southern Virginia Mental Health Institute.

This seminar took place by zoom, on April 11th, from 2:30 p.m. - 4 p.m.

The Mental Health Seminar series is open to students, graduate students, post-doctoral fellows, faculty, and staff. The series creates a space for learning, reflecting on, and discussing mental health. This year's seminars focus on research-to-practice, giving the audience both the science behind mental health and strategies they can employ right now. The overall goal is to empower all campus community members to help influence campus mental health and well-being. Join us!

Originally posted on the Healthy Heels Blog | November 6th, 2023

Food Builds Community, Showcases Culture, and Expresses Love

Here at Healthy Heels, we view food as so much more than fuel. Food builds community, showcases culture, and expresses love. Food is meant to be nourishing and enjoyable.

We encourage Tar Heels to eat a wide array of foods that are both nourishing and delicious. In our opinion, no food is "bad" or should be forbidden. Instead, listen to your body's needs and develop a healthy relationship with food.

Eat When You’re Hungry

Keep your body biologically fed with enough nourishment. This helps avoid the natural response to over-consume food in moments of excessive hunger. Learning to honor your initial biological signal of hunger sets the stage for building trust in yourself and in food.Help yourself by bringing yummy, nutrient-dense snacks with you so that when you notice hunger, you have food available.

Enjoy Your Food

Feel the pleasure and satisfaction that can be found in the eating experience. Some studies indicate that when you look forward to the food that you’re about to eat, your body absorbs more of its nutrients. Plus, eating food you enjoy in a pleasurable environment helps you feel satisfied and content. 

Stop Eating When You’re Full

Trust yourself with eating and listen to your body. Your body will tell you what foods you need and when it needs them no longer. Observe the signs that show that you’re comfortably full. Pause in the middle of eating and ask yourself how the food tastes, and check in on your current level of hunger.

Use Gentle Nutrition Strategies

• Zoom out. Focus on the big picture when it comes to nutrition. Individual food choices make very little difference when it comes to health. You will not suddenly get a nutrient deficiency or become unhealthy from one snack, one meal, or one day of eating. It’s what you eat consistently over time that matters. Consider overall patterns in your food intake.
• Add foods, don’t subtract. Remember that all foods can be a part of a healthy life and no foods are off-limits. Instead, consider how to add nutrient-filled and diverse foods into your eating patterns.
• Focus on variety. Different foods contain different nutrients, which means that eating a diversity of foods helps to ensure that we are getting adequate nutrients.
• Pay attention to food that feels good. Make food choices that honor your health and taste buds while making your body feel good.
• Try to include at least 2 food groups at each snack. This will help keep you nourished.
• Create an environment that makes health easier. Your environment is the biggest predictor of your health choices, so consider how you can make shifts to your space to set yourself up for the health behaviors you want.

Nourishing your body means recognizing and responding to your body's needs while enjoying a wide array of delicious, nutritious foods. By practicing mindful eating, you can develop a healthy relationship with food and promote your overall well-being.

Brian Hogan's journey to becoming a teaching professor in the College of Arts and Science's chemistry department has been anything but a straight path. But through perseverance and an ask for help, the Tar Heel found a way to quiet the doubt that lingered in the back of his mind.

By John Roberts, University Communications, Monday, September 26th, 2022 | Original Post

When Brian Hogan started his undergraduate studies, he thought he had his future as a scientist all figured out.

That feeling lasted until his first chemistry test, which he promptly failed.

“I felt like, ‘Well, I guess I’m done. I guess I’m not going to be a science major,” Hogan said. “Mentally, I started to doubt myself. I started to doubt that I could even do it.”

That doubt never really went away for Hogan. Even as he earned his Ph.D. in chemistry and landed a position as a teaching professor in the College of Arts and Science’s chemistry department, those thoughts of doubt and imposter syndrome lingered. It wasn’t until he asked for help and began working with mental health professionals that he turned a corner.

“It’s hard to change the way that you view the world when you’ve spent your whole adult life being really negative,” he said. “Once I changed the way that I looked at serving other people and being a teacher and being a mentor, I began to feel, ‘This is what makes me feel better about myself. It fills my soul.’ I’m lucky that I get to go to college every day for the rest of my life and be around really wonderful students as a college professor, that I can play some small part in their lives, and I get to do it over and over and over again, which is really rewarding.”

He now aims to help his students find joy in their lives.

“It’s OK if you don’t feel like your life is going in this perfect straight line,” Hogan said. “I’ve gotten to a point in my life where everything is going pretty well, but it wasn’t always easy and my path to get there was really circuitous, but I did persevere. I was able to get through it, and maybe they will find a little bit of solace in this story. I’ve been there. It turned out OK.”

Benefits of meditation and mindfulness practice and strategies to implement

Feeling anxious, overwhelmed, or burnt out at this time of the semester is a common experience, and it can lead people to disengage from the things that matter most to them. When we feel overwhelmed, it can be tempting to disengage from our relationships, jobs, and academics as a way to avoid failure or to feel like we have some control over the situation.

Disengaging can seem like a solution in the moment, but it can have negative consequences in the long run. Instead of disengaging, it's important to find strategies that can help us manage our overwhelm and stay engaged:

• Make a to-do list and prioritize tasks. Break larger projects into smaller, more manageable steps.
• Take breaks and practice self-care activities such as movement, meditation, or spending time with friends and family.
• Set realistic expectations for yourself and avoid comparing your progress to others.
• Use time-management techniques such as the Pomodoro technique, where you work for a set amount of time followed by a short break.
• Get enough sleep and eat an array of yummy foods.
• Reach out to professors, advisors, or other supportive services if needed.
• Stay organized and use tools such as calendars and reminders to help manage deadlines.
• Remember to celebrate accomplishments, even small ones, and give yourself credit for what you've achieved.

While the end of a college semester can be a challenging time, it is possible to overcome the anxiety, burnout, and overwhelm that often come with it. By employing these strategies, seeking support from those around you, staying engaged and focusing on what you can control, you can successfully navigate the end of the semester and emerge ready for whatever challenges lie ahead. Remember, taking care of yourself is just as important as academic success, and finding a balance between the two is the best strategy for long-term success.

Strategies to practice mindfulness and gratitude

Following a national search conducted by the search firm Keeling and Associates, Avery Cook, LCSW MSW has been named Director of UNC Counseling and Psychological Services (CAPS). Cook has been with CAPS since 2006 serving in various clinical and leadership roles including Associate Director and Clinical Coordinator. They have served as Interim Director since 2021 following the retirement of the previous CAPS Director, Dr. Allen O’Barr. 

“Avery Cook is a talented leader and practitioner who emerged from our national search as the clear choice to guide our CAPS team and our university’s approach to supporting student mental health.  We look forward to seeing our CAPS resources continue to strengthen under their leadership,” states Amy Johnson, Vice Chancellor for Student Affairs. 

Cook holds a Bachelor of Arts degree from Davidson College and a Master of Social Work degree from the UNC School of Social Work. Cook also attended Duke University Divinity School as an Aldersgate Scholar. They are a member of both the National and North Carolina Associations of Social Work and have served in various capacities within the Orange County and UNC mental health communities. Cook currently volunteers as a leader of Bad Believer Inc, a national non-profit organization providing mental health support and resources to LGBTQ+ individuals for treatment of spiritual trauma. 

During their time as interim director, Cook prioritized immediate access for students in need, a focus that will continue in their permanent role. Cook commented, “It’s important to us that our students know they can access counseling resources when and where they need them: there’s no wait for students to be seen for initial appointments and walk-in opportunities are available every day. Students can connect with a mental health professional through CAPS 24/7 and with the addition of telehealth services, we also provide students brief therapy support on nights and weekends.”  

Looking ahead, Cook has big plans, saying, “I hope to continue to grow and expand our innovative programs such as the Multicultural Health Program and our embedded counselor program, in addition to continuing to find ways to increase access and decrease stigma for students in need of care.”  

UNC CAPS has more than 17,000 annual visits inclusive of both psychiatry and psychotherapy.  Services include brief therapy, group therapy, medication management, referral coordination, case management, crisis services, a Multicultural Health Program, and an Embedded Counselor Program within a number of graduate and professional schools. CAPS is a department of UNC Student Affairs and is organizationally structured within Campus Health. 

Resilience is often misunderstood. It’s not just about being as tough as a football player – taking hit after hit and pushing through exhaustion. Overwork and exhaustion are the opposite of resilience. When we show up to class or work feeling utterly drained, we don’t have the cognitive resources to do well or stay in control of our emotions.

The more time a person spends performing, the more time that person needs recovering. In simple terms, the more you work hard, the greater the benefits of activities that restore balance. Recovery periods become increasingly valuable as the demands on you intensify.Most people assume that merely stopping a task is enough to recharge. When you don't have classes for the week (THANK YOU, SPRING BREAK!), you may expect that your brain will recover from those efforts and return feeling refreshed and ready to learn more. But rest and recovery are not the same thing. Stopping does not equal recovering.

Recover a bit this week.

Internal recovery involves the short periods of relaxation that take place throughout our day whether scheduled for spontaneous. It could involve shifting our attention or changing tasks when we feel mentally or physically depleted.

External recovery refers to actions that take place outside of scheduled work – spring break being the perfect example. But if you spend your time over break on your device becoming riled up by news or stressing about the paper you have due when you return, your brain hasn’t received a break from high mental arousal. Our brains need rest as much as our bodies.

External recovery means taking time to do things that are fun, enjoyable, and help you feel good. So, during spring break…

• Explore new places
• Go outside
• Move your body
• Revisit activities that you loved when you had more time to play
• Unplug
• Prioritize good sleep 
• Savor delicious, nourishing food
• Spend time with supportive, loving people
• Experience awe

The best person to know how you best recharge is YOU. Take time to recharge effectively this week and you’ll be better equipped to face whatever challenges come your way for the rest of the semester.

The key to developing a positive body image is to recognize and respect our natural shape and learn to overpower those negative thoughts and feelings with positive, affirming, and accepting ones.

The third seminar in the Spring 2023 Mental Health Seminar Series, "Building Resilience: Strategies for Getting Through Challenging Times."

The end of the semester can feel challenging with the many demands on campus, in your social circles, and with your personal responsibilities – especially when paired with the looming transition to summer. Building resilience can help you navigate these difficult transition periods and emerge stronger on the other side. This mental health seminar, presented by Dr. Sarah Rieves-Houston, Director of the Behavioral Health Springboard, taught research-informed strategies to be more resilient during times of challenge.

Dr. Sarah Rieves-Houston serves as the director of Behavioral Health Springboard in the UNC School of Social Work. She holds an MS in Human Development from NCCU, a Masters in Education from ECU, a Ph.D. in Education from Capella University, and is ABD on a PsyD in Clinical Psychology with a focus on childhood trauma and resilience from California Southern University. Rieves is certified as a family trauma specialist and as a child and adolescent trauma specialist.

This seminar took place by zoom on April 12th from 12 - 1:30 pm.

The Mental Health Seminar series is open to students, graduate students, post-doctoral fellows, faculty, and staff. The series creates a space for learning, reflecting on, and discussing mental health. This year's seminars focus on research-to-practice, giving the audience both the science behind mental health and strategies they can employ right now. The overall goal is to empower all campus community members to help influence campus mental health and well-being. Join us!

The UNC-CH Peer Support Core has launched their second round of mini-grants to advance peer support at UNC-Chapel Hill. In the last round of funding, they awarded over $24,000 to 17 campus groups.

The vision of peer support driving this activity is a broad one, including formal programs and casual interactions that contribute to feelings of connectedness at UNC-Chapel Hill. Projects might focus on activities, resources, or physical improvements that facilitate people connecting. Projects may focus on any or all of staff, students, and faculty.

Applications will be accepted through May 15, 2024 and will be reviewed on a rolling basis.

Guidelines

• Applications are open to all current students, staff, and faculty at UNC-Chapel Hill.
• The total amount of funding available is $30,000.
• Awards may not exceed $5,000 without prior approval from the Core.
• Only direct costs are allowed; no indirect costs.
• Applicants are encouraged to submit proposals that serve one or more high-priority student groups (BIPOC, first generation, LGBTQ+, international, low family income, military-affiliated and veteran, female-identifying in areas in which females are historically underrepresented, persons with disabilities)
• Applicants may submit more than one proposal and are encouraged to work with the Core to develop proposals that have a high chance of being accepted.
• Given the purpose of facilitating development of ongoing opportunities for connection and interaction, funding for single events will generally not be provided. However, one or several events with a clear plan for using these as part of broader efforts to encourage social connections will be eligible for funding.
• Funding requests can be for ongoing activities – indeed this is desirable.
• Funds may be used to cover conference and travel costs.
• Funds may not be used to pay for food and beverages.
• Funds must be spent by June 15, 2024.

Examples of Projects / Expenses

• Setting up casual meetup spaces on campus (e.g., swing sets, sitting areas such as Adirondack chairs and benches, tents)
• Inviting speakers to come on campus to give talks on campus mental health and peer support (possible collaborative project) as part of ongoing development of opportunities and structures for connection
• Fees for training students, staff or faculty in skills which can then enhance programs
• Event fees (e.g., room fees, speaker fees, incentives) as part of ongoing development of opportunities and structures for connection
• Costs of developing or starting up ongoing groups around shared recreational, academic, or social interests
• Conference registration for topics related to peer support for college students
• Fees for peer support / mental health trainings and workshops
• Activity costs for expanding or enhancing an existing peer support program
• Producing marketing materials for a peer support program
• Combining arts and peer support
• Collaborations with community organizations or other college campuses

Application Documents

Submission

Applications must be submitted by email to UNCPSCore@unc.edu with the subject line Peer Support 23-24 Mini-Grant Application

Reporting

Grant recipients will be required to submit a short final report no later than June 15, 2024.

Questions and Consultations for Applicants

Potential applicants may submit requests for clarification or draft proposal ideas to UNCPSCore@unc.edu

Please share this funding opportunity with your colleagues!

View Original Announcement here.

The Calm app is a mindfulness and meditation app that guides users through a personalized meditation experience. This app can be used to support various aspects of well-being such as improving sleep, decreasing stress, and improving productivity.

The Calm app is free for 7 days, then requires a subscription. The subscription can be purchased for 40% off the first year using the link Experience Calm. The yearly membership gives you unlimited access to Calm's entire library of content. You will be charged $41.99 for a 1 year subscription that will renew at $69.99, billed annually.