Wellness Center

Mental Health Matters

HHARRIS@bridgew.edu — Wed, 19 Jan 2022 14:28:35 +0000

Mental Health Matters HHARRIS@bridgew.edu Wed, 01/19/2022 - 09:28

Campus community offers assistance in-person and online for students

January 20, 2022

Heather Harris Michonski

As students return to campus this semester and the world continues to navigate the ongoing COVID-19 crisis, many may be experiencing anxiety.

For those struggling, it’s important to know supports are in place at 51�� to help manage these feelings.

A great starting point is the 51�� Wellness Center.

“We all need supportive and caring people to help us navigate the stresses and worries of life, people who can help us get through the ups and downs that we all experience,” said Donna Schiavo, clinical director of the Wellness Center.

Confidential counseling services are offered free, in both individual and group settings. For those not comfortable talking with a counselor, there are online tools and services.

Togetherall is a virtual, peer-to-peer, anonymous support community where students can share their concerns. The online community is moderated by mental health professionals and offers students a safe place to draw strength and gain insights from peers.

Also available is WellTrack, another free online resource that helps students better understand feelings of stress, anxiety, and depression, and suggests ways to manage these feelings. To register for an account, students can download the WellTrack app on the Apple App Store or Google Play Store and register using their @student.bridgew.edu email address.

Beyond the Wellness Center, it’s important for students to know that community members across campus are invested in their mental health.

“Being a support system is our biggest draw for students to come in and vent, and ask for resources,” said Diana Mendes, interim assistant director of the Lewis and Gaines Center for Inclusion and Equity (LGCIE), located in the Rondileau Student Union.

For some students, there isn’t a safe space at home where they can express themselves, therefore they tend to suppress their emotions.

“When a student is experiencing so many different types of feelings and not being validated at home, that student often suffers in silence,” said LGCIE Interim Director Michael Walsh, adding that many students of color, particularly males, tend to suppress uncomfortable feelings.

Walsh said part of his job is to let students know they do have a place to turn to and that help is always available.

“The LGCIE is a safe place, where students can keep an eye on each other, have conversations and connect with others,” he said. “By having thoughtful, real, careful conversations, we’re able to understand what some of our students are dealing with in terms of their mental health.”

A Quiet Lounge is set up at the 51�� Pride Center where students can sit, relax, read, or work on homework. Coloring books, crayons, markers, puzzles, and paper are also offered in the lounge to help students unwind.

“You can always drop into the Pride Center between classes if you’re looking for a place to hang out, meet and be around other LGBTQIA+ people, find out more about different programs, events and social opportunities,” said Pride Center Director Carolyn Taggart. “I’m happy to meet with students one-on-one to assist them in finding resources.”

The Military and Veteran Student Center hosts ongoing events that focus on peer support, including one scheduled for May 4 where students can come together and de-stress during finals week.

This spring the center is also launching a Green to Grad program intended to bolster support for students transitioning from servicemember to student.

“Our goal as educators is to prepare students for life after college, and one of the things we should be fostering is the belief that it’s okay to be vulnerable,” said Brian Duchaney, director of military and veteran student services. “It’s important for us to be building opportunities for students to come together and share their experiences.”

Do you have a 51�� story you'd like to share? Email stories@bridgew.edu

Our goal as educators is to prepare students for life after college, and one of the things we should be fostering is the belief that it’s okay to be vulnerable.

Brian Duchaney, '02, G'07, director of Military and Veteran Student Services

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Mental Health

Wellness Center

Pride Center

LGCIE

Veterans Center

Healing Hands

JFINKELSTEIN@bridgew.edu — Tue, 16 Nov 2021 15:40:44 +0000

Healing Hands JFINKELSTEIN@b… Tue, 11/16/2021 - 10:40

How Dr. Christopher Frazer, his staff and volunteers rose to the COVID challenge

September 3, 2021

John Winters, G’11

Story Series

Bridgewater Magazine

Just before the COVID-19 pandemic shut down most of the country in March 2020, including in-person teaching at 51��, Dr. Christopher Frazer had just finished a professional development exercise involving contagious outbreaks.

However, even that couldn’t have prepared him for what was on the horizon.

“Like most people, I thought the virus sounded concerning, but frankly it didn’t sound as concerning as a measles outbreak on campus,” said the executive director of 51��’s Wellness Center.

It soon became apparent that COVID was something altogether different. Very quickly, Dr. Frazer and his staff, along with a group of volunteers that grew in number as the pandemic stretched from months into more than a year, ramped up what became a successful response to the health crisis.

“At first, we thought, how are we going to do this?” he said. Not only did the Wellness Center staff and 51�� administrators have to find a way to keep students, employees, librarians and faculty safe, study tours were also in progress, and those students had to be safely brought home. While the campus transitioned almost immediately to remote learning, Dr. Frazer and his staff put together a plan.

The plan included training for his staff, an intense program of testing and contact-tracing, educating members of the 51�� community about hygiene and the importance of wearing a face mask, recruiting and training volunteers, and, ultimately, the opening of a regional vaccination center on campus. Weekly meetings with the president and the cabinet were also instituted for the purposes of planning and to facilitate communication.

For Dr. Frazer and his staff of 11, along with volunteers from across campus, there were many long days. For instance, if in the early morning hours test results arrived showing that someone tested positive for the virus,
Dr. Frazer and his team had just a few hours to notify everyone who’d been in contact with that individual and get them to quarantine.

“It became kind of an around-the-clock operation,” he said. Dr. Frazer figured that Kelsey Gauthier, assistant director of events management, made up to 1,500 calls last year in an effort to notify students about test results and, at times, the need to quarantine.

The six-day work weeks and 12-plus-hour work days paid off. In the end, the campus experienced a positive test rate of less than 1 percent. Only one student ended up hospitalized, and that may have been for
a non-COVID reason.

“By and large, our students recovered very well and were able to convalesce in a manner that didn’t perpetuate the spread of the illness,” Dr. Frazer said. “We had a good system, but my mind keeps returning to the great people here who were willing to make this work.”

Those volunteers who went above and beyond, he added, were:

Testing: Greg DeMelo, G’11; Kathie Manning; Nick Burns, ’15; Kyle Bueno, ’18; Cathleen DeSimone; Eva Gaffney, G’01; and Jeanne O’Brien.

Tracing: Kelsey Gauthier, Jacklyn Walsh, Denise Diliddo and Shirelle Gurley.

Wellness: Cindy Calderon, Beth Archambault, Sara LaPlume and Lynn Grabau.

We had a good system, but my mind keeps returning to the great people here who were willing to make this work.

Dr. Christopher Frazer

Tags

COVID-19

Wellness Center

Help is Here

HHARRIS@bridgew.edu — Tue, 07 Sep 2021 16:17:51 +0000

Help is Here HHARRIS@bridgew.edu Tue, 09/07/2021 - 12:17

The Wellness Center has a wide range of support services for students

September 9, 2021

Heather Harris Michonski

The demands of college can often feel overwhelming, which is why 51�� has supports in place to help students manage such issues as stress, depression and anxiety.

These services, offered through the 51�� Wellness Center, are free and confidential and have already benefitted many.

“I really enjoyed using the counseling services at 51��,” one student said. “My counselor was amazing…she helped me work through a lot of issues.”

Another student said that participating in therapy at 51�� improved their outlook: “Ever since coming to see my counselor, my life has changed for the better. She understands how I’m feeling and is always helpful, no matter the situation. I can’t thank her enough for how much she has helped me to become the person I want to be.”

Some students may think the struggles they faced in high school will disappear upon getting to college. That’s not always the case, said Abby Smargon, ’21, who earned her degree in social work.

“In high school I, and other people I knew, struggled with anxiety and depression,” she said. “It’s not like you start feeling better when you get to college. The struggles are still there.”

As an undergraduate, Smargon developed a research project, Mental Health in College Students: Disclosure & Seeking Support, to examine some of the difficulties students face and how it impacts their academic performance. Of the 51�� students surveyed, she found that those struggling with mental health issues do reach out and receive help.

“Bridgewater does a really good job making sure our voices are heard,” Smargon said.

It’s important that all students seeking help are aware of the supports offered at 51��. Whether it be dealing with feelings of loneliness, sadness and homesickness, concerns about relationships, coping with anxiety and depression, problems with sleeping and eating, or making tough decisions, the Wellness Center’s dedicated staff is available for guidance.

For those who don’t want to meet face-to-face with a counselor, there are other options such as Togetherall and Welltrack.

Togetherall is an online peer-to-peer mental health community that protects anonymity and is available 24/7. Through the service, students can interact with a safe and supportive online community. Resources include interactive message boards, self-assessment questionnaires, a private journal and goal-setting tools. A variety of self-help courses are also offered.

If a student makes it known that he or she is in crisis, Togetherall will contact 51��.

“Wall guides” are in place to monitor the site around-the-clock. Bullying is not allowed and those who fail to treat others with respect are removed.

Welltrack is another free online service 51�� offers. Students can download the app to assess their mental well-being and gain access to resources tailored specifically to meet their needs. Like Togetherall, it is secure and anonymous.

Students can learn more about the Wellness Center and its services here.

Do you have a 51�� story you'd like to share? Email stories@bridgew.edu

"In high school I, and other people I knew, struggled with anxiety and depression. It’s not like you start feeling better when you get to college. The struggles are still there."

Abby Smargon, '21

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Wellness Center

Photo by Carl Hollant

Balancing Act

HHARRIS@bridgew.edu — Thu, 19 Aug 2021 12:42:45 +0000

Balancing Act HHARRIS@bridgew.edu Thu, 08/19/2021 - 08:42

Student-athletes applaud Olympian’s decision to focus on her mental health

August 19, 2021

Heather Harris Michonski

Earlier this summer, when U.S. gymnast Simone Biles made the decision to withdraw from competing in the Olympics to focus on her mental health, many weighed in, including some 51�� student-athletes who found the decision empowering.

“I thought it was really shocking, but in the best way possible,” said senior Malika Cruickshank, a chemistry major who throws hammer for the 51�� indoor and outdoor track and field teams.

“As student-athletes we are all familiar with having off days and know it affects your performance,” Malika said. “Competing at the level (Simone Biles) is at, it was better for her not to compete, she could injure herself.”

Fellow thrower and track and field team captain, Ashley Garvey, ’22, also supports Biles’ decision.

“I felt her decision to pull out shows just how strong of an athlete she really is,” Ashley said. “It was definitely eye opening for a lot people as athletes are often judged by their physical ability, and sure, a lot goes into it physically, but 99 percent is mental.”

In regards to the naysayers and critics of Biles’ decision, Malika said, that when it comes to mental health, unfortunately there is still a stigma attached.

“Even though we’ve made progress talking about mental health, the general population still doesn’t quite understand. It definitely needs to change,” she said.

How can those changes be made?

“I think through more conversations about mental health,” Malika said. “I’d like to see people actually take the initiative to learn more about it.”

To better educate the campus community, the 51�� Wellness Center offers many initiatives as well as mental health supports.

Cross country and track and field runner Shawn Driscoll-Gomez, ’22, has benefitted from therapy sessions through the center, particularly last year during COVID when students were more isolated.

“Talking to someone, having someone listen and validate my feelings, that was really good,” he said.

The biology major admits he was nervous at first to walk into the Wellness Center, but soon discovered it was a welcoming environment.

“As I went and got more comfortable, it became easier for me,” Driscoll-Gomez said.

Malika has also benefitted from counseling through the 51�� Wellness Center.

“The first time I went, I was terrified of being judged, you never know what someone else is thinking,” she said. “I think it’s all part of the stigma. But it definitely opened up a lot of issues I didn’t think were impacting me. Having a space to talk, where I felt comfortable on campus, made me feel better.”

For those seeking help, one-to-one, group counseling and workshops they can call, 508-531-1331.

All services are free and confidential and tailored to each student’s needs.

There are also online tools and services for those students unsure whether they want to talk with a counselor.

Togetherall is a virtual, peer-to-peer, anonymous support community where students can share their concerns.

WellTrack is another online resource offered to 51�� students. It is a free app that can help students understand feelings of stress, anxiety and depression and offers ways to manage those feelings.

When it comes to mental health, Donna Schiavo, 51�� Wellness Center clinical director, counseling services said, its important students know: “None of us gets through life alone. We all need supportive and caring people to help us navigate the stresses and worries of life. People who can help us get through the ups and downs that we all experience.”

Do you have a 51�� story you'd like to share? Email stories@bridgew.edu

None of us gets through life alone. We all need supportive and caring people to help us navigate the stresses and worries of life. People who can help us get through the ups and downs that we all experience.

Donna Schiavo 51�� Wellness Center clinical director, counseling services

Tags

Wellness Center

Covid Myth Busters

HHARRIS@bridgew.edu — Mon, 05 Apr 2021 18:27:24 +0000

Covid Myth Busters HHARRIS@bridgew.edu Mon, 04/05/2021 - 14:27

The pandemic’s end may be in sight, but safety protocols remain necessary

April 6, 2021

Heather Harris Michonski

Now that more vaccines are being administered, it feels like the pandemic’s finish line is near, however, experts say we aren’t out of the woods just yet.

“I keep comparing it to traffic accidents,” said 51�� Wellness Center Executive Director Christopher Frazer. “Most happen within two miles of the home because you are less likely to be focused,” he said. “You’re on cruise control. But that’s when bad things happen.”

With things opening back up and people relaxing because of the vaccine rollout, a nation-wide resurgence in COVID-19 cases is occurring.

“We are not going to reach vaccination saturation for a while. The majority of people, including most of our campus population, aren’t being vaccinated fully and receiving the effective range of the dose until the end of May, beginning of June,” Frazer said. “And that’s best-case scenario.”

Which is why it’s important the 51�� community stays on track and continues following the appropriate guidelines, he said.

To clear up some misconceptions surrounding COVID-19, Frazer offers the following:

“I don’t need to quarantine if I’m asymptomatic”

Even if you present no obvious symptoms, if you’ve been directly exposed to someone who has tested positive, you still need to quarantine.

“The incubation period is really misunderstood,” Frazer said. COVID-19 has a 14-day incubation period, he explained.

For example, student may be tested five days post exposure and receive a negative result. Thinking they don’t have COVID-19, they go about life as normal. Eight days post exposure, that student still feels fine and attends class, unknowingly exposing others. On day 10 post exposure, the student becomes symptomatic and gets re-tested. This time the results are positive.

“We really want people to understand that if you are someone that tests positive today, tracing goes back 48 hours. If anyone was around you during that time, it’s possible they will have to quarantine and may develop COVID-19,” Frazer said.

“if I share who I’ve been in contact with they will be angry at me.”

Sometimes students who test positive are hesitant to share the names of those they have been in contact with the previous 48 hours. They may fear their peers will become upset, as they too will have to quarantine.

“No one wants to get COVID-19, no one wants to give someone COVID-19. People shouldn’t feel a stigma or flog the person who tests positive. You should not feel shame,” Frazer said.

“I’m fine if I wear a mask and am in contact with someone who is positive.”

Wearing a mask helps prevent the spread of the virus but does not provide 100-percent protection if exposed to a friend who tests positive.

“Masks are still important but won’t prevent you from the need to quarantine if you’ve been within six feet of someone who tests positive,” Frazer said. “For example, if you’ve gotten a car ride from someone (who tests positive) you’re considered a close contact.”

“I just got tested, so I can go about my business before I get my results.”

Once you get tested you shouldn’t go to work, class, or resume normal activities until the results come back.

“Tests don’t mean much without results,” Frazer said.

“I’m not that sick, it’s just allergies, I don’t need to get tested.”

If you are feeling sick, stay away from others and get tested as soon as possible. Don’t assume it’s only allergies or a cold, don’t try to justify it and continue on with your normal activities.

“Don’t risk it, don’t take that chance,” Frazer said. “If you are part of our campus community, you have access to testing. It’s free, easy and quick. Be sensible, don’t postpone it. If you’re feeling sick, get tested.”

Visit bridgew.edu/covid19 to learn more about the 51�� COVID-19 testing process and contact tracing protocols.

Do you have a 51�� story you'd like to share? Email stories@bridgew.edu

No one wants to get COVID-19, no one wants to give someone COVID-19. People shouldn’t feel a stigma or flog the person who tests positive. You should not feel shame.

Chris Frazer, 51�� Wellness Center executive director

Tags

COVID-19

Wellness Center

Photo by Carl Hollant

Support Networks

HHARRIS@bridgew.edu — Fri, 02 Oct 2020 17:12:12 +0000

Support Networks HHARRIS@bridgew.edu Fri, 10/02/2020 - 13:12

Wellness Center adds new online mental health resources

October 8, 2020

Heather Harris Michonski

The COVID-19 pandemic has resulted in many students experiencing increased loneliness, stress, anxiety and depression. Thankfully, there are resources are in place to help address issues they may be dealing with.

As an extension of their existing relationship with ProtoCall Services for afterhours campus counseling, 51�� recently partnered with Togetherall, an online peer-to-peer mental health community that protects anonymity and is always available.

“We started looking at this service back in February, but because of COVID-19 we thought what better time than now to offer this virtual experience,” said Donna Schiavo, 51�� clinical director. “We want to remain present in our students’ lives and let them know we are still here for them even if it’s not face-to-face.”

On the first day Togetherall was offered to Bridgewater students, 47 signed up.

“To me that was a sign that people are intrigued,” Schiavo said.

Through Togetherall, students can interact with a safe and supportive online community.

“Wall guides” are in place to monitor the site around-the-clock. Bullying is not allowed and those who fail to treat others with respect are removed.

If a student makes it known they are in crisis Togetherall contacts 51��.

“If there is an emergency crisis, we are made aware and they will direct the student to us in order for them to get the proper resources,” Schiavo said.

Students don’t have to have be in crisis to use the service, she added.

Aside from the interactive message board, there are other resources available, including self-assessment questionnaires, a private journal and goal-setting tools.

A variety of self-help courses are also offered.

Another online service Bridgewater State has made available and free for students is the WellTrack app.

Like Togetherall, it is secure and anonymous. Students can assess their mental well-being and gain access to resources tailored to help them change thoughts and behaviors that aren’t working for them.

“It can help students track their mood and if they are working with a therapist you can invite your therapist to view your activity,” Schiavo said.

The Wellness Center also offers mental health training for all resident advisers and orientation leaders to help them better recognize when their peers are in distress, and how to best gauge their own anxieties.

“We are hoping by offering these new modalities students can get the support they need,” Schiavo said.

Students can find more information and register either by visiting https://togetherall.com/en-us/or /togetherall and from the 51�� site here: /student-life/wellness-safety/counseling-services .

“We don’t want our students to feel abandoned; our doors aren’t shut,” Schiavo said. “You can still get support.”

Do you have a 51�� story you'd like to share? Email stories@bridgew.edu

We are hoping by offering these new modalities students can get the support they need.

Donna Schiavo, 51�� clinical director

Tags

Wellness Center

Photo by Mackenzie Rubitschung, '21

Wellness Centered

HHARRIS@bridgew.edu — Tue, 31 Mar 2020 15:06:35 +0000

Wellness Centered HHARRIS@bridgew.edu Tue, 03/31/2020 - 11:06

Help remains available even with students learning remotely

April 6, 2020

Heather Harris Michonski

Story Series

COVID-19

Spring semester at any college is often a hectic time. Throw in a public health crisis and stress levels can rocket, which is why 51�� is making adjustments to ensure counseling and health services are still available during the COVID-19 outbreak.

Like most schools across the country, because of the pandemic, 51�� moved all classes to online/remote learning.

Despite students not physically being on campus, the staff of the Wellness Center is working hard to make sure there is no lag in the availability of counseling and health services.

“I think that it’s important to offer services because Bridgewater is still open, students are still in classes (remotely), the same stresses are still there,” said Dr. Chris Frazer, executive director of the center.

The one change, due to the pandemic, is that all center services are by appointment only and coordinated over the phone. This includes all regularly scheduled counseling service appointments. Telephone triage is available to students by calling counseling services at 508-531-1331 at any time.

All staff has been trained in the use of telehealth, according to Frazer.

Students seeking health services can call 508-531-1252 to speak with a nurse practitioner. Callers are screened for symptoms and then directed to the best resources available, whether that be on campus or via a community provider. Since the center’s front desk staff is working remotely, anyone calling for services should leave a voicemail. The staff will respond promptly within normal business hours.

The 51�� community is also invited to follow the Wellness Center on Twitter, @51��Wellness, where tips and other resources concerning mental and physical health are posted.

“We know that this is a tough time of year, people are coming down to the finish line and to now do it from a distance…it really emphasizes for us the need to continue to provide our best version of normalcy,” Frazer said.

Do you have a 51�� story you'd like to share? Email stories@bridgew.edu

“I think that it’s important to offer services because Bridgewater is still open, students are still in classes (remotely), the same stresses are still there."

Dr. Chris Frazer, executive director of 51�� Wellness Center

Tags

Wellness Center