Sept. 19, 2019
With September being Suicide Prevention and Awareness Month, Northern Arizona University has been buzzing with conversations about mental health and wellness. The Mental Health Symposium Series, which is a collaboration between Campus Health Services, the Center for Access and Inclusion, the Diversity Commissions, the Office of Inclusion and other groups throughout campus, includes several events relating to mental health awareness throughout the fall semester.
The events are designed to benefit students, faculty and staff. The goal is to provide multiple perspectives on mental health by looking at the intersection of culture and mental health and educating attendees on resources available to them to support wellbeing.
“The last few years NAU has seen an increase in demand for mental health services on campus. The campus community has been looking for additional resources to support its members,” said Jamie Axelrod, director of Disability Resources. “The truth is that engaging in the academic programs that NAU offers can be stressful.”
With great stress comes a greater potential for mental health to decline, and the Mental Health Symposium Series is there to offer students, faculty and staff a safe space to learn about where they can go to get the help they need.
Upcoming events include workshops such as Health Disparities and the Psychology of Scarcity: Using What We Know to Increase Success, Intersections of Mental Health and Identity and many more.
“I think the MHS is a great opportunity for the campus community to have thoughtful and informed conversations about the importance of mental health and learn about how different cultures and societies view and engage with mental health issues,” Axelrod said.
The next event in the series will be held from 2-4 p.m. Sept. 25 in the Havasupai A/B room. Find more information on the Mental Health Symposium Series and upcoming events at nau.edu/center-for-university-access-and-inclusion.
