“Some students feel more comfortable talking to a peer than a counselor directly from the center,” says Rebecca Caudill ’22, president of the SLU Peer Health Network, a new student-led organization fighting stigma. mental health issues.
The SLU Peer Health Network, or SLUPHN, was born out of an idea students had while attending a Community Learning Course (CBL) in the spring semester of 2021. The course centered around the premise of well- be and the students decided to continue their semester’s work by creating something that could potentially benefit the St. Lawrence community for years to come.
“The development of this network was born out of the hope of increasing conversations about mental health in a way that normalizes mental health and comforts people so they know it’s okay to talk about it, and that there is nothing to fear or be ashamed of,” says Caudille. “I hope we can open a conversation about what students think, feel and struggle with to collect common themes that we can put into action to bring them to the administration so they know what our students are with. are struggling.”
Even before COVID-19, Caudill says there was a need to increase resources on campus to break down the barrier that often surrounds mental health and the fear of talking about it. To start this network and get it off the ground in a positive direction, the class called for people interested in becoming peer mentors. When asked why she decided to answer this call and seize this opportunity, not only as a member but also as a leader, Caudill said, “I plan to get into community public health, and normalizing mental health defense is really important to me. »
Caudill points out that the main goal of the network is to help de-stigmatize conversations surrounding mental health. The Diana B. Torrey ’82 Health and Counseling Center works directly with SLUPHN to conduct mental health training sessions where students learn the skills needed to be a peer health mentor. In this role and through these important trainings, students can then meet their peers and have open conversations about well-being.
The development of this network was born out of the hope of increasing conversations about mental health in a way that normalizes mental health and comforts people so they know it’s okay to talk about it, and that ‘there is nothing to fear or be ashamed of. – Rebecca Caudill ’22, president of the SLU Peer Health Network
Caudill explains that “students undergo hours of training in topics such as suicide prevention, connecting with students without overpowering them, and methods for having conversations with classmates about mental health.” Peer health mentors are also trained to recognize when the conversation may require more professional or immediate intervention.
“Time and feedback will allow the network to adapt and continue to have more impact,” Caudill says. “Some St. Lawrence students with special circumstances may even benefit more from a more casual meeting with a peer health mentor than going to a counseling appointment at the health center. She hopes that having a network on campus that works to address mental health stigma, advocate for resources and provide support to other peers could influence positive change within the culture. student on campus and help shape the way the Saint-Laurent community views wellness.
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