WSUV Reaches Out to Students for World Suicide Prevention Day

On September 10th, in honor of World Suicide Prevention Day, a resource stand was put up, giving out pamphlets and offering students the opportunity to anonymously write supportive messages for others to read. 

In an interview with Julie Dembo, one of the two mental health counselors on campus, she provided some information about the kind of support offered on campus. 

“As far as counseling goes, we can help students with anything impacting their mental or emotional health,” She said. “It’s free. It’s already paid for in student service fees. It’s confidential. We don’t talk to anybody on campus without student permission.” 

She also explained that the Student Wellness Center does workshops, training, and various kinds of events on campus to spread awareness about mental health-related topics, and that they are looking to hire a new nurse practitioner, with the role hopefully being filled towards the middle of the semester.

She touched on the top reasons students tend to come in for counseling, including anxiety, depression, and school stress. 

“We see folks who are having relationship concerns, adjusting to being on a college campus, and a lot of our students are managing multiple responsibilities like school and work, and sometimes caretaking responsibilities,” Dembo said. 

She added that they encourage those seeking counseling to schedule an appointment, saying, “The Student Wellness Center is open Monday to Friday between nine and four; Students can schedule an appointment by stopping by. … They can call us, they can email. And then we also reserve one hour every day for more urgent concerns.”