Initial Publication Date: May 1, 2025

Unit 5: Promoting Positive Mental Health and Resilience

Asynchronous Preparation

READ

  • Cultivating Positive Mental Health in the Geosciences - article from Patty Standring and Sinjini Sinha from the Jackson School of Geosciences at UT-Austin
  • Starting the Conversation, College and Mental Health - from the National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI) and The Jed Foundation

Optional

  • 2023 GSA Workshop Report Appendix - The Appendix presents summaries of the small group discussions that happened around five major topics during the workshop: Inclusion, Equity, and Diversity; Strategies for mental health support; Mental health awareness and community; Academic support for students; and Field-based challenges.
  • Mental Health First Aid Action Plan : This is an excerpt from Chapter 2 of the adult manual on Mental Health First Aid published by the National Council for Behavioral Health. It describes as 5-step plan for responding to mental health challenges (ALGEE): Approach, assess for risk, and assist; Listen nonjudgementally; Give reassurance and information; Encourage appropriate professional help; Encourage self-help and other strategies.

ACTION

  • As a team, look at the checklist on Page 13 of the Starting the Conversation document. Together, find the answers to where those resources exist on your campus.
  • Note which resources can be accessed with confidentiality and who is a mandatory reporter.  Discover which interventions trigger law enforcement or academic regulatory actions. Discover and write down where the resources sit, physically, on your campus so you could walk a student to the location where they need to go to get help.
  • As a team - list three places where you have observed challenges to positive mental health in your department/classes/faculty life. 

Synchronous Meeting

Goals:

  • Work together to articulate actions that can be taken to improve positive mental health for students and for faculty. 

Agenda:

12:00 PM Welcome and Roadcheck Summary

12:05 PM Small group discussions based on the two following prompts:

  • What are strategies to reduce stigma around mental health for students?
    • In the classroom
    • In the department
    • At the institution
  • How do we address the pressures associated with academic and research expectations for faculty?
    • Between colleagues
    • Departmental policy
    • Institution-wide 

12:40 PM Group discussion:

  • Name one main idea from each prompt from your group discussion
  • Share resources and allies needed to enact these changes. 

12:55 PM Wrap-up; Announcements; Roadcheck