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Minding the mind: Allies for mental wellness

The College of Engineering, in collaboration with UC Berkeley Global Institute for Counseling and Student Mental Health, will deliver a three-workshop mental wellness module as a part of the EMPOWER Certificate Program. This module, Minding the Mind: Allies for Mental Wellness, is designed to empower faculty, staff and students in developing skills and knowledge for supporting student mental wellness.  This module will be delivered in a new format compared to previous EMPOWER modules.  For this module, participants will be encouraged to engage via asynchronous and synchronous learning as described below.

Target audience: Faculty, staff
Contacts: Chaniqua Butscher,  inclusive excellence programs manager; Grace O’Connell, associate dean for inclusive excellence

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Each workshop takes approximately three hours total and consists of three components:

  • 45-60 minutes of prerecorded learning video for participants to watch at their own pace prior to the live discussion section
  • 15-20 minutes of reflective assignments via bCourses/Canvas
  • An 80-minute live Zoom discussion with course instructors, including opportunities for Q&A, role play, case discussions and breakout groups

An introductory video with more details is available on Google Drive. The workshop curriculum is as follows:

Week One: Raising Awareness and Active Listening Skills
Live discussion session: Thursday, June 10, 9:10-10:30 a.m. via Zoom

In this workshop, participants will have a chance to reflect on personal beliefs and cultural humility in working with students of diverse backgrounds.  Participants will also gain insights about common mental health issues on college campuses, particularly on the Berkeley campus.  Participants will be able to learn how to build better rapport with and communicate with students, along with basic intervention dos/don’ts.

Week Two: Recognizing Distress Signals and Making Referrals
Live discussion session: Thursday, June 17, 9:10-10:30 a.m. via Zoom

In this session, participants will be able to identify symptoms related to mental health conditions.  Participants will gain awareness, knowledge and skills to effectively notice signs of student distress.  Participants will be trained how to respond to a student in crisis and how to make a referral.

Week Three: Suicide Warning Signs and Crisis Intervention
Live discussion session: Thursday, June 24, 9:10-10:30 a.m. via Zoom

In this session, participants will learn tools to identify risk factors and warning signs of suicide.  Participants will become more comfortable asking questions about suicide, and supporting a student in crisis who may be reluctant to get help.

Upon completion, participants will receive a certificate of completion from the Global Institute as well as an electronic EMPOWER badge.