Mental Health and Wellbeing Resources

10/01/2021

Dear SLU faculty, staff, students and parents ––

As we round out a week where all of us have tried to return to our routines of work, class and taking care of ourselves, we want to offer a brief update on work happening around mental health and wellbeing resources.

• On-site counseling services: We are working with our partners from Behavior Health Response to bring licensed counselors back to campus to offer evening and weekend availability for students. This could start as early as next week, and we will share more information as soon as we have it. BHR has been on site much of the last week in Pius XII Memorial Library offering drop-in counseling support, and we are very grateful for their partnership.
• Walk-in psychiatry clinic for students: The Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Neuroscience in SLU’s School of Medicine is offering walk-in clinic opportunities for students during October. Students can receive individual psychiatric assessment and treatment options during the walk-in clinic any time 1-4 p.m. on Wednesdays in Monteleone Hall (1438 S. Grand Blvd). Just bring your student ID and your health plan card or information. You can call Student Health at 314-977-2323 to pre-register or request a specific time, but this is not required.
• Group grief support: Campus Ministry is offering group grief support for those who are interested. The sessions are from 4-5 p.m. on the first Wednesday of each month via Zoom. Email becca.muder@slu.edu or jim.roach@slu.edu with questions or the link to access the meetings.
• Future mental health days: Last Friday’s mental health day was, we hear, a success. It gave everyone an opportunity to disengage from stressors and connect with others. We are exploring options on how to implement mental health and wellbeing programming to mirror that success in the future. This includes not only this fall and next spring, but in future academic years. Please fill out this survey to tell us what you’d like to see.
• (Webinar for faculty & staff) Conversations in Crisis: If you missed it last Friday, here is the link to a talk that Tom Duff, the Executive Director of St. Louis Counseling gave during our mental health day. The hour-long webinar addresses how to talk about crises with students.
• Pass/no pass policy: We received feedback from students that having a less restrictive pass/no pass policy would also help alleviate anxieties for some. We’ve started discussions with faculty and academic leadership on this issue.
• Know your insurance benefits: you may have additional benefits through your insurance that may be helpful. For students who have the University Health Plan (Aetna) please see this University Health Plan (Aetna) link for some wellness resources or this telehealth options link through Aetna.

If you or someone you know is in crisis, you can call University Counseling at 314-977-TALK (8255), 911 or the National Suicide Prevention Hotline at 1-800-273-TALK (8255). A free and confidential texting service with a crisis counselor is also available 24/7 via the Crisis Text Line by texting HOME to 741741.

Expect to hear more from us soon,

Mike Lewis, Ph.D.
Provost

Sarah Cunningham, Ed.D.
Vice President for Student Development