Happy spring! If you have not seen it yet, please take a minute to read my Spring Coordinator's Update.
In this newsletter we are highlighting mental health and wellness, including trainings, new registry credentials and a chance to take care of you! Mental health and wellness is a topic close to my heart, as I'm sure it is for many of you.
Finally, we have a new member of our MRC team! Momo ZumBalen is a student worker, and will be helping with all things. She is a new MRC volunteer, too! I will do a spotlight on her in an upcoming newsletter.
Have a lovely April! Get outside and get some well-deserved sunshine.
News
Guest Update: Mental Health and Wellness
Darkness Amid the Dawn: The Mental Health Spring Paradox
Did you know that April is Stress Awareness Month and May is Mental Health Awareness Month? Of course in modern America we need two months to raise awareness about psychological and emotional health. And although the days are slowly but surely getting longer and brighter, it’s an important reminder that for many, especially our students, this can be a dark and painful time. The respite of spring break is a distant memory, finals are just around the corner, and many in our community are facing overwhelming stressors in many facets of their lives. According to 2020 survey results from Boynton Health, nearly half (48.3%) of Twin Cities Campus students reported being diagnosed with a mental health condition in their lifetime, up from 40.1% in 2018. Although the COVID -19 pandemic exacerbated mental health challenges, seasonal trends in student crisis response remain consistent from previous years. As MRC members, you are uniquely positioned to respond to mental health needs you may encounter among students, or staff and faculty, so we want to remind you of the training and resources available to you. You can retake the MRC Psychological First Aid course at any time, or explore the resources available through the President’s Initiative for Student Mental Health, including How to Make Effective Referrals and Responding to Student Suicidality. And of course, we ourselves may be among those struggling the most, so this is also a reminder to keep a watchful eye on yourselves, reach out for support and know that you deserve to feel well and safe, even amidst the darkness.
- Catherine Harrison, RN, MPH, HERO Deputy Director
Update your information in the MRC Registry
It is really important that we keep our MRC member registry current. Please make sure that your contact information (cell phone number and service provider) is up to date. If you hold a certification or license, please make sure that information is in the registry. That is critical for me to be able to query when we need certain credentials for a deployment.
Mental health check box added
If you are a licensed mental health provider, or you have experience in mental health, please check that box in the registry. It is located in the "Training/Experience" section.
The Minnesota Department of Health's Regional Behavioral Health Consultants (RBHC) have multiple training webinars available in April, May, and June:
Psychological First Aid (April 10, June 12)
Vanquishing Energy Vampires (May 25)
Communication In and Out of Disasters (June 13)
Although these are not sponsored by the University of MN MRC, they are relevant to our work, and I hope some of you find them helpful and interesting. Registration information is in the links for the courses, above. If you choose to attend any of them, I'd love to hear how you find the information, and if you have ideas for other topics. The MDH RBHCs are a resource for us, and they are available to design or customize training content to suit our needs.
April is National Volunteer Month!
In recognition of National Volunteer Month, and in appreciation of your efforts as members of the U of MN MRC, I am doing a drawing for three $50 Amazon gift cards! To get your name in the drawing, complete this form by April 30.
THANK YOU for your time and effort, and for reading to the end of this month's newsletter!