Special Edition – Your Mental Health and Wellbeing

Editor’s Note: Hey Niners! Spring Break is around the corner – check out these resources to help you continue to thrive at UNC Charlotte.

With spring break just two weeks away, this midpoint of the semester is a great time to pause and check in on your overall wellbeing. 

Wellness isn’t just physical health or mental health, it’s multi-dimensional. It includes how we manage our emotions, build relationships, grow intellectually, care for our environment, navigate finances, explore purpose, prepare for careers, and take care of our bodies. 

You’ll start hearing more about these dimensions of wellness after break. Meanwhile, here are some upcoming events to look forward to and resources to help you finish the semester strong.

upcoming events

Look for these events and more at Niner Engage, Campus Events and Niner Insider! 

departmental resources

• Christine F. Price Center for Counseling and Psychological Services offers services such as in-person counseling and referrals, telehealth consultations, crisis assistance, group therapy, after-hours support through ProtoCall and self-help resources. CAPS can help students navigate off-campus referrals and follow-up care.
• University Recreation includes a variety of fitness and wellness opportunities from yoga and exercise for stress reduction, to club and intramural sports to support belonging and engagement. Build your community and reap the benefits of regular physical activity.
• Center for Wellness Promotion supports those seeking to build healthier habits and make informed wellbeing decisions. CWP delivers wellness education including interpersonal violence prevention, substance use, recovery from substance use disorders and sexual health. 
• Student Health, located in the Joyce Davis Waddell Center for Student Health and Wellbeing, provides primary medical care (including laboratory, pharmacy and radiology), disease prevention and screening, medication management, nutrition consultation, and psychiatric referrals.

programs and trainings

• Mental Health First Aid and QPR (Question, Persuade, Refer)  focus specifically on mental health and suicide prevention. Registration is open for students, faculty and staff for multiple training sessions throughout the semester.
• Green Dot empowers all members of our campus community to recognize, react and intervene during instances of interpersonal violence including sexual assault, dating/ domestic violence and stalking.
• The Health Education Leadership and Prevention Certificate provides students with non-academic credit for participating in various national prevention training opportunities related to mental health, interpersonal violence, substance use, identity-based issues and medical emergencies.

crisis and suicide prevention support

ProtoCall empowers students with 24/7 access to licensed clinicians working with CAPS to support acute or urgent mental health needs. After hours, call CAPS at 704-687-0311. When you connect to the CAPS voicemail message, press ‘0’ to be connected to a counselor by phone. 

Another important resource is 988 Suicide and Crisis Lifeline, a three-digit dialing code offering 24/7 access to crisis counselors. When you call, text or chat 988 anywhere in the U.S., you will be connected to trained professionals who can help if you are experiencing thoughts of suicide, mental health or substance abuse crisis, or other emotional distress.

more campus departments

• Student Assistance and Support Services is available to meet with students individually to assist and support a broad range of issues, concerns or challenges interfering with a student’s ability to be successful academically or personally.
• The Jamil Niner Student Pantry offers a variety of perishable and nonperishable food items to currently registered UNC Charlotte students. Current students can shop once a week on Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Thursdays. You can sign up for an appointment here or participate in Wednesday walk-in hours.
• The Office of Disability Services supports students who may be navigating a wide variety of documented disabilities, including mental health disorders and chronic medical illnesses, by working together to plan reasonable accommodations.
• The Office of Civil Rights and Title IX provides education, investigations, and care coordination in relation to discrimination, discriminatory harassment and sexual or interpersonal misconduct.
• Niner Finances offers strategies to help balance saving, spending and even investing, while managing classes and campus life. If you are stressed about personal finances, Niner Finances can help you take control of your financial future.
• University Ombuds is a confidential, independent, impartial and informal resource to work through challenging problems, dilemmas and conflicts.
• Atkins Library offers a Self-Care Collection of free, loanable devices and books for students to check out when they are feeling stressed or overwhelmed, funded by Higher Education Emergency Relief Funds.

online resources

• Niner Nation Cares serves as an information resource for Niner Nation to understand ways to stay safe on and off campus, along with campus health protocols.
• Niner Needs can connect you with a variety of campus services for basic needs like food/housing insecurity, legal services and financial assistance. 
• The online Care and Concern referral is a way to inform the University of concerns; information will be routed to the appropriate University office to assist students with getting connected to campus support services.

We welcome your feedback and suggestions as to what we can do better to support you. Reach out to us. You can also follow clt_wellbeing on social media.

Meanwhile, save this email. Keep this information on hand for yourself or others in case it can be useful, now or in the future.