24/7 mental health support for students

University of Iowa in partnership with CommUnity Crisis Services provide around-the-clock mental health crisis and support assistance via phone, chat, and text for all UI students. The UI Support and Crisis Line will provide critical support for students living on and off campus, and can be reached via phone or text at 844-461-5420 or chat at mentalhealth.uiowa.edu.

UI Support and Crisis Line | Mental Health at Iowa – The University of Iowa (uiowa.edu)

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Practicing Self-Compassion to Lower Stress & Improve Happiness

Throughout the week you may notice Tippie Thrive Advisory Board members handing out candy and hearts with compliments/affirmations. While these treats are meant to bring a smile to your face, improve your mood and help feel connected to others; there’s more to these. These treats are meant to remind you to practice self-compassion.

Self-compassion is a way in which a person treats themselves with the same care and kindness as they would a family member or a friend. I often ask people “if you wouldn’t say this to someone else, why would you say it to yourself” or “if you aren’t going to treat yourself with kindness than who is going to.”

There are three components to implementing self-compassion into your life.

Self-kindness-being gentle and understanding with yourself, not being judgmental and harshly critical.

Recognition of common humanity-we feel connected with others in experiences rather than isolated and alienated by your suffering.

Mindfulness-hold your experiences in balanced awareness, rather than ignoring your pain or exaggerating it.

How does this look in real life, it might look like using statements such as:

“I am feeling stressed with having two exams this week, that’s a lot in a week. I can get through it; this is common in college”

“This break-up is really painful, I feel disappointed, jealous and disrespected; while I feel alone right now, not all relationships are meant to last forever.” 

“I miss my family right now, it’s hard to be away from the people I care the most about and place I feel so connected to.”

By practicing self-compassion in can lead to more happiness, optimism, gratitude, and better relationships with others. Self-compassion can lower stress, anxiety, and depression by decreasing perfectionist thinking and self-criticism. In addition, having self-compassion can lead to a person being able to bounce back from setbacks and more likely to learn from their mistakes.

I encourage you to complete the following exercise.

1.     Think about a challenge you are facing now or in the near future. This might be an upcoming exam, presentation, job interview, poor grade, difficult group work, an end of a relationship, etc.

2.     Take a piece of paper and fold it in half.

3.     On one side I want you to write down the thoughts you have towards yourself related to this challenge.

4.     Flip over that piece of paper and write down the thoughts you would say to a friend or family member going through the same challenge.

5.     Unfold the paper and what do you notice about the difference between these statements. Are there similarities? Are there difference? Which statements bring about better feelings for you?  How would those better feelings lead to you to get through that challenge?

Resource: Neff, Kristin, 2023, Self-compassion by Dr. Kristin Neff, https://self-compassion.org/

Mental Health Services Available at Tippie

College can present many challenges and stressors from managing time, navigating relationships, experiencing pressures of deadlines, tests, & assignments, discovering your identity, preparing for your future, comparing yourself to peers, processing past experiences, and the list goes on and on. As a business student you have access to Kati Schneider, LISW, the UCS Embedded Mental Health Therapist. Kati provides brief individual therapy, connects students with on and off campus resources, provides consultation to faculty and staff, and offers workshops and programming specific to mental health wellness and interventions.

Kati is located in the Undergraduate Program Office (UPO)-Suite C140. You can e-mail her at Kati-Schneider@uiowa.edu or call University Counseling Services (UCS), 319-335-7294, to schedule an appointment.  To learn more about services available visit Mental Health Resources – Undergraduates | Tippie College of Business (uiowa.edu)

Apply now for Tippie Thrive Advisory Board

Are you a student who believes emotional and mental health are critical components to your success as a student and future business professional? Consider applying to join the inaugural Tippie Thrive Advisory Board!

Tippie Thrive is a program developed in partnership with the University Counseling Services (UCS) embedded location and Undergraduate Program Office (UPO) at the Tippie College of Business (TCOB). The mission of Tippie Thrive is to build emotional resilience and student success by providing opportunities for awareness, reflection, education, and support of the mental and emotional needs of students through peer connections.

We are currently looking to recruit a diverse group of people who are committed to decreasing the stigma related to emotional and mental health by coordinating events, programming, and workshops to support Tippie students. Our current plan is to structure the Tippie Thrive Advisory Board to include the following positions:

6 Students Selected via Application/Interview
Tippie Senate Representative
DEI Ambassador Representative
Faculty Representative
UCS Representative – Kati Schneider
UPO Representative – Adrienne Maxwell

You must thrive in working in a team environment and maintain flexibility while serving on the inaugural Tippie Thrive Advisory Board. You can expect one hour biweekly Thrive Advisory Board meetings and participation in Thrive programming starting in the spring 2023 semester. This will be a paid position. You can find more details on our website including the full job description and online application.

Thank you for your support of Tippie Thrive! We are excited to bring this innovative approach to mental and emotional health to all Tippie students, faculty, and staff this year. Should you have any questions you can reach out to the primary coordinators for Tippie Thrive, Kati Schneider and Adrienne Maxwell.

Support Groups through UCS

University Counseling Service offers many support group for students across campus. A support group can be a space for students with marginalized identities to meet people with similar experiences, form connections and receive emotional support. Students may drop in whenever they want to and with any intervention students who attend support groups regularly tend to benefit more.

Goals of support groups include, talking openly about personal feelings and thoughts, developing a sense of connection and belonging, reduce feelings of loneliness, isolation and stress, improve skills to cope with stress, and process collective trauma related to shared identities. For more information on support groups offered this fall click here.

“It’s okay to talk about suicide”

This week is Suicide Prevention Week. Suicide is the 3rd leading causing of death among 15-24 year old and 11.3% of young adults 18-25 die annually due to suicide.

With the high prevalence rates, many students have been touched and severely impacted by suicide. You are not alone and there are many resources available.

Resources:

University of Iowa partners with CommUnity Services in Iowa to provide 24/7 crisis support to students.

In July, the use of 988 was launched to be used in mental health crisis situations.This operates similar to 911

Other local Emergency Resources Include:

GuideLink Center | Adult Mental Health and Substance Use Services: 319-688-8000
CommUnity: 1-855-581-8111
UIHC Emergency Treatment Center: 319-356-2233
UCS at 319-335-7294 between 8:00 a.m. and 5:00 p.m. to request a quick access or same-day appointment.

Supporting Others:

It can be overwhelming to know how to support a friend or family member who is having suicidal ideation. Here are a few do’s and don’ts to keep in mind.

Do:

Talk openly and honestly. “Do you have a plan for how you would kill yourself?”

Remove means such as guns, knives or stockpiled pills

Calmly ask simple and direct questions, like “Can I help you call your psychiatrist?”

Express support and concern

Be Patient with them

Explore what they need in this situation

Don’t:

Argue, threaten or raise your voice

Debate whether suicide is right or wrong

Warning Signs:

Collecting and saving pills or buying a weapon
Giving away possessions
Tying up loose ends, like organizing personal papers or paying off debts
Saying goodbye to friends and family

In addition to:

Increased alcohol and drug use
Aggressive behavior
Withdrawal from friends, family and community
Dramatic mood swings
Impulsive or reckless behavior

 

If you are in need of mental health services, Tippie College of Business has an embedded Mental Health Therapist available. Please contact Kati Schneider to schedule an appointment.

 

Resource: https://www.nami.org/Get-Involved/Awareness-Events/Suicide-Prevention-Awareness-Month-(SPAM)

Help with End of the Semester Stressors

As Spring Semester nears the end you may be feeling extra stressor or pressures building. University Counseling Services (UCS) has many self-help resources, psychoeducational programming and support groups available.

Wellness Workshop with Kati Schneider

These workshops are designed to guide you in self-reflecting on strengths, weaknesses and barriers, then we’ll discuss skills that you can apply based on insight you have developed. What works for one person doesn’t work for everyone, these workshops will lead you in deciding what works best for you.  These workshops are available to all business major students.

Held in C106 PBB at 3:00-3:30 pm

Sleep Hygiene (April 18th)-when busy schedules dominate, sleep can be the first area to be cut short. Sleep has many benefits to physical and mental health. Once bad habits are formed it can be hard to break them.  In this workshop you’ll gain strategies to improve your sleep to benefit other areas.

Stress Management (May 2nd)-stress is everywhere, low to moderate levels of stress can be helpful and motivating. When stress becomes persistent and long term chronic symptoms can begin. While stress can be helpful, having skills to manage is important.

Mindfulness Matters with Heidi Schmitt

Description: Mindfulness is purposefully paying attention, non-judgmentally to the present moment. The practice of mindfulness can lead to an increased sense of balance, stress management and overall well-being in your life. Mindfulness Matters is now available both virtually and in-person!

Day/time: Thursdays | 1:30 – 2:00 PM-Ends May 5th

Join on Zoom: https://uiowa.zoom.us/j/129398591

Join In Person: Campus Recreation And Wellness Center. Room AR3

The Energy Hub is for UI students who are experiencing difficulties adjusting to a pandemic or would like help to improve their daily functioning. Each 30-minute workshop features one of the following topics: time management, procrastination, and motivation, test anxiety. Programs are not sequenced. Students can attend all sessions or drop in for as many as they would like.

Topic schedule:  11:30 am – noon

Procrastination-April 21st
Motivation-April 28th
Test Anxiety I (before a test)-May 5th
Test Anxiety II (during a test) May 12th

How to Join: Sign up here for Zoom link.

Distress Tolerance is a three-week skills-based workshop focused on learning distress tolerance skills. Distress tolerance is the ability to manage distressing emotions and effectively move through stressful situations in an effective manner. Contact facilitator to get information on joining

When:       4/26, 5/03, & 5/10 from 1-2 pm on zoom with Dr. Holly Nicely 

When:        4/21, 4/28, & 5/5 from 4:00-5:00pm on zoom with Heidi Schmitt, LISW 

Support Groups  Majority of the groups end the week of May 2nd.

 

Additional Resources 

Tippie Embedded Mental Health Therapist: Kati Schneider, kati-schneider@uiowa.edu

Contact University Counseling Services to schedule same day emergency appointment, 319-335-7294

 

 

Wellness Workshops Available

Skills-based wellness workshops are available to all Tippie students this Spring. These workshops will guide you in self-reflecting on your strengths, weaknesses and barriers, then we’ll discuss skills you can apply based on insight you have developed. What works for one person doesn’t work for everyone, these workshops will lead you in deciding what works best for you.

Workshops are non sequential and no registration is required.

When: 3:00-3:30 pm-dates below based on topic

Where: PBB-C106

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

For more information contact Kati Schneider, kati-schneider@uiowa.edu.

Sleep Hygiene Wellness Workshop

This week’s Wellness Workshop is on Sleep Hygiene! When busy schedules dominate, sleep can be the first area to be cut short. Sleep has many benefits to physical and mental health. Once bad habits are formed it can be hard to break them.  In this workshop you’ll gain strategies to improve your sleep to benefit other areas.

3:00-3:30 pm via zoom https://uiowa.zoom.us/j/95618864809?pwd=NGtWSWJMRndsSXBUb0lIY0hvU1Z4dz09

 

Success, Not Excess Support Group

Success, Not Excess provides a safe and supportive space for UI students wanting to make or considering changes in their alcohol or other drug use. The group emphasizes success in academics, relationships, mental and physical health, and other goals through abstaining or reducing alcohol and other drug use. The group operates from a “no pressure” approach by encouraging discussion of shared experiences and achieving success on campus by removing the barriers created by substance use.

Day/Time: Thursdays 5:30-6:30pm CST
Location: IMU room 214
Contact: Heidi Schmitt (Heidi-r-reynolds@uiowa.edu) with any questions you have about this group or click here for more information on the Collegiate Recovery Program.

Mental Health Consultations-Let’s Talk Hawks!

Let’s Talk Hawks! is a brief 1 on 1, mental health consultation with a mental health professional. A few reasons you might access Let’s Talk Hawks! is for:

  • Questions about beginning therapy
  • Concerns about a peer and how you can support/help them
  • A specific, present concern you’d like resources on
  • Referrals to on and off campus resources
  • Learn more about services available through University Counseling Services
  • Share a programming idea related to mental health for Tippie

For spring 2022, Let’s Talk Hawks! will be held via zoom, January 26th-May 4th from 1:00-2:00 pm.  Consultations are first come, first serve; no appointment is required. Consultations are individual and confidential. To attend a session use the following zoom link https://uiowa.zoom.us/j/91905118790?pwd=dmdZRUZmNldwSzdqOU8reHN5ak8wUT09 or meeting ID 980 8797 0518

Let’s Talk Hawks! is not an emergency or crisis service. If you are in crisis, please call 911 or contact one of the following:

  • CommUnity: 1-855-581-8111
  • UIHC Emergency Treatment Center: 319-356-2233
  • UCS at 319-335-7294 between 8:00 a.m-5:00 p.m. to request a quick access or same-day appointment.

 

 

 

Wellness Workshops Available

Skills-based wellness workshops are available to all Tippie students this Spring. These workshops will guide you in self-reflecting on your strengths, weaknesses and barriers, then we’ll discuss skills you can apply based on insight you have developed. What works for one person doesn’t work for everyone, these workshops will lead you in deciding what works best for you.

Workshops are non sequential and no registration is required. The second date for workshops are a repeat

 

When: 3:00-3:30 pm-dates below based on topic

Where: The first 4 will be held via zoom and location TBD for last 4

https://uiowa.zoom.us/j/95618864809?pwd=NGtWSWJMRndsSXBUb0lIY0hvU1Z4dz09

Meeting ID: 956 1886 4809

Topics:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

For more information contact Kati Schneider, kati-schneider@uiowa.edu.

Mental Health Services Available at Tippie

 

Hello, my name is Kati Schneider, I am a Mental Health Therapist for students enrolled in a business major. I provide brief individual therapy, connect students with on and off campus resources, provide consultation to faculty and staff, and offer workshops and programming specific to mental health wellness and interventions. My office is located in the Undergraduate Program Office (UPO). To connect with m,  you can e-mail me at Kati-Schneider@uiowa.edu or call University Counseling Services (UCS), 319-335-7294, and ask to schedule with at Kati. To learn more about services available visit Mental Health Resources – Undergraduates | Tippie College of Business (uiowa.edu)

Yoga: A Brand New You (Presented by the Black in Business Series)

Yoga: A Brand New You
Wednesday, October 27, 11:30 a.m.-12:30 p.m.
W401 PBB

With all that comes with college life whether it be academically, socially, or emotionally it can be hard to let go of all the pressure. There is a constant battle to maintain our mental health. One way to relieve all this stress is yoga and meditation. Yoga can help you recenter your energy, rejuvenate your mind, relieve anxiety, improve sleep quality, and provide a better quality of life. One session for 60 minutes can put you back on track.

Come join the Black in Business team and learn how to connect your mind, body, and spirit with yoga (yoga mats optional). RSVP using the link  so we know who to expect: https://forms.gle/mH4MnFmhUq8vmrs97

If you have questions or concerns, feel free to contact mckenzie-turner@uiowa.edu.

New 24/7 mental health support for students

University of Iowa began a new partnership with CommUnity Crisis Services in Iowa City to provide around-the-clock mental health crisis and support assistance via phone, chat, and text for all UI students. The UI Support and Crisis Line will provide critical support for students living on- and off-campus, and can be reached via phone or text at 844-461-5420 or chat at mentalhealth.uiowa.edu.

UI Support and Crisis Line | Mental Health at Iowa – The University of Iowa (uiowa.edu)

 

Building Emotional Awareness

“Name it to tame it.” 

Building awareness of your emotions is important;  knowing what you are experiencing and what you need, to determine where you are going. Being able to name your emotions can sometimes be enough to tame your emotions, this may mean it changes the emotion or lowers the intensity you are experiencing with emotion.

  1. Take a look at the feelings wheel & try to identify emotions on one of the two outer layers; fill in the statement “I feel ____because ____” By using the outer two layers it gives more description to a core emotion you are likely used to identifying with.
  2. Once you’ve identified the emotion ask yourself “what do I need to feel the opposite?”

Examples:

  • I feel overwhelmed and worried because I have 4 tests coming up. What do I need? I need to structure my time to dedicate specific amount of time for each class.
  • I feel lonely since the end of my relationship. What do I need? I need socialization time & will ask a friend to go to supper

As you learn to become more aware of your emotions, it may be difficult to do in the moment of distress. Putting some time and distance between you and the experience by doing daily self-reflections of your experiences may be more helpful as you build this skill; as you reflect back on an experience often times you can see it from a different perspective.