By Kadisha Pierre-Louis
News Editor
For students facing mental health struggles, addiction or gambling problems, finding help sometimes can feel like another challenge.
The community on campus this semester is looking to change that by bringing organizations and support services directly to students, creating opportunities for them to learn about resources available both on and off campus.
“This event is a nice way to introduce our students and our staff to our community partners and the agencies that provide treatment related to mental health, substance use, gambling, LGBTQ issues,” Sarah Kaiser, coordinator of Alcohol and other Drug Services, said.
This event is vital for the students on campus as it provides a place for them to reach out to these different services and receive help without feeling scared.
The event is designed to connect students to community organizations that can provide extra support for them on campus.
Mental health is an important issue that many students struggle with in private due to stigma of feeling like they are alone or something is wrong with them.
This causes students to be scared to reach out for help and sometimes they just do not know where to go to receive help for what they may be going through.
Eve Heine, prevention specialist, Alliance for Prevention and Wellness Behavioral Healthcare discusses why her organization BHCare nonprofit, became a vendor for the university.
Heine wants to spread concern about how often many young adults can struggle with high rates of mental illness and they need to know about the many services located in the New Haven area that they can reach out to whenever they are struggling.
“We know that young adult students often face higher rates or anxiety, depression, suicidal ideation, attempts and we are often impacted by domestic violence as well,” Heine said.
These services are vital for the campus community because many students struggle in silence and do not want to be judged which causes them to isolate and not understand there is a community and organizations on campus and off that are dedicated to providing aid to students.
“It’s important for us to connect with our college campuses and try to get resources for the students here. But it’s also just important to us to be part of a community and show up when we can,” Heine said.
Students on campus can struggle with a variety of issues. Gambling is one that is increasingly becoming an issue for many young adults.
Stephen Matos Problem Gambling Services Statewide Gambling Recovery Support manager wants to spread awareness about online gambling and sports betting and how it can be at-risk to many students on campus.
“We’re at a lot of colleges, and we found there’s a lot of problem gambling on college campuses. The rates are between 8 and 12%. That’s from the data we gather from our surveys, so it’s pretty high,” Matos said.
Showing up and being active in the community is important for students on campus. It can help create more positive college experiences.
It is important for students to know they have outlets and communities they can be a part of and receive resources from the university and partners outside of the university.
Samuel Ernest Administrative coordinator at the New Haven Pride Center wants students apart of the LGBTQ community on campus to know they also have a space where they can find community and resources if needed.
“Just being able to see a queer presence and to be able to tap into a place like the Pride Center where you can see that you aren’t alone. There are people like you. we have history.. and we can do things to help each other,” Ernest said.
These services are vital to the campus environment, providing a well-rounded college experience for many students on campus. It is important for students to know about these resources so they do not feel ashamed and know they can find community and aid.
“I also encourage them to not be afraid to realize that, especially when you’re on a college campus, there are so many wonderful resources for you. Don’t see it as a weakness, seeking help is a strength,” Kaiser said.
