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É«ÀÇÉçÇø Thrive recently hosted an online panel about mental health, titled “Building Kinder Communities, Supporting Well-being of Diverse Students & Improving Mental Health Resources,” which was presented to over 200 participants across the nation via Zoom. The open conversation was presented in partnership with the , the Give Back Foundation, and .

The panel was moderated by Shadille Estepan, the Communications and Outreach Manager of the Born This Way Foundation who helped to move the panel online when the originally planned in-person event was cancelled. The featured panelists were all members of the É«ÀÇÉçÇø community who represented the intersectionality of mental health:

• Allison Niemac - É«ÀÇÉçÇø Student
• Chase Campbell - É«ÀÇÉçÇø Student
• Elijah Kelsey - É«ÀÇÉçÇø Student
• Lisa Harrison - É«ÀÇÉçÇø Student
• Dr. Kara Ieva - Associate Professor, Counseling in Educational Settings
• Dr. Kha Sadler - Mental Health Clinician for Counseling and Psychological Services, Wellness Center
• Representatives from NIRSA and the Give Back Foundation were also present to help introduce the panel. 

According to Kevin George, who was part of the team that organized the panel, one of the panel's main goals was "to provide attendees with real stories of individuals that are navigating their mental health." Kevin also noted that providing a channel for participants to ask questions and express concerns was of key importance.

There were many topics discussed throughout the panel that ranged from how students are taking care of their mental health, to virtual resources, to how parents can support their students. In addition to the questions presented by the moderator, viewers were able to ask questions - and the panelists responded - through Zoom’s chat feature. 

An early discussion topic was “how can we take care of our mental health, and the mental health of friends and family, while we stay home?” The student panelists had many great suggestions including: trying new skills and hobbies; staying connected through phone and video calls; and taking control over how we respond to this time of uncertainty

The students and mental health professionals also shared their thoughts on what we can do to care for others, especially our loved ones, who may be struggling right now, which is one takeaway Kevin had hoped participants would receive. They suggested first ensuring that you are in a strong position to help someone else - it is very difficult to support a friend or family member when you, yourself, are having a difficult time. They also recommended keeping a close eye on your loved ones and helping to create judgement- and technology-free safe spaces.

When asked how parents can support their students, the student panelists responded by recommending that parents directly address what they see in their student and be available to simply be there for them. Later in the panel, the was also mentioned as a resource for caregivers and parents to use in supporting mental health of their students. Also, in terms of support from others, the students emphasized the need to have professors who are understanding of the difficulty and complexity of the current situations students are in. An understanding professor helps ease some of the stress surrounding courseworks and the upcoming final exams. 

Another goal of the panel was to share what mental health resources are available to them during this time. The students and professionals shared many mental health resources that have been helping them recently. A recommendation that came up more than once was Therapy Assistance Online (TAO), a tool that is available to all É«ÀÇÉçÇø students for free. Other mental health focused apps were mentioned, such as the Better Health app, but so were many popular social media sites. These included Facebook Groups, Reddit, Discord, and YouTube. One of the students on the panel, who is also a Resident Assistant at É«ÀÇÉçÇø, noted that students’ RAs are still available to listen to them and support them as RAs normally would.

While we all stay at home, there are dozens of ways you can support yourself and your friends and family. With so many ways to virtually connect or have fun offline, there is something for everyone that can help boost your mood. Remember to check the websites of the Wellness Center and Thrive for additional resources.