It's not a secret that uncertain times can create varying emotions and behaviors that impact a person's mental health.
To support the mental health and well-being of students, faculty and staff members, a subgroup of the Networks of Support has created an online repository of available resources, services and organizations.
The Mental Health and Well-Being Index contains a searchable database of GVSU programs, training modules and other resources in eight categories of wellness: emotional, environmental, financial, intellectual, physical, occupational, social and spiritual.
Jen Hsu-Bishop, director of the Milton E. Ford LGBT Resource Center, served as co-chair of the subgroup with Lindsey DesArmo, Human Resources wellness and communications manager. Hsu-Bishop said group members recognized a need to centralize available mental health and wellness resources and create a website that works for people new to mental health services or those on a continuum.
"We set out to create a Grand Valley-specific repository that would be easy to navigate and allow community members to identify the programs, education, and health information that would best serve their needs," Hsu-Bishop said.
Institutional Marketing web team members created a custom index that DesArmo said visitors to the site will find easy to navigate.
"Visitors to the page can sort based on need," DesArmo said. "For example, a faculty or staff member can search for a training on suicide prevention, or a student can look for an art therapy group offered by the university."
President Philomena V. Mantella created the Networks of Support in late March, calling on volunteers to use their talents and aid residents during the COVID-19 pandemic. The result was a volunteer army of nearly 300, divided into 10 subgroups to directly provide assistance for small businesses, K-12 education, vulnerable population support, local nonprofits and more.
