Ducks take care of one another

May 9, 2022

Dear colleagues,

May is Mental Health Awareness Month. In recognition, I joined Brielle Wiener, incoming chair of UO’s Counseling Services Student Advisory Board, to share information about the services and resources available to UO students to support their mental health and well-being. I encourage you to watch the video and read the email below to make sure you are aware of the available resources for you and our students.

In addition, the university has a number of resources available for employees to learn more about how to support student mental health:

  • Kognito, a virtual mental health training to learn how to have effective conversations with students to support their mental health. Any UO student, faculty, or staff member who completes the training before the end of May will be entered into a drawing to win one of twenty $20 gift cards to the Duck Store with the first 100 receiving a free scoop of ice cream from Salt and Straw.
  • TEP Student Well-Being Toolkit offers a range of strategies, pre-made tools, and draft language to support student wellbeing in the context of their courses
  • Office Hours with Counseling Services, consult with a CS staff member to receive assistance in supporting a student with their mental health concerns

The university also has a number of resources available to support the mental health and well-being of university employees. Human Resources has a guide on their website with information about taking care of yourself in the workplace. The university’s Employee Assistance Program (EAP) provider, Canopy, also offers short-term confidential, professional counseling services and other resources to support your mental health and well-being.

I would also like to thank the many members of our staff who work across campus to support our students’ mental health and our faculty and researchers who are helping us better understand how to take care of our mental health and support one another. All this work is an important part of making sure our students succeed at the University of Oregon and beyond.

Sincerely,

Michael H. Schill
President and Professor of Law

Dear University of Oregon students,

May is Mental Health Awareness Month. In recognition, I want to acknowledge the stress, anxiety, uncertainty, and isolation many in our university community experienced during the last two years. Throughout all of it, our community worked together to overcome many challenges and supported one another.

Due to the strength of our community, the University of Oregon has remained committed to working together to foster a positive environment for learning, teaching, and research. Supporting the mental health and well-being of our campus community is an important element of this work. As Brielle Wiener, the incoming chair of the Counseling Services Student Advisory Board, mentioned in the video at the start of this message, the university has a number of resources available to support mental health awareness:

  • Kognito, a virtual mental health training to learn how to have effective conversations with your peers to support their mental health. Any UO student, faculty, or staff member who completes the training before the end of May will be entered into a drawing to win one of twenty $20 gift cards to the Duck Store with the first 100 receiving a free scoop of ice cream from Salt and Straw.
  • Take an anonymous mental health screening that assesses the common concerns of students.
  • May Mental Health Awareness Month events include workshops, providing Stress Less Kits at weekly tabling events, and engaging students in the Kindness Rock Project.

In addition, University Health Services (UHS) has a number of resources through Counseling Services (CS), Medical Services, and the Duck Nest that are available to you as a UO student:

Visit Counseling Services and University Health Services websites for more information. Please reach out to these professionals and programs to find support and connect with resources this month and every month.

Sincerely,

Michael H. Schill
President and Professor of Law