These questions have driven CAPS to do something more around suicide prevention for our campus.
CAPS Community Engagement and Outreach is multi-faceted and comprehensive. Simply, it's a way to reach all 46,000 of our University of Michigan students. Together, we can all change the story about college student mental health.
Outreach is about increasing college student mental health awareness through prevention, awareness, education and stigma reduction. Through outreach, CAPS staff are able to connect with the larger UM community and ultimately strengthen our “community of caring.”
There are 4 primary ways in which CAPS systemically partners with others on campus to provide leadership for student mental health.
The purpose of these partnerships is to personally connect with units across campus, serve as consultants and referral sources to individuals who are seeking advice regarding a student in need of CAPS services, and to regularly share general information about student mental health.
The Real Stories Of Leaders At Their Best video series began with the goal of reducing the stigma of mental illness on our campus. As students at a competitive university, our mental health is often pushed to the background, overshadowed by academics and social status. It is our hope that this video series, produced and edited by the Counseling & Psychological Services (CAPS) student group - CAPS In Action - serves to give everyday examples for our campus about how our mental health plays out in our day to day lives.
CAPS In Action (CIA) is for University of Michigan students who are dedicated to making the U of M community a more holistically healthy environment. This is an active and hands-on group, focused on creating and implementing mental health outreach efforts that empower students to enhance a culture of care and inclusion. CIA is facilitated by CAPS professionals and supports CAPS outreach initiatives.
Many University of Michigan students are choosing to engage in mental health efforts on campus. More than ever, these students are passionate about helping their friends, reducing stigma, and making the University of Michigan an environment where no student feels they have to struggle alone.
