Under-the-Radar Wellness and Mental Health Services at Columbia Health You Should Know

World Mental Health Day, a day to raise awareness and reduce stigma, is fast approaching on Oct. 10. It is also a good time to pause and take stock of your personal mental health and wellbeing needs before a moment of struggle. 

There are a whole bunch of ways to help bolster your mental health (like prioritizing sleep!), but there are two critical frameworks to adopt when thinking about active mental health promotion and prevention of crisis: active self-care strategies and cultivating a community of care that helps others.

That's where Columbia Health, a focal point of mental health resources for students at Columbia, enters the picture.

In addition to commonly-known resources like Counseling and Psychological Services' drop-in sessions and 24/7 support line (212-854-2878), Medical Services, and Sexual Violence Response, Columbia Health is host to a multitude of resources to utilize in helping you practice self-care and crafting a community and network of support. 

Below, we've highlighted a few of the resources we think you should know in creating a sustainable, healthy life.

Self-Care

1. Schedule a Health Promotion Appointment.

A Health Promotion Appointment is a great place to start when you're not quite sure where to start. Whether you're looking for a particular mental health resource or need help finding a mental health provider, an Alice! Health Promotion team member will walk you through it all. Team members will help you navigate Columbia and off-campus resources and even brainstorm ways to build a support network and take next steps.

2. Sign up to meet with a Wellness Coach.

If you've been looking for a partner and advocate to help you formulate a life plan for wellbeing, look no further. Using exercises to identify your strengths, values, and motivations, a non-judgmental Well-being Advocate will help you create a plan, celebrate wins, and troubleshoot challenges. While this service is not a substitute for therapy our counseling, it is an additive and proactive approach to living a well life. 

3. Check out these upcoming short-form workshops to help aid your sleep, time management, and stress. 

• Oct. 11 at 5:30 p.m.: Sleep 101 (Virtual)
• Oct.17 at 5:30 p.m.: Reducing & Managing Stress (Virtual)
• Nov. 9 at 12:00 p.m.: Time Management (Virtual) 

4. Join a recurring, facilitated support space throughout the semester.

• Tuesdays, 2:10-3:30 p.m., Sept. 19 - Dec. 5, 2023: Time Management
• Mondays, 5:00-6:00 p.m., Oct. 2 - 30, 2023: Self-Compassion Workshop
• Thursdays, 2:00-3:00 p.m., Oct. 19 - Nov. 16, 2023: Sleep SOS
• Thursdays, 11:00-12:00 p.m.: How to Manage Stress Better - Developing Your Toolkit (students are encouraged to email the facilitator ASAP to sign up, [email protected])

Community of Care

1. Meet one-on-one with a health educator to get advice on everything from helping a friend to navigating Columbia's network of resources. 

Join a solution-oriented conversation with a health educator to connect with resources and community at Columbia.

2. Join a Friend2Friend session and other events to help create a community of care on campus.

• Friend2Friend workshops are designed to help Columbia students recognize and respond to friends in distress. 
  • Oct. 13, 1:00 - 4:00 p.m.: Friend2Friend for Undegraduate Students
  • Oct. 20, 1:00 - 4:00 p.m.: Friend2Friend for Graduate Students
• Request a workshop or training on sexual violence response for your student group. 
• Oct. 18, 6:30 - 7:30 p.m.: Relationship Revelations: Expressing Consent in ALL of Your Relationships

For a full list of well-being offices available across the Columbia and Barnard campuses, visit Columbia Health, visit University Life, the Live Well | Learn Well initiative, and the CUIMC Office of Student Health. For resources at Teachers College, click here. You can learn more about mental health resources for Columbia faculty and staff here.