Mental health resources available to help students
Article By: Clark Leonard
University of North Georgia (UNG) students have continued access to mental health assistance 24/7 through the Nigel Cares initiative, which enters its second year thanks to financial support from the University System of Georgia (USG).
A 24/7 support line is available at 833-910-3368, and students can visit the UNG Wellness Hub at any time to access helpful articles and resources.
A USG mini-grant has also allowed UNG to offer Mental Health First Aid training for students, faculty and staff; provide national certification opportunities for peer health educators; and implement additional educational awareness on alcohol and drugs.
"Students, faculty and staff want to help each other," Dr. James Conneely, vice president of Student Affairs and Enrollment Management, said. "They realize it takes a community to accomplish this goal."
UNG also is partnering with the JED Foundation, a nonprofit that protects emotional health and prevents suicide for the nation's teens and young adults.
"Suicide is the most preventable form of death. Anything you do to offer help is going to make a difference," Dr. Simon Cordery, UNG's director of Student Counseling, said. "Anything you can do to educate yourself about mental health is going to help. This is going to allow us to notice and reach out to someone else who may otherwise fall through the cracks."
Students, faculty and staff want to help each other. They realize it takes a community to accomplish this goal."
Dr. James Conneely
Vice president of Student Affairs and Enrollment Management
Registration is open for this month's Question, Persuade and Refer (QPR) suicide prevention training sessions through the USG.
Sign-ups for the Mental Health First Aid training are available in UNG Connect. Upcoming times and dates are 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Feb. 26, 9 a.m. to noon March 18 and March 25, and 9 a.m. to noon April 8 and April 15.
Windy Hildt, a sophomore from Gillsville, Georgia, pursuing degrees in English and sociology, took the Mental Health First Aid training and said all students could benefit from it.
"It does a great job of helping you understand how to help someone who's in a crisis and how to be there for them," Hildt said.
Meri-Leigh Smith, associate director of wellness and health promotion for Campus Recreation and Wellness, encourages students, faculty and staff to be aware of others' needs.
"Let people know that you care and you're willing to help," she said.
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