March 20, 2020
This two part series will explore ways to adapt systems of care to support the mental health needs of college age students during the emerging pandemic. Alison Malmon, founder and Executive Director of Active Minds, and Dennis Mohatt, Vice President of Behavioral Health at the Western Interstate Commission for Higher Education (WICHE) and Co-Director of the Mountain Plains MHTTC, bring their knowledge and experiencing of promoting and supporting mental health care on college campuses to this new landscape.
Date: April 9, 2020
Time: 11:30 am – 12:30 pm (MT)
This session will focus on the emergent pandemic and the impact it is having on college students’ mental health and wellbeing. As students are required to abruptly transition from a campus-based instructional model to a technology-based instructional model, the need for mental health support is crucial. Methods of providing remote support for students' mental health, coping strategies for adapting to a "new normal", and techniques for supporting social connectedness during a time of social distancing and remote learning will be examined.
Date: April 13, 2020
Time: 11:30 am – 12:30 pm (MT)
This session will discuss what coming back to the “new normal” may look like for college students as they return to their respective campuses. We can anticipate that many students will experience trauma by being displaced from campus and experiencing personal or family illness. This model is similar to other campus responsiveness models that address post-suicide and traumatic events. Additionally, we will explore how campuses can effectively support the return of students by providing both a place of recovery and education.
Alison Malmon, Founder and Executive Director of Active Minds Inc.
Alison Malmon is the founder and executive director of Active Minds, the nation’s premier nonprofit organization supporting mental health awareness and education for students. She formed the organization in 2003 as a 21-year-old, following the suicide of her brother and only sibling Brian.Wanting to end the silence that caused her brother to suffer alone and ultimately take his own life, Alison created a group on her University of Pennsylvania campus to promote open dialogue around mental health. Active Minds has since grown into the country’s foremost mental health organization for students and young adults, with award-winning programs and a vibrant network of campus chapters at more than 450 colleges, universities, and high schools nationwide. She lives in Boulder, CO., and is the mother of three young girls. In her spare time, she loves flying 23 feet in the air at the Trapeze School in Washington, D.C.
Dennis Mohatt, Co-Director Mountain Plains MHTTC and Vice-President Behavioral Health at WICHE
Dennis Mohatt is the Co-Director of the Mountain Plains MHTTC. He also serves as Vice-President for Behavioral Health at the Western Interstate Commission for Higher Education (WICHE), where he directs the WICHE Behavioral Health Program and the WICHE Center for Rural Mental Health Research. Dennis has over 30 years of public mental health services. His work has included direct clinical care, clinical supervision, and CEO tenure in a rural CMHC serving Michigan's Upper Peninsula. Since 2001, Dennis has led WICHE's efforts in behavioral health. He has served as a member of the National Rural Health Advisory Committee and led many national efforts relating to rural mental health including his role as the Chief Consultant to the President's New Freedom Commission on Mental Health. He is actively engaged in efforts focused on improving services to Veterans, Guard, and Reserve as well as their families; rural mental health policy; workforce development and increasing adoption of integrated approaches to behavioral and primary care practice.
If you have questions, you can contact Genevieve Berry, Program Manager with the Mountain Plains Mental Health Technology Transfer Center at [email protected].
