Catching up with Cody: Mental Health Awareness

When “i” is replaced by “we,” even “illness” becomes “wellness.” 

As a Jesuit university, we challenge our students, staff, and faculty to care for and develop the whole person — mind, body and spirit. So, it is paramount that we prioritize the wellbeing of all and find ways to make services available to our students and our employees. It’s important that we seek to understand and empathize and support those who may not yet seek it.

For our students, a new collaboration between Student Affairs and our Center for Counseling and Family Therapy program in Thornton has produced a new partnership in which two faculty will supervise five graduate students to provide care to students seeking clinical services. The University also has contracted with Mantra Health to provide teletherapy counseling services to students. This will assist our on-the-ground staff in the Office of Counseling and Professional Development and increase our capacity for helping our students. We will continue to work on a toolkit for our students to explore and learn resilience strategies, know how and where to find resources and support systems, and to recognize their own strengths. It is important that everyone is aware of this so we can do our part in directing our students to the resources they have available.

For employees, Regis’ benefit package includes the Employee Assistance Program. Every employee can receive up to three free, confidential, face-to-face counseling sessions, per incident, per year. It’s available 24/7 at 800-964-3577. Use ID: HLF902. Our health insurance companies also cover mental health services. Please click here for the link to all of our mental health information, and please click here for EAP information. Admitting you need help and then seeking that help is a hard thing to do. But hopefully no one feels deterred from using the services made available through employee-earned benefits. Please help spread the word about services available here so no one goes without.

I was struck by a February show in the O’Sullivan Art Gallery that featured Denver muralist Leo Tanguma. His two-sided piece, “Too Long in Darkness, Reaching for Light,” depicted the pain and trauma of mental illness along with social stigma and misunderstand on one side, contrasted on the other by images of healing, dignity, and self-respect. The work called on us all to have greater social understanding and compassion so there can be hope. Please share Leo’s work as we recognize Mental Health Awareness Month in May.

I am thankful to all who have lent a hand, a shoulder, and an ear in the past year to help our community navigate what has been an incredibly stressful year. We must continue to do so moving forward to help those who need help finding peace within, feel the love of our community, and develop the confidence to meet the future with grace and fortitude.

May you be confident knowing you are a child of God.
Let this presence settle into your bones, and allow your soul the freedom to sing, dance, praise, and love.
It is there for each and every one of us.

- St. Therèse of Lisieux and St. Theresa of Avila

Better together,

Cody Teets, Interim President