Seeking students, staff and faculty to join health and wellness committees for the 2024-2025 academic year!
Hello Ithaca College Community! I am writing today to share some information about workgroups and committees that are working on health and wellness initiatives for the university in the 2024-2025 academic year. I hope that you will consider checking out the goals of the workgroups below – and consider getting involved with one of these workgroups or committees starting in September 2024.
- Alcohol & Other Substances Team (AOD Team) Sign Up Here
- Mental Health Flock (Previously JED Campus Committee) Sign Up Here
- Nature RX Join by requesting membership on Engage
- Wysa Brand Ambassador (student opportunity) Sign Up Here
ALCOHOL AND OTHER SUBSTANCE PREVENTION TEAM (AOD TEAM) Sign Up Here
What is the AOD Team:The AOD Team’s aim is to reduce high-risk substance use and related harm among Ithaca College students in order to maximize student health, safety, learning, and success. Toward this goal, the AOD Team membership works in an interdisciplinary and collaborative manner to create policies, practices, and programs that align with best practices.
Goals and Projects for this year:
- Review Campus Policies and Procedures
- Implement Drug Take Back Days (1x/semester)
- Partner with outside agencies to offer Naloxone (Narcan) training and distribution
- Create Harm Reduction Educational Materials
- Implementing Recovery Allyship Training
- And more!
Time Commitment: This group meets biweekly for 1 hour and utilize the time to work in breakout rooms on tasks. Work on tasks may be needed between meetings, and we will ask for support to staff AOD Team events/outreach. We will offer optional additional trainings throughout the semester.
MENTAL HEALTH FLOCK (PREVIOUSLY: JED CAMPUS COMMITTEE) Sign Up Here
What is the Mental Health Flock:The Mental Health Flock is a campus-wide team working to improve mental wellness and suicide prevention. This team is working with the national JED Foundation to implement best practices which allow our campus to assess and enhance the work already being done, as well as foster positive, systemic change both on campus and in the greater community.
2024 - 2025 Subcommittees:
- Communications subcommittee
- This subcommittee will be continuing to further the G.E.E.S.E. initiative, creating mental health and wellness campaign materials, stickers and communications
- Mental Health Awareness Events subcommittee
- This subcommittee leads the coordination of Stop and Breathe, implements Mental Health Screening Days (anxiety, depression and high-risk substance use) and promotes mental health programming on-campus
- Additional subcommittees will be formed based on the JED Foundation recommendations to be received in Fall 2024
Time Commitment: The Mental Health Flock will meet collectively throughout the semester. Subcommittees will meet weekly or biweekly throughout the academic year to implement recommendations. Work on tasks may be needed between meetings, and we will ask for support to staff or communicate about JED Campus Committee events/outreach
NATURE RX Join by requesting membership on Engage
What is Nature RX: Ithaca College Campus Nature RX is an extension of the national Nature Rx movement that strives to improve the health of students and community members by connecting them with the outdoors. Our goal, and the wider goal of Nature Rx, is to foster lifelong relationships between people and nature that will improve both human health and the health of the environment.
2024 – 2025 Subcommittees:
- Communications: This committee works to develop newsletter, website and social media content.
- Strategic Planning: This committee works on larger strategies to create sustainable efforts to implement Nature RX concepts into the fabric of IC. Some examples include the bench initiative and prescriptions for time in nature.
- Programming: This committee works to facilitate engaging programming such as Frol*IC events like hiking, outdoor yoga, mindful walks and more!
Time Commitment: The Nature RX team meets twice a month, with most members attending one of the two meetings. (2nd Monday of the month from 10-11am or the 4th Thursday of the month from 1-2pm). In addition to joining a monthly meeting committee members will work on various tasks between meetings and help to facilitate or promote programming efforts.
WYSA BRAND AMBASSADOR (Student Opportunity) SIGN UP HERE
WYSA Brand Ambassadors help promote Wysa, the new self-care phone application to campus community members. Brand Ambassadors will earn Wysa swag, earn volunteer hours, and participate in personal development! Promotional activities of Wysa may include:
- Sharing information about Wysa to classrooms, student organizations, clubs or teams
- Tabling on-campus or at campus events to promote Wysa
- Being featured in, or helping create promotional social media reels and videos
- Reaching out to campus community members via email to promote Wysa
- Creating and posting design content for promotional items or social media
- Wearing Wysa apparel on campus
additional ways to engage
Want to be involved but do not have time to join a committee? Please consider attending a You Can Help training, Recovery Ally training, or a Nature RX event! All community members have free access the Wysa self-care premium access.