CAMPUSPEAK

Are we doing enough to invest in the mental health and “mental resiliency” of our student leaders?

The mental health of our students leaders is clearly a LEADERSHIP issue.  While they tackle the tasks and responsibilities of their leadership positions, they are constantly bombarded with stress, and they are frequently called upon to help their close friends and other peers deal with their mental wellness challenges.

Everyone can play a role in encouraging mental health advocacy. Everyone can be a “shining light of hope” for others in their college community.

Sally has spent her career as a trained, licensed psychologist and student affairs administrator. She worked in Student Affairs for more than 15 years as both a counselor and a Director of Leadership Development. She is a strong advocate for students, having served as both a mentor and a teacher.  She sees her role as helping students live their best lives.

She has seen students struggle with mental health issues, and she witnessed her younger brother, Carson, fighting his. Two weeks before a great tsunami hit the coast of Asia in 2004, Carson made a decision to end his own life. Although his family had tried repeatedly to get him help, Carson could no longer cope with the shame and desperation of his struggle.

Devastated and lost, Sally realized that she was experiencing her own sensation of drowning. The ripple effects and aftershocks of her brother’s decision were life altering. Like the tsunami survivors half a world away, Sally realized that it would be a long journey back to a feeling of “normal.”

Since that time, Sally has been committed to helping students deal with the overwhelming feelings that come from their own mental wellness issues, and those of their friends.  Sally is a versatile speaker who can speak effectively to both student and professional audiences.  She can do keynotes, interactive breakout sessions, short or day-long sessions.

She has a program which specifically deals with suicide prevention, and a program that is more general – tackling mental resiliency as a key leadership issue.  Many campuses will bring Sally in for the resiliency keynote, then have her do the more specialized suicide prevention program additionally for staff or peer educator training.  Sally is very happy to work with you to develop a full day of training for specific groups on your campus so that you can maximize the benefit for your dollar.

• Keynotes

• Suicide Prevention: Be a Shining Light of Hope
• Up on the High Wire: Mental Resiliency for Student Leaders

Suicide Prevention: Be a Shining Light of Hope

Every college campus must confront the issues related to suicide at some point. Students will have friends who attempt or complete suicide, and their communities will deal with issues of fear, grief and recovering from tragedy. Every campus should be addressing not only suicide prevention, but the ways in which their community responds when a suicide or attempt occurs.

In her keynote, “Be a Shining Light of Hope,” Sally offers campus community members a solid understanding of the mental health and community issues surrounding suicide. On the individual level, she discusses the factors that drive individuals to consider or attempt suicide, and she offers friends a set of warning signs to watch for. On the community level, she helps staff and faculty consider the prevention, intervention and response strategies that really work. Using storytelling, statistics and solid research, Sally hits all the angles.

This keynote is perfect for staff and peer education training, Suicide Prevention Month, mental health and wellness programming, and more.

Up on the High Wire: Mental Resiliency for Student Leaders

A keynote or workshop that offers the perfect blend of mental health and leadership focus.

With increasing demands to do more with less and perform with polish, student leaders often feel like they are precariously positioned on top of the high wire. Everyone looks to them as pillars of strength in uncertain times, and many might question their ability to manage all the spinning plates they are juggling. The truth is, many great student leaders have strong mental resiliency. What most people don’t realize is that many have also had periods of struggle which gave them the humility to go from good to great. What can you do – right now – to help build the resiliency of your student leaders?

This keynote (or workshop) looks at the issue of mental wellness and leadership and gives leaders the tools to sustain a passion for life over the long haul. As a psychologist and a student leadership specialist, Sally brings a unique perspective to the topic. From storytelling to discussing the effects of stress on the brain, Sally will help students know when the high wire is too high and how they can stay mentally fit, avoid burnout and remain focused on wellness as they perform in demanding leadership roles.

This is a great choice for leadership conferences, peer education training, residence life workshops, and more.