Fresh Check Day is an interactive mental health promotion and suicide prevention event for colleges that includes interactive expo booths, peer-to-peer messaging, free food and entertainment, and exciting prizes and giveaways. Fresh Check Day is designed to create a space where we can talk about mental health without the stigma of talking about mental health. Through the booths run by student groups, we hope to educate about the resources available on campus that support wellness.
Due to Covid-19, we hosted a virtual Fresh Check Day in academic year 2020-21. We are hopeful that we will be able to host an in person Fresh Check Day moving forward, but for now you can check out the virtual booths from last year!!
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Recorded Q&A Session with the Center for Counseling and Student Development
Watched the recording from the Q&A panel session held on Friday, October 30 at 12:00 PM via Zoom to hear staff from the Center for Counseling and Student Development (CCSD) answer student questions about counseling services, stress, anxiety, sleep, coping with COVID-19, helping friends, and more.
Meet the Counseling Staff facilitating the Q&A Panel Session
Starting from the top-left and moving towards the right, then down to the left in the image above:
- Kelsey Chambers, Psy.D., Staff Psychologist (she/her/hers): Special Areas of Interest: Anxiety, self-compassion, identity development, relationship issues, couples counseling and trauma.
- Karen Tsukada, Ph.D., Postdoctoral Coordinator, Senior Psychologist (she/her/hers): Special Areas of Interest: Identity development, diversity issues, women’s issues, body image, group therapy, training and supervision.
- Ogechi Violet Nwordu, M.S, M.Ed, Ed.S, Doctoral Intern (she/hers): Special Areas of Interest: Multicultural and social justice concerns-international students/immigrants/person of color, resiliency building, interpersonal concerns, family concerns, executive functioning skill building, ADHD, Autism, stress management, mindfulness, anxiety, depression, student-athlete support, outreach/presentations, resource connection, identity, acculturation concerns, spirituality.
- Jackie Hyman: Special Areas of Interest: Racial and sexual identity development, identity exploration, life transitions, mindfulness, performance, athletic identity and athlete mental health, Black and Multiracial mental health, interpersonal relationships, intersectionality.
- Clifton Berwise, Ph.D., Staff Psychologist (he, him, his): Special Areas of Interest: Multicultural/diversity issues, POC, identity development, first generation students, trauma informed care, alcohol and other drug issues, training and supervision.
- Allison Banbury, M.Ed., LPCMH,NCC, Referral Coordinator (she/her/hers): Theoretical Orientation: Integration of cognitive-behavioral, person-centered, and mindfulness-based approaches.
- Valerie Faure, Psy.D., Externship Coordinator, Psychologist (she/her/hers): Special Areas of Interest: Identity concerns and development, working with the LGBTQ+ population, relationship concerns, group counseling and training/supervision.
Student-Led Virtual Booths
Explore the activities below to see what wellbeing skills your fellow Blue Hens want to share with you to promote mental health and emotional wellness. These virtual booths were designed by Student Wellness Interns, the CRC, Active Minds, Friends 4 Friends and S.O.S. Click the content submission buttons beneath each virtual booth to submit your completed activity content to display on our webpage!
Paint Your Art Out
Watch the video above to join UD student Francisca in an art project activity to explore your emotions and improve your mental wellbeing. The beauty of mindfulness is that it can be practiced in so many ways. One of those ways is through art, which has been proven to decrease people’s stress levels. Additionally, mindfulness based art has been related to changes in brain patterns reflecting a calm, focused state of attention, and ability to communicate abstract feelings. Emphasis is based less on the quality of the art and more on the way making the piece makes someone feel. There is no right way to practice mindfulness, but making art is certainly a fun and accessible way to do it!
DIY: Facial Mask
Use the button below to download instructions for four different homemade facial masks using all natural ingredients that you can get from the local grocery store (or you may already have them in your home).
Be Yourself
This video created by Tymber a Student Wellness intern is about resources for the LGBTQIA+ community related to coming out, and the activity is about writing coming out letters of support. Note: this video does share resources for suicide prevention and information about suicide rates in the LGBTQIA+ population.
Thrive: Gratitude Letters
The Collegiate Recovery Community at UD leads a virtual booth about thriving during recovery. Focusing on your strengths and embracing a positive attitude can better equip you to thrive in your environment. Gratitude has a positive impact not only on your day to day attitude, but also on your mental health. Use the button below to download the gratitude letter writing prompts.
Rise Up
This video, created by Emily, a victim advocate, with Sexual Offense Support (SOS) focuses on the mental health effects experiences by victims of sexual assault, and it helps bystanders learn how to better support survivors.
Uplift
Friends4Friends provides information to promote self-care and wellness for students with activities that include painting, reading, and doing puzzles as strategies to manage stress, emotional wellness and other issues around mental health.