The Equal Opportunity and Compliance Office (EOC) wrapped up its fall 2019 Empowering Carolina Seminar on October 30th titled “A Mental Health-Friendly Campus.” View pictures from this event here.
This event was the third and final discussion focused on Mental Health at Carolina. The continued discussion was due in part to increased interest in the topic, both nationally and locally, but also to provide updates on new efforts put into place because of that interest.
The event brought more than 170 people from across campus and from neighboring Universities to the Carolina Club for discussions surrounding Mental Health. The event kicked off with Interim Chancellor Kevin Guskiewicz giving opening statements. The keynote speaker for the event was Derek Sheilds with the Employer Assistance and Resource Network (EARN). Derek spoke about EARN’s Mental Health Toolkit, which provides background, tools and resources that can help employers learn more about mental health issues and cultivate a welcoming and supportive work environment for employees that may be facing mental health issues. His presentation was followed by mental health programs and resources on campus presented by Counseling and Psychological Services (CAPS), the Employee Assistance Network (EAP), Student Wellness and Human Resources. During the event, the EOC Office also announced a new Mental Health Workshops Program. Attendees were asked to fill out a short survey on topics they would like discussed at these workshops. More information about the workshops is coming soon. The event closed with an update on the Count Me In Campaign. The Campaign, which was announced during the spring 2019 Empowering Carolina, encourages Carolina employees to self-identify a disability. The chart below shows the progress that has been made since launching the Campaign.
*Click the image to make it larger.