Weekly Wellness Newsletter 1/16/24

January 16, 2024

Your guide to wellness programs and events, recreational opportunities and highlights, timely educational wellness information and service offerings throughout the academic year.

Welcome Back, Tigers!

Classes are underway, campus is buzzing, and we could not be more excited that you are part of our RIT Community.

If you are a returning student, you may be familiar with our services. If you’re new to RIT, welcome to RIT Wellness! Allow us to (re)introduce ourselves…

The Student Health Center provides primary and urgent care services for all RIT students. Services range from support for acute medical concerns to injury evaluation to sexual health and nutrition consultation. Additionally, the Student Health Center has limited commonly prescribed medications on-site and can assist with prescription delivery options for students who must fill prescription medications away from home. To schedule an appointment, contact the office at 585-475-2255 or send us a secure message on the RIT Wellness Portal.
Counseling and Psychological Services offers short-term, goal-focused individual therapy, group therapy, crisis support, and psychiatric services in an open, safe, and confidential environment. If you currently, regularly see a professional for counseling or need long-term or specialized treatment, please continue treatment with your provider or contact our Case Management team for off-campus options. To schedule an appointment, contact the office at 585-475-2261 or send a secure message on the RIT Wellness Portal and select “Counseling Services – for General Questions.”
The Case Management team assists students in connecting to resources on- and off-campus, as well as helping students navigate complex personal problems including health insurance, food and housing insecurity, financial concerns, and more. As it takes time to connect off-campus, early planning is encouraged for students who may benefit from these additional resources.
Disability Services employs an interactive, student-centered process to determine and approve reasonable accommodations for disabled students. We value disability as a facet of diversity and are committed to fostering an inclusive campus community. Disability can take many forms: apparent or hidden, temporary or permanent, static or episodic. Accommodations can help mitigate barriers in any facet of the RIT experience, whether academic, residential, or co-curricular, and may support needs related to mental health, learning, chronic illness, communication, mobility, and more. Students should connect with the Disability Services Office as early as possible, as accommodations are not retroactive (this is especially important for housing accommodations or support for RIT placement tests).

Learn more about Wellness services and resources

Tell Me Something Good written in black text on a yellow background graphic

Coming Out of Hibernation

Welcome back! While tigers are not known for hibernating, you probably did this past break. To help get your sleeping habits back on track, here are some tips that can help!

Have a routine. Going to bed and waking up at the same time each day can help regulate your sleep schedule as we move into the new semester. Additionally, consider including some wind down activities to get you ready for bed. These can be anything from reading a book for a little bit, writing your worries or to-do list for tomorrow in a journal, meditating, or even listening to some calming music.
Create your ideal sleep environment. Studies have shown that a cool, dark, and quiet room is the best room to get sleep in! Try to keep lighting to a minimum, and if you share a room, talk to your roommates about establishing quiet hours.
Keep your phone far away. While it is tempting to check on texts and social media while waiting to fall asleep, the blue light from your screen may actually be keeping you awake. It is recommended that you keep your phone out of arm’s reach for the night. However, if that is unfeasible, try turning on the blue light blocker, and establish a time limit for being on your phone while you are in bed.

Wellness Events Calendar

We’ve put together a Wellness Events Calendar to compile all the RIT Wellness events and programs in one easy place to find and refer back to all semester long. This includes CaPS workshops and groups, Mental Health First Aid training opportunities, Bow Wow Wellness, and more.

Be sure to save this page, as we’re always adding new events and programs throughout the semester!

Wellness Events Calendar

Mental Health Screening Day and Resource Fair
Wednesday, January 24
Fireside Lounge, 10 a.m.-3 p.m.

New Year, New Beginnings: Prioritize Your Mental Health in 2024!

Stop by and participate in a free, confidential mental health screening and review your results with a licensed counselor from Counseling and Psychological Services. Here's what to expect at this event:

Complete a mental health screening survey
Meet for brief confidential consultation with a licensed counselor
Get an introduction to all of the services available at Counseling and Psychological Services
Discuss campus partners and/or programs that can support your mental wellness
Engage with various campus partners to learn about their programs at the resource fair

Students are welcome to stop by the resource fair to learn more about on-campus connection opportunities without completing a mental health screening.

Learn more about Mental Health Screening Day

Counseling and Psychological Services
Workshops and Outreach Community Spaces

Did you know workshops and outreach community spaces are offered at different points throughout the semester to provide additional support to RIT students? You do not need to be connected to Counseling and Psychological Services for treatment to attend these sessions.

View Spring Semester Offerings

Ongoing Education Opportunities

Mental Health First Aid at RIT

RIT Wellness is excited to offer all students, faculty, and staff members of the RIT community the opportunity to participate in Mental Health First Aid training sessions this spring.

Mental Health First Aid (MHFA) is a skills-based training course, in which you will:

Learn how to describe and talk about mental health, openly and non-judgmentally
Learn how to approach, reassure, and support a fellow RIT community member when they may be struggling with their mental health
Explore what self-care looks like for you with practical applications of self-care

To participate in a Mental Health First Aid training session, you can either request a session for your group or register for a scheduled session. If you have any questions, please contact Beau Gibbs at bmghcw@rit.edu.

Learn more about Mental Health First Aid at RIT

For additional events and event information, go to rit.edu/events.