K-State’s Counseling Services has launched an interactive website for K-State students to promote mental wellness, particularly in relation to preventing suicide. Located at www.universitylifecafe.org, the site went live Jan. 7 and offers information on protective factors to promote student mental health and resiliency. Based on a metaphor of a café, the idea is that students, faculty, and staff will create a sense of a comfortable, virtual community to make K-State a better place for all.
Site features include:
- A blog where any active K-Stater with an eID may sign in and contribute.
- Ongoing contests in art, photography, poetry, and music to enliven the space.
- Information and multimedia on recognizing depression, preventing substance abuse, problem-solving, stress management, building support communities, and maintaining a healthy lifestyle.
An ongoing call for student-created articles, artwork, photography, poetry, music, short videos, and research will enrich the site. The e-mail channel for the site is univlifecafe@k-state.edu. For more information, contact Barbara Pearson, bpearson@k-state.edu, 785-532-6927.
The national Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA, www.samhsa.gov) provided the multi-year grant for this project, and an advisory committee of students and faculty/staff developed and planned the site.
