Welcome to the Month of May!

Since 1949, May has been recognized as Mental Health Awareness Month. Mental health refers to our emotional and social well-being and impacts how we think, feel, and behave. According to the World Health Organization, “there is no health without mental health.”  

As the newest chapter of Active Minds, we are excited to spread awareness about mental health and help educate and empower our fellow students to make a difference. Mental health is becoming a part of our everyday conversations, and it’s important that everyone has a foundation of knowledge about mental health. 

Mental health is an important part of our everyday lives, especially as students. SUNY Empire has a few ways to support our mental health. First off, our coordinator for health and wellness can assist in addressing needs around food, housing, and a variety of other resources that are part of the social determinants of health. You can email Josh Boardman at basicneeds@esc.edu. Physical health and mental health are interconnected, and meeting your physical needs met is an integral part of mental health. There is also a new app (with a website) called LifeWorks MySSP that offers no-cost, confidential mental health counseling in several languages and access to many mental wellness resources.  

We are so excited to have  these new resources to help boost our mental health! In addition, during the month of May, Active Minds will host several  events recognizing Mental Health Awareness Month, including a student panel, resource fair, and game night. Keep an eye out for these events or find them on SUNY Empire Connects page.  

We can’t wait for you to join us this month in recognizing the importance of mental health!  

Be well! 

Active Minds at SUNY Empire