Presented By: Andrea Iglesias, Psy.D . Corey Levy, Psy.d

P R E S E N T E D B Y : A N D R E A I G L E S I A S , P S Y . D .

C O R E Y L E V Y , P S Y . D .

IT’S ALL IN THE COMMUNITY:CREATING SUSTAINABLE CHANGE THROUGH RELATIONSHIPS AND CAPACITY BUILDING

WHO WE ARE

Counseling and Psychological Services (CAPS) University of Colorado, Boulder

12.5 FTE therapistsAround 9 trainees4 Peer Educators 20 Student VolunteersFocus on Clinical, Outreach, and Training

Servicing University of Colorado Campus30,000 students

18% diverse students5-6,000 staff and faculty (via consultations/trainings/collaborations)

COMMUNITY PSYCHOLOGY MODEL

Came out of movements in the 60sFundamentally concerned about:Context is important---Relationship between the

individual well being in the community contextLook for threats to MH arising out of social environment

PreventionEnhance strengths/ competencies

IndividualCommunity

Social Justice Lens

COMMUNITY PSYCHOLOGY IN ACTION

50/50 –clinical/outreach splitStructure of meetings, performance plans,

integrated into everything All Staff carry Liaisonships

Residence HallAcademic Dept Student Affairs

Outreach numbers15,000 contacts with students/staff and facultyPlus ~4,000 contacts made by the peers

RESIDENCE LIFE THROUGH WORK COMES RELATIONSHIPS

SEEKING CONNECTION…EVERYWHERE

LiaisonsStudent Affairs DepartmentsResidence life—a liaison in every residence hallAcademic Affairs

Advisors Colleges: Business/engineering and Arts and sciencesAcademic Support Services

Student groupsCommittee involvementHarnessing technologyRestructure Peer Program

SATELLITES

Financial Arrangement: Yearly and ongoing for post doc funding

Where2 Residence HallsStudent Outreach and Retention Ctr for EquityStudent Academic Services CtrOffice of Int’l EducationEngineeringVeteran ServicesSchool of Music

WhatCommunity engagement—increase visibility/build trustConsultationsCollaborate with campus partners on joint initiativesSupport community events Informal dialoguesTrainings/presentations geared to populations

RES LIFE: A REAL OPPORTUNITY TO CONNECT

Way to learn:The languageThe namesThe culture and systemKnow everyone and grow with them

Chime in on decisions being made - Protocols Prevention v Putting out the fires approachBuild relationships

More likely to seek you out for supportCreates safetyImportance of collaboration rather than talking downIncrease follow through More buy in Empowering others

RES LIFE CONNECTIONS

What Do Liaisons Do?RoleConsultation/Crisis InterventionRA Support and TrainingProgramming

Workshops Screens Be a Presence

CommitteesSocial Justice LiaisonRA Programming CommitteeGender Inclusive Task Force

-informing procedures

COUNSELOR-IN-RESIDENCE PROGRAM

Becoming part of the communitySatellite office

Individual TherapyGroupsWalk-in Hours

Enriched programmingArea meetings/connecting with leadershipBuilding relationships at another level Special Programming

“Writing on the Stalls”Canine Outreach

AND STUFF…

Involved with the community

CONSULT, CONSULT, CONSULT

From the top down – instill a mentality of collaboration and consultation

Includes topics relating to students of concern to community based issues to multicultural based topics

Consult about these topics within CAPS

CRISIS RESPONSE

• What we are moving away from, but still a central component to this relationship

-residents get walked over: Walk-In Hours• Can be an island – try and not make it such

PREVENTION EFFORTS

• Starts with me and relationships with residence life upper management• Continues with CIR’s / liaisons and hall directors• Extends to CIR’s/ liaisons and RA’s

-clinical and outreach foundation based on relationships • Committee work with residence life – from student

affairs to job interviews

Lets talk about this

PREVENTION EFFORTS

• Trainings • RA trainings: SI, SIB, HI, BMI• RA trainings: empathic listening, consultation, relationships

and community awareness• Beginning of the year, winter break and 1 RA meeting per

semester

• Never enough time• RA’s want specifics – do address topics from hygiene to

roommate conflict

PROACTIVE, COMMUNITY PROGRAMMING

• Partner with halls to create and implement eventsNOT A CARNIVAL:

• Not too simple but not too complicated

BREAKDOWN OF PROGRAMMING EVENT

ie. an alcohol screen • CAPS: idea, expertise, tools and hand-outs• CAPS Peer Volunteers: flow management, games,

prizes and energy-quick word about our peer program

• RA’s: PR, creativity, residents, food, video games, etc.

• Hall Directors: support, direction and money

INNOVATION AND GROWTH

• Responding to residents and Residence Life needs:-evening stress breaks (through peers)-Bounce Back-Canine Outreach-extended screening tools

• Post Docs, Assistant Hall Directors – creative and fresh

UNDEFINED BUT BENEFICIAL

• Being in the community can at times be uncomfortable and strange but pays off

Getting yelled out from a building window is a good thing

B U I L D I N G A B R I D G E

PEER EDUCATION AND VOLUNTEER PROGRAM

WHY PEERS?

• Focus on community strengthening and building capacity• Help with limited resources • Social justice• Reduce stigma around mental health• Research supported• Increased accessibility and visibility• Spread message of hope and community

• normalize struggle

• Great Training-builds outreach in our profession

MORE GREAT REASONS TO HAVE A PEER PROGRAM

• Lots of energy to the center • Improved PR and media• Evening and weekend availability • Access to communities • Relationships with other departments• Feedback loop• Funding opportunities • Help with outreach prep• Our voice on important committees

CREATING A SUSTAINABLE STRUCTURE

• Coordination and student assistant• Started with a Fair and a sign-up sheet• Expectations• Initial trainings, ongoing requirements

• Multiple training and scheduling tools and resources• Committees• Utilizing returning volunteers• Important to integrate students into our center

INCENTIVIZE

SO WHAT DO THEY DO?

• Help with mental health screens • Support of Residence Life • Stress break program• College knowledge presentation and project • Academic skills presentation • Roommate game • Suicide prevention video • Library outreach- Finals care kits, programs • Bulletin boards • Promoting events • Info fairs • Tabling • Stress relief programs- Make your own stress ball! • Brainstorming of new and creative outreach ideas

PEER EDUCATOR PROJECTS

POSSIBLE CHALLENGES

• Volunteer training• Time for continuous supervision• Potential for “drama”  • Staff buy in and training• Staff time • Concerns about liability and reputation- use of

confidentiality agreements, releases • Where do I get the funding? • No response/no show

CREATING AN EMPIRE

• Peer Ed program- now 4• Increased funding• #of applications is going up! • Visibility and knowledge about program growing • We can be more selective

• More programming offered- quantity, quality, and variety 

• Positive feedback

A LASTING EMPIRE

• Policies and Procedures• Getting all staff involved • Creating a pipeline • Ongoing relationships• Education about value of program• Quantitative and Qualitative data

VOLUNTEERS IN ACTION

"CAPS is a community-sized classroom--through volunteering I am able to transform my passions for social justice, health education, and outreach into real life learning opportunities." -Mifa Kim

“I love being a CAPS Volunteer because it gives me the opportunity to do what I love, which is listening, interacting and helping my peers and community. I have gained experience that has allowed me to be an effective and strong support system for anyone in need.” – Maggie Keller

“Counseling and Psychological Services at CU Boulder has given me the opportunity to grow and be a leader. The skills I have acquired from being a volunteer and will help me throughout my time at CU as well as the rest of my life! ”-Anil Arora

SOME MORE QUOTES…

“I appreciate the inclusive community within CAPS. The volunteer program provides some great resources for reaching out to the university to advocate for mental health. Beyond that, volunteering has given me valuable information about pursuing a career in Counseling.”  -Madeleine Kennan

“Put simply, CAPS has truly shaped the person that I am today. I've had the opportunity to outreach to the CU community, receive multiple trainings, and work side-by-side with CAPS staff. From all my experiences through CAPS, I now have the motivation, determination, and skills I need in order to pursue a career in counseling”

• -Erica Rozbruch, Peer Educator

VOLUNTEERS IN ACTION

C R E AT I N G C L I M AT E C H A N G E

IMPLICIT ATTITUDES

SOCIAL JUSTICE MISSION

Incorporating aspects of diversity in all we doImplicit attitudes

Staff, Advisors, and Faculty outreachAiming to create cultural changeEmbed this work in our outreach presentations and

philosophyEvent attendance, being visible and a presence!

IMPLICIT ATTITUDES MODEL

• Attitudes• One’s view of an object or person or group of

persons• Includes cognitive, affective, and behavioral

components• Shared understandings of the world, images,

ideas, feelings• Transmitted in variety of ways• Outside of awareness• Automaticity• Efficient

USES OF IMPLICIT ATTITUDES MODEL

• Demystification of everyday experience

• Tool for finding origins of problems

• Guidance for interventions

• Applicability to real world understanding of dynamics and action around privilege, power, and oppression at multiple levels

ADVANTAGES OF IMPLICIT ATTITUDES MODEL

• Everyone has incorporated attitudes about people in groups

• Everyone has work to do

• Pretending there’s no work to do is a waste

ADAPTING IA TO YOUR SETTING

• Brief interventions in academic settings

• Examples from our work at CAPS• Therapy• Interactions with staff• With target and non-target groups• Teaching coping skills

MORE CAPS APPLICATIONS

• Faculty and staff• Advisors• Advocacy – probation letter • Organizational Consultation• Retention and Hiring • Workshops built on IA principles• First Year students • Bounce Back

CONTACT US

Dr. Andrea Iglesias University of Colorado

Andrea.Iglesias@colorado.edu303-492-3282

Dr. Corey LevyUniversity of Colorado

Corey.Levy@colorado.edu303-492-3442