W e hear it all the time. From their first experience at the University of Wisconsin-Superior, students tell us they sense something different. People here are genuine and kind. They listen. They’re helpful. This is a reflection of the Culture of Care at the heart and soul of the university. The university’s commitment to this concept is so deep that it is one of the goals in its current strategic plan, Forward Superior. It states, “UW-Superior will help all students succeed and thrive through an integrated campus Culture of Care that embraces every student.” That goal may seem simple but is much more complex when taking into account the mental health crisis in the United States and several sobering statistics. • 1 in 5 U.S. adults experience mental illness • 1 in 3 U.S. young adults (aged 18-25) experience mental illness • 31% increase in mental health-related emergency department visits among U.S. adolescents (aged 12-17) from 2019-2021 • Suicide is the second-leading cause of death among people aged 10-34 in the U.S. * National Alliance on Mental Illness, “2020 Mental Health by the Numbers,” https://www.nami.org/mhstats “We have always had a good foundation of a caring community here at UWS,” said Harry Anderson, dean of students and associate vice chancellor. “But now, we’re evolving to meet the challenges of the health crisis happening across the U.S. We’re becoming much more
explicit about how we talk about mental health and how we care for one another. It boils down to creating a better place for all of us.” The university took a giant leap in serving the mental health needs of its students and community members with the creation of the Pruitt Center for Mindfulness and Well-Being in 2018. With the generous support of its benefactors, Becky ‘65 and Doug Pruitt, it provides proactive preventative mental health care, mindfulness and well-being resources and expertise, learning projects and personal/professional development activities for students, staff and faculty, as well as the greater community. The Pruitt Center is one of only a few of its kind in the nation, which has made UW-Superior a best-practice model for other institutions and the UW System. Anderson and Randy Barker, director for health, counseling and well-being, have presented several times to the UW System Board of Regents and to other education and community leaders about the Pruitt Center and university-wide efforts around training, advocacy and support for its community members. “It’s not just the counseling center’s role and responsibility,” said Barker. “It’s a campus-wide approach to make sure everyone here feels seen, heard, valued and respected. That includes students, staff, faculty and visitors.” This year, the Pruitt Center is piloting a Peer Mentorship Program in which students will be trained to talk with their peers about mental health and well-being
14 2022-23 � SUPERIOR VOICE
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