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Students can now access counseling services on all three campuses at Quinnipiac. This includes the North Haven Campus, which houses the law, medicine, nursing, health sciences and education graduate programs.

The Office of Health and Wellness is also preparing for their annual Fresh Check Day, a program run by the Jordan Porco Foundation that promotes mental health education and suicide prevention.

“We have a lot of wonderful mental health services,” Kerry Patton, executive director of health and wellness, said. “We do have counseling services. We’re proud to say we that have counseling offices on all three campuses, which is wonderful, especially for the students that are receiving their school courses over in North Haven to be able to accommodate their schedules. We have a wonderful event coming up called Fresh Check Day on Oct. 7. It’s this fun carnival mental health awareness day that we have about 10 to 11 booths to talk about various topics.”

The Student Government Association has created a new Senate role that connects students to health, wellness and accessibility services. These services are set to expand under President Olian’s Strategic Plan.

“For student health and wellness under the Strategic Plan, I think President Olian is going to do a great job about increasing the mental health and the physical health of students on campus,” SGA Senator for Health, Wellness and Accessibility Niamh Condon said. “One of the Strategic Plan things she wants to do is increase counseling services and create a new health center.”

As the first person to be elected to this new role, Condon looks forward to working with President Olian to develop her Strategic Plan. 

“One of my initiatives is I want to create a pop-up meditation space and hopefully in the future it can be in the long-term facility so students can have a space to relax,” Condon said. “I know for the recreational center, now our recreational center is more athletics- with a gym, fitness and ellipticals- and in the future I know she wants to create more of a recreational space where students can hang out with their friends outside of academic studies.”

The Office of Health and Wellness is running two new outreach programs in an effort to reach more students. The office tables in front of Starbucks every Wednesday with health information and tips for students and is co-sponsoring “Minding Your Mind,” with speaker Jordan Burnham. The event will take place on Oct. 3 in the Burt Kahn Court and Oct. 4 on the North Haven Campus. “Minding Your Mind” will feature Burnham’s personal story of hope after a suicide attempt. All Quinnipiac students and faculty are invited to attend.

Fresh Check Day will take place on the Bobcat Way lawn on Oct. 7.