Sarah Brennan, LMSW, Mental Health Counselor, Scott Community College
1. Please describe your role on campus.
Like many other mental health providers in higher education, my role is multifaceted. I provide therapy services to students, lead mental health trainings for staff and faculty, and connect students to essential resources within the community. In addition to direct counseling, I also lead mental health education initiatives, such as training staff and faculty in suicide prevention through QPR (Question, Persuade, Refer).
2. How do you lead and interface with mental health and well-being on your campus?
I lead mental health and well-being efforts by being an accessible and supportive resource for students, faculty, and staff. I offer training sessions on critical mental health topics and collaborate with different departments to ensure that everyone on campus understands how to support student mental health.
While supporting students is my main role, it’s imperative that our faculty and staff feel supported and empowered to assist students as well. I work closely with them to help navigate mental health concerns with confidence. Additionally, I use my perspective as a counselor when working on interdisciplinary teams, ensuring that mental health considerations are integrated into broader campus discussions and decisions.
3. Would you share a story where you were concerned about something or someone, and the steps you took that either helped and/or left you considering how you would do it differently?
When I was a school social worker, there were times when I had to conduct suicide risk assessments. During one particular assessment, a student shared something very concerning. I knew I had to act quickly but wasn’t sure which step to take first, as there were two alarming issues that required very different interventions. As a “newbie” in the field, I reached out to a colleague for supervision, but they were unavailable. With the school day quickly ending, I made the decision to call DHS to make a report. After speaking with the intake worker, it was clear that I had made the right choice. While I wouldn’t change the course of action I took, I do wish I had more confidence in myself during those early stages of my career.
4. Could you tell us about one high point and one low point in your work?
High Point: Prior to coming to Scott Community College, I was a high school teacher and school social worker. During that time, I had a student who was struggling with mental health and substance misuse issues, which ultimately led to their incarceration. Just this week, that former student knocked on my office door—they recently graduated with a bachelor’s degree in social work and are now starting their master’s program. It always brings me such joy to see former students or clients thriving, especially after facing life's challenges.
Low Point: While I thoroughly enjoyed my time as a school social worker, the last few years made it increasingly difficult to serve in that role. It was frustrating trying to navigate a system that wasn’t designed to meet the needs of our diverse student body. From the complexities of our broken healthcare system to harmful policies enacted by the state legislature, I quickly burned out.
5. Is there something which you would like to normalize for others, where they may think they cannot share it?
I want to normalize the idea that it’s okay to say "no," even when you can do something. Just because you have the capability doesn’t mean you’re obligated to take it on. It’s important to recognize your own limits and prioritize your well-being. Saying "no" can be a powerful act of self-care, and it’s essential to understand that "no" is a complete sentence. It doesn’t require further explanation or justification. This is something many people struggle with, especially in environments where there’s a strong culture of helping others, like ours.
3 Self-Care Strategies Sarah Swears By
- Set boundaries. I practice setting clear boundaries between work and personal time. This helps me recharge and maintain a healthy work-life balance, which is crucial for sustaining my own mental health.
- Do your nails! I enjoy getting my nails done, but often don’t have time to visit a salon. A few years ago, I bought the supplies to do them myself, and now I can enjoy this self-care ritual at home, complete with snacks!
- Take the long way home. I like to take the long way home from work, which allows me to “switch hats” and gather the energy I need to be present with my family. Sometimes, I even stop for ice cream before picking up my kids, which feels like an extra indulgence!