Amanda Seemann, Director of the Counseling and Prevention Resource Center, Indian Hills Community College

1. Please describe your role on campus.

I am the Director of the Counseling and Prevention Resource Center at Indian Hills Community College. I work closely with our Student Development Office,  Academic Resources Office, and Athletics.  This includes direct clinical services to students, developing prevention and outreach programming, consulting with faculty and staff about student concerns, and responding to emerging mental health needs on campus. I facilitate faculty and staff training and workshops for students, most recently with our student-athletes. I am also Roxy’s sidekick! She is a mini-Bernedoodle. She spends time in the office with students, visits classrooms, and visits academic buildings and lounge areas. 

2. How do you lead and interface with mental health and well-being across all areas of your campus?

A unique way I lead and engage with areas across campus is through our Mental Wellness Team. This is a team made up of mental health liaisons within respective departments across the college. As a member of the Team, I help facilitate quarterly meetings to discuss emerging mental health concerns, share campus and community resources, provide education, and review relevant policies and procedures. This model has helped expand our network of informed support across campus by equipping faculty and staff with practical tools and resources. This model empowers them to better assist students while strengthening their ability to consult with departmental colleagues who have questions or concerns related to mental health.

3. Share a story where you were concerned about something or someone, and the steps you took that either helped and/or left you perhaps considering how you would do it differently next time? 

A student was walked to my office by a staff member as it was clear they were having a difficult time. This student did not want to talk to a new person or, frankly, even look at a new person. They acknowledged they needed to meet with me and wanted to come, but our time was slow-moving with very little progress. Many sessions were spent looking at the floor. Fast forward, and this student opened up in the clinical setting, accessed medication management services off campus, and met their graduation requirements. Being patient, in the silence with them, to build at their pace was a challenge for me, but I knew that was what they needed, and because of that, we were able to navigate through it. 

4. Could you tell us about one high point in your work and about one low point in your work?

The high point is celebrating the successes of my students and co-workers. Sometimes those are personal successes through clinical progress, a student’s education or athletic performance, or a member of my team achieving their goals. 

The low point is navigating the barriers and challenges our students face and how those challenges make continuing their education difficult or even postpone it. 

5. Is there something which you would like to normalize for others, where they may think they cannot share it or think it is only their struggle?

None of us has all the answers; I love listservs for this reason!! It’s acceptable to say, “I don’t know the answer to that, let’s find out together,” or “I’ll get the answer and get back to you.” When we are in a leadership role, we get looked at to have an answer on the spot, or we simply feel we are supposed to have an answer right away. Normalizing uncertainty and collaboration with others helps create a “curious” work environment, which allows for growth.

3 Self-Care Strategies Amanda Swears By

1. Daily movement! The activities I do change based on the day, but I try to get at least 30 minutes of intentional movement in each day. Roxy has a lot of energy and keeps me moving.
2. Reduce and release body tension. Someone once mentioned that they found themselves squinting at their computer, but they didn’t know why. I checked in with myself and found that I was doing that too. That brought a new awareness to the amount of tension I was carrying in my muscles on a regular basis. Throughout the day, I check in with my body to identify areas of tension and relax those areas by either stretching, readjusting my posture, or simply relaxing the muscles.
3. Laughter! Find ways to incorporate laughter into your day; a true belly laugh is the best!