Rebecca Serfozo, Mental Health Clinician, Iowa Central Community College

1. Please describe your role on campus.

I am the Mental Health Clinician on campus. I meet with students individually and in groups to address their current mental health needs. I also facilitate workshops to provide education regarding mental health and lead the Student Mental Health Club on campus.

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

I advocate for the importance of mental health trainings for all staff on campus to increase their confidence in recognizing distress and creating a clear referral pathway. I provide pop-up events to educate students in the common areas during the semester so they can be reminded of the importance of their mental health and wellness. I am also a consultant to staff regarding any student concerns they may have and I push for staff to be acutely aware of their own mental health and self-care needs.

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? 

I often have concerns about the common experiences of loneliness amongst students. I have made it a priority to provide events and spaces that build community and togetherness to prove student experience and decrease overall feelings of loneliness.

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

A high point in my work: getting to empower others. I love shining a light on students' strengths and abilities when they might be feeling like there are none. 

A low point of my work: paperwork! 😭

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?

It's ok that you don't have it all together! That doesn't make you weird. That doesn't make you broken! That doesn't even make you less professional. It's important that we model the beauty of being lifelong learners and accepting the privilege of giving ourselves grace to do so. As you know, we are not perfect; we will never be perfect but allowing ourselves the opportunity to grow and learn from our experiences, that is where the magic lies.

4 Self-Care Strategies Rebecca Swears By

1. Drink water.
2. Go for walks.
3. Listening to music.
4. Smile!