Faculty members are in a critical position to play a key role in student mental health because they are often the first to notice when a student is struggling with mental health issues. Hear from Dr. Greg Eells, who will present “Faculty Response to Student Mental Health: Engage Faculty as Part of the Solution,” at a webinar 1-2:30 p.m. Wednesday, Sept. 13, in Room 202 Curtis Laws Wilson Library. Eells is the director of counseling and psychological services at Cornell University.

Case management involves advocacy, intervention and helping students. The main goal is to help students optimize their functioning and be as successful as possible. Parents and students are welcome to visit with S&T’s case manager, Krista Morris-Lehman, about their student concerns. Students who are dealing with stress, mental health or chronic health issues may especially benefit from case management services.

The counseling, disability services and student wellness staff created the S&T student emergency fund in 2016. The fund currently is low and several students could use help. To make tax deductible donations, please contact University Advancement at 800-392-4112 or giving.mst.edu (Choose Other and write in Student Emergency Fund). For more information or to discuss in-kind donations please contact Krista Morris-Lehman, case manager, at cm@mst.edu or 341-4211, or visit casemanagement.mst.edu.

Faculty and staff are invited to attend Jessica Pettit’s presentation, “Addressing Forbidden Topics and Understanding Your Identity’s Impact” 9-10:30 a.m. Tuesday, Sept. 12, in the Residential College Basement II. Pettit is a national speaker and diversity trainer.

Dr. Bettina Casad, assistant professor of psychology at the University of Missouri-St. Louis (UMSL), will speak about her research 1-1:50 p.m. Friday, Sept. 15, in 318 Butler-Carlton Hall. Casad’s research focuses on the effects of threatening environments on women in science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM).

The Smart Living signature area wants to develop research networks to stimulate smart living research and to be poised for action when calls for grant proposals are announced. A smart living research networking session will be held 2:30-4:30 p.m. Wednesday, Sept. 20, in Room 216 McNutt Hall. If you would like to be a presenter, please submit 1-2 PowerPoint slides to Nancy Stone at nstone@mst.edu by Monday, Sept. 18.  If you cannot attend the whole two hour period, please note what time you can attend.

Do you know of a student who needs extra support to succeed in college? Group counseling provides students a way to get help they need, learn about themselves and their relationships, and develop new skills. Simply put, counseling groups work: individuals discover they aren’t alone, can give and get help, can receive practical suggestions for everyday life situations, can explore issues that might be tough to talk about outside of a confidential setting and can learn to cope. The counseling, disability services and student wellness staff offers groups focused on emotional issues, ADHD, Asperger’s, recovery concerns, test anxiety, PTSD, social anxiety, grief and the challenges of graduate school. For a complete list, please visit counsel.mst.edu.