Members: Katherine Dubois, Daniel Mattson, Hannah Flaherty, Gwendolyn Collins, Olivia Dill, Dara McWeeney, Paige O’Neil, Madi Gould, and Olivia Patterson
To view our member biographies please click here.
Our Mission Statement:
To change the stigma around mental health promote education in the NH community in order to increase the understanding and acceptance of mental health issues.
A favorite inspirational quote from the task force- we hope for everyone to hear and believe in this:
“Promise me you’ll always remember: you’re braver than you believe, and stronger than you seem, and smarter than you think.”
~ Christopher Robin from Winnie the Pooh
Task Force Events for Fall 2021:
Speed Friending:
On October 26th in the MUB (the Memorial Union Building) the Mental Health task force partnered with the Diversity & Inclusion task force to promote a two-part event. The Mental Health task force created a speed friending activity where students received the opportunity to get to know each other better and make new connections. The Mental Health task force believes that new friendships and community are beneficial to our mental health. The Diversity & Inclusion task force also created an activity related to their task force goals.
Overall, this event went well! New friendships were made and it was a fun time for all those who attended. There are some improvements that could be made if the task force decided to use this event again, and this might happen in Spring 2022 possibly. The Mental Health task force was grateful for partnering with the Diversity & Inclusion task force, it was great to join forces, and were excited to see new faces at the event!
De-Stress Event:
On December 13th in Christensen Hall (a large Freshman only dorm at UNH), a “de-stress event” was held to help prepare the students for final exams. The following activities were offered:
- Stress ball making with balloons and rice
- Cookie decorating/eating
- Relaxing coloring books with art supplies
- Hot beverages (tea, hot chocolate)
- Handouts on studying tips and how to prepare for final exams
The task force was glad to see freshman students and talk about how their first final exam preparations were going. The conversation included exam schedules, how the students were feeling, winter break, etc., and task force members found themselves often bonding over commonalities, giving tips to succeed or feel better to the students during this process.
Instagram:
The task force wanted to tap into the incredible power of social media and its ability to connect with many individuals all over. This was especially important for the task force considering the COVID-19 pandemic. So far, building a page and interacting with both UNH students and other individuals has been a fantastic experience! The task force has shared original content, connected with many different people, and learned a lot! Please check out our Instagram here.
Recent Instagram Posts:
During this semester the task force also focused on updating their page on the Hamel Scholar website, attending professional development events, and learning more about each other through fun icebreakers, conversations, and time spent together. As a task force that supports mental health, it was important to also take care of each other as best we could during this time.
Task force content to explore: Project Precious Sunrise- a collection of mental health PSA posters
Past Accomplishments:
Thank you for visiting the Hamel Mental Health Destigmatization and Awareness task force page! For further general inquiry or comments please reach out to Paige O’Neil at pco1005@wildcats.unh.edu. Below are further helpful and associated links regarding mental health. Be well!
If you need to talk to someone regarding any mental health-related issue, please call the National Alliance on Mental Illness in the US at 1-800-950-NAMI (6264) or info@nami.org.
If you require support dealing with PTSD, please contact PTSD united: http://www.ptsdunited.org/contact/
If you need to talk to someone regarding suicide, please call the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention in the US at 1-888-333-AFSP (2377) or via email: info@afsp.org OR call the suicide prevention hotline at 1-800-273-8255.
If you need to talk to someone regarding sexual assault, please call the National Sexual Assault Hotline in the US at 800-656-4673.
The Childhelp National Child Abuse Hotline in the US is available 24/7 at 1-800-422-4456 or https://www.childhelp.org/hotline/.
If you live outside the United States of America, please call your local support services.
Hamel Scholars Task Forces 