Creating a Campus Culture of Mental Health & Wellness

In an increasingly diverse workplace, classified professional employees face unique stressors tied to their connection and experiences with our diverse student populations. Creating a campus culture of mental health and wellness is extremely important, not only for students, but for all employees within our campus communities.  A positive culture of health and safety can be defined as a community with a high probability that someone will identify a student in distress, make an intervention, and engage appropriate resources. Please join us in this very important presentation on how to identify signs of distress, stages of helping, what resources are available for students and employees. It is important to be an observer of student and employee behaviors at all times. In this presentation you will also learn about the various components of generation observation, expressions of concern, and examples of concerning behavior.

Zoom link: https://nocccd-edu.zoom.us/j/88373339055

Professional Leaning Outcomes/Goals:

1. Promote awareness of workplace stressors related to diversity (e.g., microaggressions, feelings of exclusion, and systemic inequities).
2. Foster a culture of inclusion by equipping employees with mindfulness techniques that encourage understanding and empathy.
3. Provide training on recognizing mental health crises and de-escalation strategies tailored to diverse perspectives and experiences.
4. Support mental health and wellness for all students and employees, reducing stigma and encouraging open dialogue. 

This presentation seeks to combine mental health, wellness, as it relates to diversity, equity, inclusion, and accessibility (DEIA) initiatives. This presentation will address workplace stressors, particularly those tied to diversity, promote inclusivity, and equip employees with tools to recognize and address mental health challenges in a compassionate and effective manner.

About the Presenter

Elizabeth Hernandez, Ph.D. (she/her/ella) is the Assistant Training Director at UCLA Counseling and Psychological Services (CAPS), where she leads the Psychology Practicum and Social Work Internship Programs, and coordinates professional development and continuing education for campus mental health providers. She is a faculty member of Mount Saint Mary's University Psy.D. program in the Latinx emphasis. A bilingual psychologist trained at Teachers College, Columbia University, and UCLA CAPS, Dr. Hernandez has dedicated her clinical and teaching career to advancing equity and inclusion in mental health care. With over a decade of experience working with diverse student populations—including first-generation college students, undocumented students, transfer students, non-traditional students, and students of color—Dr. Hernandez uses a strengths-based, community-centered approach rooted in feminist and liberation psychology. A frequent presenter on topics of immigration, cultural responsiveness, and mental health equity, Dr. Hernandez has been nationally recognized for her contributions to the training and mentorship of early-career clinicians. She was recently awarded a Faculty Forward Initiative grant from UCLA's Office of Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion for her efforts to increase support for Latinx faculty recruitment.

Attendance roster is available upon request from Flavio Medina-Martin, District Director, Diversity, Culture, and Inclusion (fmedina@nocccd.edu).