University of California, Riverside has been recognized as our April Chapter of the Month! UC Riverside always goes above and beyond to create a vibrant campus environment. Their ongoing community engagement is evident through initiatives like Well-being Walk-in Wednesdays and Grad Time, which provide continuous support, not just one-off moments. By tailoring events for both undergraduate and graduate students and collaborating with mental health professionals, UC Riverside ensures widespread access to resources throughout their community. Read more to learn about the incredible work University of California, Riverside is doing on their campus!
Tell us about your school & chapter!
Our Active Minds chapter is located in Southern California at the University of California, Riverside. The chapter is embedded in our on-campus health promotion and education department, The Well, and functions as one of its 3 peer groups. The Well serves as the backbone support for our larger Health, Well-being, and Safety organization. As such, our Active Minds chapter also supports multiple mental health departments, including Counseling & Psychological Services, Case Management, and SWIFT (a mobile crisis intervention department). The chapter is led by 5 student leads employed by The Well and trained to be NASPA-certified peer health educators. They oversee an Active Minds volunteer base of roughly 30 members, continually engaging them in on-campus mental health initiatives, education, and professional development.
How is your chapter making a difference on campus?
Our chapter has established itself as a key player in the field of mental health on campus. We have established partnership with various departments on campus that provide us the opportunity to host recurring mental health programs. For examples, each quarter we partner with our 2 on campus libraries to host an event called Therapy Fluffies. At this event, we bring therapy pets onto campus and provide space for students to spend some time engaging with them and learning more about on campus mental health supports.
Additionally, our chapter supports mental health programming for Graduate students by continually volunteering at their events and occasionally sponsoring some of their initiatives. Also, anyone on campus is welcome to request a mental health workshop from our Active Minds team through The Well’s Request-A-Program initiative. Our Student Leads train our volunteers on these workshop topics (ie. Mental Health Awareness, Stress Management, Self-Care) and encourage them to lead these requests, supporting their professional development.
Share something your chapter has done recently that you’re proud of!
This academic year, our chapter has been collaborating with our mental health initiative partners (CAPS & SWIFT) to host recurring Mental Well-being Drop-ins in our office space. These drop-ins were created as a response to the huge mental health impact that our current social climate has been making. Every Wednesday, we host SWIFT mental health clinicians in our space, allowing students to connect with and access mental health support.
Additionally, we host more specialized drop-ins when needed. For example, we hosted post-election drop-ins in collaboration with our campus Undocumented Student Programs department, and we hosted drop-ins during the massive Southern California wildfires earlier this year. At these specialized drop-ins, we expand our services to offer complimentary food and stress-relief activities, such as DIY essential oil rollers, creating a space to gather in community.
What advice would you give to someone thinking about joining or starting a chapter?
I would advise them to lean on others for support, whether it is campus leadership, departments, or student clubs. The most significant impacts arise from collective efforts. So, find those in your space that champion mental health and foster a strong collaborative relationship.
What’s a small action everyone can take today to support mental health on campus?
Build your mental health capacity. Join a training, watch a video, or read an article. Regardless of which option you choose, make an effort to expand your mental health knowledge and skills to support anyone facing mental health challenges. You can make a big difference in someone else’s life.
