Mental Health Advocacy Board connects business students with mental health resources
A group of Business Leadership Program students has organized a Mental Health Advocacy Board at the School of Business.
The board, made up of School of Business students Rebecca Santillan, Sam Rinke, Lillianne Braungardt, and Grace Aaronson, seeks to bridge the gap between students, staff, and mental health resources at KU and within the Lawrence community.
Before beginning their work in earnest, the board completed a program called Mental Health First Aid offered by the Bert Nash Center in Lawrence. Through the training, the group gained the information they needed to be intentional with their mission.
This semester, the board presented to all five sections of BUS 110, a required class for all School of Business students.
“We talked about the prevalence of mental health issues in our society, the resources available to students, and the importance of taking care of ourselves as students and young professionals,” said communications chair Rebecca Santillan. “There is definitely a stigma surrounding mental health that we are trying to overcome.”
Feedback surveys showed that 97.1% of students in the class had gained knowledge about on-campus mental health services after the presentation.
The board has big plans for the future including hosting a Wellness Week. They plan to have professionals speak on panels and a resource fair. Santillan hopes to inform students about managing wellness throughout their academic and professional careers through these events.
“I think a big thing we hope for the b-school and students to learn is that no one is alone,” Santillan said. “Life can be hard and we want people to know that there are resources in place that are there to help. We want to be able to create a more positive perception surrounding mental health!”
The Mental Health Advocacy Board is open to suggestions from students and plans to begin recruiting more members next semester. You can contact the board at mhab.ku21@gmail.com.
By Meaghan Boyd
