We Care About You, Cowboys

Tuesday, October 13, 2020

Keeping up with life during college can be difficult, and the additional stress of a pandemic can feel even more overwhelming. We want to remind you that it is important to talk about mental health, now more than ever. And, that the feelings of struggle, depression, hopelessness or apathy are normal and there are lots of resources on campus to help and support you.

Take the first step

Acknowledging that things aren’t OK can be difficult. Remember, many college students experience this and the first step is recognizing that you want to feel better. If you need support, reach out to a trusted advisor, mentor or friend and select one of the resources below.

Connect with one of OSU's mental health support resources

We care about you here at Oklahoma State and want to make you aware of the resources that are available to help you feel better and thrive during your college experience. 

• Student Counseling Center- 405-744-5458, 320 Student Union, Monday-Friday, 8 a.m.-5 p.m.
  
  • Services include individual, group, grief and substance abuse counseling.
  • The SCC also offers a virtual walk-in clinic and crisis counseling. 
  • An on-call counselor is available during regular business hours for crisis counseling. 
  • First four sessions are free,  $10 per additional session. 
  • Visit the Student Counseling Center page for more information.
• Walk-in Clinic - 320 Student Union, Monday-Friday, 10 a.m. to 3 p.m.
  
  • Free to students and involves a virtual meeting with a counselor for a brief session to answer questions and/or complete an intake.
• Alcohol & Substance Abuse Center - 405-744-5458, 320 Student Union, Monday-Friday, 8 a.m.-5 p.m.
  • The goal of the Alcohol and Substance Abuse Center (ASAC) is to help students maximize their potential. 
  • ASAC supports the intellectual, personal and social growth of the individual.
  • First four sessions are free, then it’s $10 per session.
  • Visit the Alcohol & Substance Abuse Center page for more information.
• Counseling & Counseling Psychology Clinic - 405-744-6980, 111 Public Information Office (PIO)
  • The Counseling and Counseling Psychology Clinic strives to offer high quality and cost friendly psychological and mental health services to students and residents of Stillwater and the surrounding communities. Individual counseling: weekly sessions with no overall session limit. For students, the first four sessions are free, then it’s $10 per session.
  • Visit the Counseling and Counseling Psychology Clinic page for more information.
• Psychological Services - 405-744-5975, 118 N. Murray Hall, Monday-Friday, 8 a.m.-5 p.m.
  • The PSC provides services to children, adolescents and adults. Services are available to residents of Stillwater and the surrounding community, as well as to OSU students, faculty, and staff. 
  • The initial intake is $10, then counseling session fees are based on income ($10 minimum).
  • Visit the Psychological Services Center page for more information.
• TAO Self-Help
  • Therapy Assistance Online is an online library of engaging, interactive programs to learn life skills and to help you bounce back from disappointments or stumbling blocks in life.
  • TAO is completely free and available to anyone at OSU with a working @okstate email address.
  • Visit the TAO page for more information.
• Call SAM - 855-225-2SAM (2726)
  • Call SAM (Student Assistance by Mercy) has licensed counselors available 24 hours a day, seven days a week to respond to crises, and provide referrals and consultations.
• MD Live
  • MDLive provides students with licensed counselors who can provide timely access to counseling via their video or phone platform.
  • Please call 405-744-5458 for more information on getting setup with this service. 
  • Students on the waitlist are eligible for five free sessions with a licensed counselor via video or phone.

Be There for Your Fellow Cowboys

Navigating mental health takes a community effort, so we want you to know that even if you are not struggling personally with mental health, there are ways that you can assist and support your fellow cowboys that are. The more people trained to assist and support people struggling with mental health, the better.

• QPR (Question. Persuade. Refer.) Training
  • People trained in QPR learn how to recognize the warning signs of a suicide crisis and how to question, persuade, and refer someone to help. Completing this training could save a life, so visit the site for more information.
• Kognito Training
  • OSU has also partnered with the State Regents to provide training about recognizing students and how to approach them.
• Mental Health First Aid Training
  • This is a more detailed and lengthy training about mental health and mental illness, how to recognize signs and symptoms, what resources are available and how to help those that are struggling. For information about Mental Health First Aid Training, email Dr. Kari Pratt.

Additional Assistance is Available

Many factors can contribute to feeling overwhelmed including financial struggles, access to food, issues with grades and more. These are complex issues and we have people to help. Start by viewing the resources on the Student Support Resources site, call Student Support & Conduct at 405-744-5470 or email student.support@okstate.edu.

Pete's Pet Posse

OSU’s pet therapy program enhances the wellbeing of the Cowboy family through professionally trained and nationally certified teams. Pet therapy is a great way to de-stress and reduce anxiety, so follow @pets4pete on Instagram and @PetesPetPosse on Facebook to stay up to date on all of the pet therapy appearances each week! Visit the Pete’s Pet Posse page for more information.

Don't Forget Cowboys, We Are Here for You

We care about our entire Cowboy family. If you or someone you know is struggling, please reach out. Reach out to any faculty, staff, peer, advisor or mentor to help you and help you take advantage of the resources available to you.