Dear CC Community,
Over the last year, our Colorado College and Colorado Springs communities have faced multiple traumas that have caused many of us to feel scared, unsafe, frustrated, angry, and emotionally vulnerable.
- To enhance our ability to recognize and address the warning signs of suicidal thinking, we will be assigning an online course to all faculty and staff. This training will provide specific steps to question, persuade, and refer people at risk for help.
- We will also begin a multi-year partnership with the Virtual Care Group to provide 24/7 behavioral health services to all CC students. This is a telehealth service that includes counseling and crisis response.
Additionally, CC leadership has committed to changing our approach to health and wellness on campus in response to calls from student, faculty, and staff. These commitments, along with ongoing progress,
are available here.
Monday’s conversation featured a panel moderated by Heather Horton, senior director of student health and wellbeing, who works to develop and implement programs focused on preventing violence, promoting mental health, and creating a healthy, caring, and compassionate campus community. Panel members included:
- Kaylee Crivello, residential life counselor in Mathias Hall since 2020 and Staff Council representative.
- Derrell Stinson, community standards and care manager, whose professional focus is resource connection, conduct, and student success.
- Alisa Hannum, a clinical psychologist at the CC Counseling Center, who is trained on providing evidence-based psychotherapy for anxiety, PTSD and other trauma reactions, depression, sleep issues, and difficulties with emotion regulation.
- Andreanna Trujillo, CC associate director of Campus Safety, trained and certified in the FEMA Incident Command System.
- Doré Young ’23, chemistry major and education minor, who works for the Butler Center and is the CCSGA president.
- Rich Bennett, CC associate athletic director for sport performance and wellness, and a veteran of nearly 20 years in NCAA Division I athletic training.
- Ann Rush, co-founder of Status Code 4, Inc., a local nonprofit that provides mental health services to Colorado first responders and their family members, with a doctorate in education with a specialization in training and performance improvement.
Additionally, a second Community Conversations on mental health is happening
today, Dec. 9, 2-3 p.m. A representative from
NAMI, an organization that provides programs and services directly to people with mental health diagnoses and educates various professional groups, schools, and the public, will lead the discussion in Bemis Great Hall.
Sign up now.
Sincerely,
Ryan Simmons
Vice President for People and Workplace Culture
