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Campus Advocate

 
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  • Supporting Students

    Sometimes personal issues can affect academic progress. The campus advocate is available, trained and qualified to provide various forms of support and interventions for students experiencing personal challenges. All services are confidential and free to currently enrolled Washburn Tech students.

    Services include emotional and social support, short-term counseling, individual therapy, food/hygiene assistance, referrals to community resources, safety planning and victim's rights information. Counseling and therapy services are provided on a limited basis. Services to minors require consent from a parent or guardian.

    Issues might include (but are not limited to) anxiety and stress, depression and suicide, self-esteem, relationship conflicts, emotion regulation, intimate partner violence and stalking, sexual harrassment and assault and other mental health concerns.

    To request services, please complete either the online or printable application below.

    Submit an online Campus Advocate Intake & Informed Consent Form (students 18 years and older)

    Submit a paper Campus Advocate Intake & Informed Consent Form (all students)

    Washburn Tech Care Closet

    Sometimes students need assistance to complete their education. If you are experiencing hardships such as food insecurity and lack of basic hygiene supplies or just need gas to get to school - we can help! This free and confidential resource is available to currently enrolled Washburn Tech students. You just need a valid ID.

    Accessing Care Closet

    The Care Closet offers emergency personal care items such as toilet tissue, deodorant, shampoo, toothpaste and feminine care products. Food items are also available, including canned goods, boxed and packaged food, microwaveable meals and snack items. In addition, students may apply for emergency funds one time per semester.

    To apply, applicants must complete the online Care Closet Application form or complete a paper Care Closet application form and show a valid Washburn Tech ID or government issued ID for GED and ESL students. To qualify, students must be currently enrolled and attend class at least 75% of the time with a passing grade of a C or better after the third week of the fall and spring semesters or second week of the summer course.

    Bods Feeding Bods

    The Bods Feeding Bods food and commodities pantry helps address the health and well-being of all members of the Washburn family. It was established to alleviate hunger and poor nutrition issues, as well as address the need for hygiene and household items. It is free to Washburn students, faculty and staff!

    To complete a pantry order form, please submit a request using the online order link or you may fill out a printable pantry order form. Once the order form is processed, your box of items will be available for pick-up at either the Huntoon campus in the Student Services North Office, Washburn Tech East, or Washburn Tech Academy of Cosmetology. Orders placed by noon on Mondays will be delivered the following Wednesday morning. The box will be labeled with your WIN number, or phone number for GED and ESL students.

    Bods Feeding Bods is located on the Washburn University campus in Kuehne Hall, Room 101. The operating hours are Monday through Saturday from 1 p.m. to 5 p.m. Feel free to stop by, or contact Bods Feeding Bods at bodsfeedingbods@washburn.edu or (785) 670.1950.

    Thanksgiving and Cleaning Baskets

    The holidays can be a tough time of year, especially if you are already having a hard time making ends meet. Our Care Closet donates food baskets and cleaning supply baskets to our students in need. Application forms are posted in the fall semester.

    How to Help

    Care Closet is always looking for donations in the form of items, cash or both! Drop off items to the Campus Advocate in the Student Services Office. Suggested items include: personal care products, hygiene products, cleaning products, non-perishable food items and gas cards. For more information about donating, contact our Campus Advocate.

    Self-Care Resources

    The information and resources listed for each topic below is to provide supplemental help, but is not intended to take the place of discussing your concerns with a mental health professional. If you are experiencing a medical emergency, are in danger, have attempted suicide or are feeling suicidal, call 911 immediately. You also may call Washburn Campus Police (785) 670.1153 (24 hours).

    Alcohol and Drug Use

    Alcohol and/or substance use mimics the brain’s natural ability to generate positive feelings; therefore, repeated use disrupts and replaces the biological process resulting in a dependence on alcohol or substances as the only way to receive pleasure. If you feel like life is less enjoyable without alcohol or substances, there is help.

    RESOURCES:
    New Dawn Wellness and Recovery Center
    (785) 266.0202

    SAMHSA’s National Helpline
    (800) 662.HELP (4357)

    Sims-Kemper Clinical Counseling & Recovery Services
    (785) 233.0666

    Local and Online Support Groups
    Alcoholics Anonymous (A.A.) helps people who wish to stop drinking.
    Al-Anon supports people affected by a family member or friend alcohol use.
    Alateen offers help for teens dealing with a parent’s alcohol use.
    Narcotics Anonymous (N.A.) assists people who want to stop misusing prescriptions or using illegal drugs.
    NAR-Anon supports people affected by someone using drugs.

    BIPoC and AAPI

    Persons of color mental health can suffer as a result of historical racial trauma, everyday microaggressions, blatant racism and lack of representative mental healthcare providers. Thankfully, there are resources out there offering culturally sensitive support from the BIPoC and AAPI perspective to remove barriers you may experience when accessing care and uplifting your mental well-being.

    RESOURCES:

    ASHA International is dedicated to normalizing conversations about mental health and inspiring hope and well-being, one story at a time. Discover self-care resources for individuals who are Black, Brown, Indigenous and People of Color.

    Asian Mental Health Collective is an organization to help you find the right therapist. AMHC offers a support group, access to their YouTube channel and numerous resources to address your concerns.

    Latinx Therapy is a podcast, resource database and therapist directory committed to reducing mental health stigma for the Latinx community.

    Therapy for Black Girls is an online space devoted to the mental wellness of Black women and girls. Find a provider for in-person or virtual sessions.

    Therapy for Black Men was created to strip away stigma and provide a dedicated place for Black men and boys to seek support for mental health, whether in-person or remote.

    Eating Disorders and Body Image Issues

    Eating disorders are not a choice. They are a result of biological, societal, environmental and psychological factors. People with negative body image have a greater likelihood of developing an eating disorder and experiencing negative effects on their mental health. Eating disorders are potentially life-threatening conditions that can have serious consequences on your emotional and physical health, productivity and relationships. There are proven techniques to help you learn to manage your emotions and keep unhealthy behaviors from returning.

    RESOURCES:

    National Eating Disorders Association (NEDA) is here to assist you in learning about eating disorders and body image issues, beginning your journey to change, navigating recovery and relapse, seeking comfort from an online community, reaching out to a helpline and accessing helpful resources.

    Recovery Warriors has created a safe space, podcast and mobile app for those in need of hope and motivation to put an end to eating disorders, body dissatisfaction, low self-esteem and associated struggles.

    Grief and Loss

    Grief is a natural response to death or loss. Each and every person has a different process of dealing with loss. As your life continues and you engage in a new reality without this person, you will build new experiences around the grief and pain. You will have moments of joy, love and purpose, as well as moments of deep pain and sorrow. Even though the loss is still there, you can grow around it and create a life beautiful and meaningful to you.

    RESOURCES:

    Dougy Center is a website providing grief-related information, community connections and an extensive library of support resources for grieving families, friends and individuals of all ages.

    LGBTQIA+

    LGBTQIA+ individuals are more likely to experience bullying, discrimination, violence, suicidal thoughts and attempts, homelessness, depression and substance use. There are resources to support you, whether it be navigating personal safety, coping with intense emotions, preventing suicide, understanding identities, guidance to coming out, finding a community and so much more.

    RESOURCES:

    LGBT National Help Center
    (888) 843.4564

    LGBT National Youth Talkline
    (800) 246.PRIDE (7743)
    M-F 3pm to 11pm, Sat 11am to 4pm
    https://www.lgbthotline.org/youth-talkline

    The Trevor Lifeline (LGBTQ+, ages 13-24)
    (866) 488.7386
    Text START to 678678
    Chat: thetrevorproject.org

    Trans Lifeline
    (877) 565.8860

    BlackLine is a space for peer support, counseling, witnessing and affirming the lived experiences to folxs who are most impacted by systematic oppression with an LGBTQ+ Black Femme Lens.

    DeQH supports South Asian LGBQ/TGNB+ individuals. You can send a message online, give a phone call or review resources to get the answers you need.

    It Gets Better shares thousands of video stories to inspire and empower you so you know you are not alone.

    The Trevor Project offers crisis support, an educational resource center on variety of topics, and an online community network (Trevor Space) to make friends, get advice, find support and safely express your authentic self.

    Domestic/Dating Violence and Stalking

    Domestic violence is a pattern of behavior in any intimate relationship used by one partner to gain and maintain power and control over another. Domestic violence can appear as physical, sexual, emotional, psychological, economic or technological abuse. The controlling behaviors include threats, coercion, intimidation, manipulation, humiliation, isolation, minimizing, denying, gaslighting and blaming.

    The Power and Control Wheel can be used to help assess whether your relationship is based on power and control. The wheel describes how abusers and batterers do things to gain power and control over another person who is in an intimate relationship with them.

    RESOURCES:

    Kansas Crisis Hotline
    (888) END.ABUSE (363.2287)

    National Domestic Violence Hotline
    (800) 799.SAFE (7233)
    Text START to 88788 

    National Teen Dating Abuse Helpline
    (866) 331.9474
    Text LOVEIS to 22522
    https://www.loveisrespect.org/

    YWCA Center for Safety & Empowerment
    (888) 822.2983

    Bright Sky is an easy to use website and free app that provides support and information on how to spot the signs of domestic abuse and how to respond to domestic abuse.

    Mental Health

    Mental health includes your emotional, psychological and social well-being. It affects the way you think, feel and act. Anyone can experience anxiety, stress and depression throughout life but for some it interferes with the ability to sustain a happy and healthy life. Below are some resources to boost your positive mental health and wellness.

    RESOURCES:

    Crisis Text Line
    English: Text HOME to 741741
    Spanish: Text AYUDA to 741741
    Chat: connect.crisistextline.org/chat

    WU Counseling Services
    (785) 670.3100

    Mental Health is Health is designed to help you support and strengthen your emotional health and those around you. By selecting how you are feeling or what you are experiencing, you are provided with videos, articles, podcasts and web resources to help you learn about your feelings and experience and offer tools and skills you can practice to address and manage how you are impacted.

    Sanvello is an app designed help you find self-care strategies and resources to develop skills aimed at managing symptoms and promoting healthy, sustainable behaviors.

    Pregnancy, Parenting and STIs

    Lifeline Pregnancy Center offers free pregnancy testing, free limited obstetric ultrasound and pregnancy options counseling.

    Planned Parenthood delivers reproductive care and sex education information on matters such as pregnancy, birth control, abortion, emergency contraception, STIs, cancer, sexual orientation, gender identity and relationships.

    Positive Connections provides free to low-cost testing and prevention of STIs and HIV.

    Shawnee County Health Department works with low-income individuals and families to provide physical exams and health screenings, pregnancy testing and counseling, preconception counseling, contraception services, birth control, infertility services, STI screening and treatment, family planning, transition to motherhood support and nutrition care.

    Sexual Abuse and Assault

    Sexual violence is any sexual act, attempt to obtain a sexual act or other act perpetrated against someone’s will or capacity to consent. Sexual violence can happen to anyone, regardless of gender identity, age, race, ethnicity, sexual orientation, socioeconomic status, ability, relationship or setting. You can read about the types of sexual assault on the RAINN website.

    If you are a survivor of sexual violence, go to a safe place of someone you trust, reach out for professional support, seek medical care from a trained examiner, then decide if you want to report it.

    If someone you know is a survivor of sexual violence, listen without judgment, believe what they tell you, acknowledge their feelings, remind them it is not their fault, offer support and make a referral.

    RESOURCES:

    Kansas Crisis Hotline
    (888) END.ABUSE (363.2287)

    RAINN National Sexual Assault Hotline
    (800) 656.HOPE (4673)
    Chat: online.rainn.org 

    SASS Crisis and Support Line
    English: (844) 404.7277
    Spanish: (800) 788.4727

    YWCA Center for Safety & Empowerment
    (888) 822.2983

    1 in 6 is a resource for men who have experienced sexual abuse or assault and for those who care about them.

    Suicide and Self Harm

    Suicidal thoughts are a result of experiencing pain from life’s stressful situations and not having the resources to cope. It may seem like the only way to solve the problem and end the pain is suicide. But these overwhelming thoughts and feelings can be changed. 

    Self-harm can be a way of dealing with deep distress and emotional pain. It may be the only way you know how to express and cope with your feelings, get relief from pain and tensions, distract yourself from life, give you a sense of control or make you feel alive. Nevertheless, there are other ways to deal with everything that is going on without having to hurt yourself, and help is available if you want to learn.

    Create a safety plan to help identify what leads to your thoughts of suicide or self-harm and how to feel better when you are having suicidal or self-harm thoughts. This plan can be created on your own or with the assistance of a mental health professional or someone you trust. Create a plan now so you can have it ready when a crisis occurs. The plan is flexible so you can add and change items as needed.

    RESOURCES:

    National Suicide Prevention Lifeline (and self-harm)
    Dial or text 988
    (800) 273.TALK (8255)
    Chat: https://988lifeline.org/chat/

    Valeo 24-Hour Crisis Hotline
    (785) 234.3300

    Calm Harm is a free app that helps you manage or resist the urge to self-harm.

    Kansas – A Friend Asks is a free app that helps provide the information, tools, and resources to help a friend (or yourself) who may be struggling with thoughts of suicide.

    notOK App is a free digital panic button to get you immediate support via text, phone call, or GPS location from trusted contacts when you’re struggling to reach out and need it the most.

    Teen Helplines

    The following helplines provide support, resources and hope to young people, whether you are experiencing a crisis or needing someone to talk to. You are not limited to these helplines, so please review other resources, reach out for help and know there are others who would like to be there for you.

    RESOURCES:

    Compassionate Ear WarmLine
    (866) WARMEAR (927.6327)
    (913) 281-2251 (4pm to 10pm)

    Kansas Crisis Number
    (800) 784.2433

    LGBT National Youth Talkline
    (800) 246.PRIDE (7743)
    M-F 3pm to 11pm, Sat 11am to 4pm
    https://www.lgbthotline.org/youth-talkline

    National Teen Dating Abuse Helpline
    (866) 331.9474
    Text LOVEIS to 22522
    https://www.loveisrespect.org/ 

    Teen Line
    (800) TLC.TEEN (852.8336) 8pm to 12am
    Text “TEEN” to 839863 (8pm to 11pm)
    https://www.teenline.org/

    The Trevor Lifeline (LGBTQ+, ages 13-24)
    (866) 488.7386
    Text START to 678678
    Chat: thetrevorproject.org

    YouthLine
    (877) 968.8491
    Text TEEN2TEEN to 839863

    Veterans and Service Members

    Are you reluctant to seek mental health treatment? Do you think treatment will not be able to help you? Do you believe you should handle problems on your own? Yet, you experience stress reactions and avoidant behaviors? If the answer to these questions are yes, you may be influenced by the stigma associated with asking for help.

    Did you know? What you share during mental health treatment is kept confidential. You can begin to gain hope for change as you learn about how your symptoms developed and become aware of the progress you can make by using evidence-based treatment. Your voice will be heard when setting treatment goals and choosing methods you are willing to implement. Seeking help sooner rather than later has the least negative impact on your well-being and future. Reaching out for help when you could use it is a sign of character strength. To break down the barriers and receive the care you deserve, please do not hesitate to reach out.

    RESOURCES:

    Veterans Crisis Line
    (for all Service members and their families & friends, including National Guard and Reserve, even if not registered with VA)
    (800) 273.8255 (press 1)
    Dial 988 (press 1)
    Text ANSWER to 838255
    Chat: veteranscrisisline.net

    Local and National Resources for Military Students

    PTSD Coach has an online forum and free mobile app to provide you with education about PTSD, self-assessments, opportunities to find support, and tools that can help you manage the stresses of daily life.

    Virtual Hope Box is a free mobile app for IOS and on Google Play that can be personalized to help you with coping, relaxation, distraction and positive thinking.

    Meet the Campus Advocate

    Amanda Northrop is the Washburn Tech Campus Advocate for the 2022-2023 academic year. Her office is located in Building A, Student Services North, Room AC117C. You may contact her at (785) 670.3348.

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    Washburn University prohibits discrimination on the basis of race, color, religion, age, national origin, ancestry, disability, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, genetic information, veteran status, or marital or parental status. The following person has been designated to handle inquiries regarding the non-discrimination policies: Equal Opportunity Director/Title IX Coordinator, Washburn University, 1700 SW College Ave, Topeka, Kansas 66621, 785.670.1509, eodirector@washburn.edu.

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