The UT Martin Student Health and Counseling Services is collaborating with Carey Counseling Inc. to bring students a new, all-encompassing level of care. This collaboration has resulted in the Campus Wellness Initiative, which is led by Carrie Dean and Kimberly Bradshaw of Carey Counseling, and is funded by the Promoting the Integration of Primary and Behavioral Healthcare grant.
“The idea is to take physical health and mental, emotional [and] behavioral health and kind of combine the services to treat the whole person,” Dean said.
The purpose of the initiative is to help students as they transition into adulthood and learn to navigate taking care of their physical, mental and behavioral health. They offer services including medication management, peer support, case management, primary care and individual or group therapy. These services are only offered to UT Martin students from the ages of 16 to 28, and students must be dealing with chronic physical and mental or behavioral health issues to qualify.
To receive the services, students must first meet with a nurse practitioner from Student Health and Counseling Services and then be referred to Bradshaw or Dean, who will then meet with the students to see if they would benefit from the program.
The Campus Wellness Initiative has already been launched and has taken on several different clients, but they are always looking to help more students.
“So far, we’ve had really good, positive feedback,” Dean said. “We’ve seen improvements in mental health responses to data collection, things like that.”
Questions about the Campus Wellness Initiative and the services it provides can be directed to Student Health and Counseling Services by going to the Student Health Services building or by calling 731-881-7750. Dean and Bradshaw have an “open-door policy” and can answer questions as well if needed. Their office is located in 276 Clement Hall.
PHOTO: Pictured in front of the Blaylock Inspiration Oracle on the UT Martin main campus are Kimberly Bradshaw (left) and Carrie Dean, both of Carey Counseling Inc.
