Antioch College
&
The Co-Op Experience
An Online Portfolio By Cara Stedman
-Buddha
What you think, you become.
What you feel, you attract
What you imagine, you create.
Counseling Services at Antioch College
My final Co-Op before graduation is at Antioch College, working for the Counseling Services department. I am working full-time as a Counselor's Assistant/Student Advocate. My job is to work and meet regularly with the new Counselor (and my supervisor) Kelsey Hofer to advocate for student needs and put together events/projects/spaces designed to improve overall mental health on campus. This Co-Op has been exciting and gave me a sense of the type of work I want to do with my degree in the future. Passionate about mental health, I found the work I did really rewarding this term. Outlined below I reflect on my goals and other work I accomplished over these past few weeks.
The Counseling Services department on Antioch campus is located in Pennell House on the second floor. There are three offices (including the counselors), a window nook, and lastly a double wide room named The Peaceful Place. Recently, the college received a grant for the counseling service department. One of my larger projects for this Co-Op was fulfilling part of the grant to make spaces dedicated to mental health on campus. Kelsey and I agreed that part of this could be achieved by redesigning The Peaceful Place.
Since the department went through a transition when the previous director left. There wasn't a lot of stuff in the peaceful place aside from the furniture. The goal was to create a space where students could engage in positive coping skills and exercises, for their mental health. We wanted a comfortable, safe, and relaxing place for students to engage in mental wellness. The grant proposal provided some elements that students could benefit from, like having a green(plant) space with natural light. Another concept was ensuring there were calming sensory objects such as weighted blankets to help with stress and anxiety.
The first responsibility I had was to create an order list and purchase request form for the space. This is where I began considering what items the space need. I decided that for one half of the room I would have a natural light green space with plants, while the other half of the room would be a more general relaxation space. For both sides of the room, I ordered rugs, curtains, lights, decorations, and more.
Putting this space together required a lot of thought. I needed to consider what kind of environment would make students relaxed and comfortable. I needed to consider the benefits and inclusivity of every piece. For example, after determining the large beanbag would be a good item, I then needed to consider sizing, so students of any size or height could use it the same.
In the after pictures, I made sure to take photos of some really important pieces in the space. For instance, the extra-large beanbag is meant to be a cozy, relaxing, and destressing, sensory piece by conforming to a person's body like they are being hugged. In the picture, on top of the beanbag, there is another very common sensory tool . Weighted blankets can help reduce stress or anxiety by making a person feel secure and safe. And lastly, there is a scent diffuser to help with improving mood and help with anxiety.
The green space was designed with neutral colors to enhance the natural light and greenery. I made sure to get plants that are known for air purification like the snake plant in the picture. There are stands, tools, and a watering can so students can relieve stress through working and learning with plants. For students to take, there are sensory (fidget) toys, coloring sheets, yoga mats, snacks, and water.
The Peaceful Place:
Designing A Space For Student Health & Wellness
Interactive Information
Another one of my tasks on my co-op was designing ways to get updated information to the community. I accomplished this task through a variety of different devices. First, I made hours sheets for both Kelsey and Michelle, which were hung in various places on campus. I wanted to copy the format that the previous nurse used while changing some aspects like color to differentiate. Then, for Freshman Orientation, I made pamphlets that outlined the resources the college has and listed the information for each resource.
I continued my commitment by creating interactive bulletin boards to reflect updated information and student events. Making these bulletin boards allowed me to express myself so creatively to the community and have the information/resources reach so many people. My favorite board to make was the kitchen feedback board. It has been my most popular board so far, with many people commenting on it. I have noticed that it is being used extensively by both the kitchens and students. Students can leave feedback, questions, and compliments for the kitchens. I have noticed that the kitchen staff has been removing the feedback papers to use for themselves. It is so rewarding to see something that I put a lot of effort into being used by the community to make people's lives better.
Advocating &
Community Participation
One aspect of my job is advocating for students and voicing their concerns to the college. This is done to help improve mental health on campus. I try to ensure that my peers see the work I am doing and know that they can trust me with their concerns. I have attended various community meetings this quarter, especially with the rise of tensions this term on campus, and I hope that my presence at these meetings, as well as other student involved listening sessions, will alleviate some stress and help students have their voices heard.
One of my personal favorite tasks in doing this, was the creation of a poll regarding what training students would like to see faculty and staff have. A number of students expressed concern to me that some people who work for the college would benefit from some trauma or sensitivity training. I discussed this with Kelsey and made a Google Poll about what trainings that students would like to see done. Once the answers were in, Kelsey and I discussed the best way to proceed, and now we're working directly with the college to secure these trainings.
Moving Forward . . .
Working this co-op really showed me that advocating for a communities mental health needs is something I am really passionate about. I loved decorating the Peaceful Place and considering resources that would have positive impacts on student mental health. It was very rewarding to see how much my work this quarter has impacted the community in such a positive way. I cannot wait to begin working on this type of advocacy outside of college in my future careers!