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Students: Mental-health group is ready to launch

Daily Star, The (Oneonta, NY)
Nov 25, 2015

Nov. 25--ONEONTA -- An on-campus chapter of the National Alliance on Mental Illness is in the works at SUNY Oneonta, and organizers at a Monday night meeting said they are hopeful that the group will soon be recognized as an official club.

The group has the full support of state NAMI officials and the college's psychology department, but because of a Student Association rule, they have not yet been able to be officially recognized by the school, organizers said.

The 15 students who gathered at Monday's meeting in Fitzelle Hall said they are interested in getting involved with NAMI for a variety of reasons. Some said they are psychology majors, others said they have best friends or family members who are afflicted with mental illness, and others said they want to bring more awareness to the campus community and add a safe space for resources and education.

NAMI, the National Alliance on Mental Illness, is the nation's largest grassroots mental health organization dedicated to helping the millions of Americans affected by mental illness, according to its website. It started as a small group of families gathered around a kitchen table in 1979, the website said, and the association now has hundreds of local affiliates, state organizations and volunteers who work to raise awareness and provide support and education.

The goal of the club, called NAMI on Campus, is to eliminate the stigma commonly associated with mental illness, promote acceptance and educate students about mental health, according to Stephanie Poplock, the club's adviser and an adjunct professor of psychology at SUNY Oneonta.

According to NAMI, one in three college students report having experienced prolonged periods of depression; one in four say they have had suicidal thoughts or feelings; and one in seven report difficulty functioning at school due to mental illness.

The club has been in the works since the spring, when many students expressed interest after NAMI Otsego County sponsored several programs at the college, including documentary showings and speakers on mental health, according to Ginnah Howard, president of the county's chapter.

At the first interest meeting on Oct. 9, more than 100 students showed up to learn more, Howard said. Now, a group of three students is spearheading the effort, organizers said Monday.

"This will be another way to be there for students and a way to connect them with resources," said Lupe Colangelo, a psychology major, NAMI Otsego board member and one of the club's organizers.

Being a recognized club would allow the group to publicize through the Student Association, would give them liability coverage for events and meetings and would help with funding, Colangelo said.

Poplock, who is the deputy director of Otsego County Community Services, and students Colangelo, Alex Fields and Steven Doolittle are working closely with school administrators to navigate the sometimes rocky process of being recognized as a club, they said.

"There have been some roadblocks," Poplock said, "but we are hopeful."

According to Colangelo, the issue is that there is already a mental health club on campus, "Active Minds," and the Student Association aims to organize the many on-campus groups by keeping one of each kind.

Doolittle said there may be a loophole to this rule called the "Umbrella Clause," which the club's organizers are looking into. They also plan to meet with college President Nancy Kleniewski, they said.

Fields and Colangelo said they recently attended the NAMI New York State Education Conference, where they networked and gained support for a SUNY Oneonta chapter.

In the meantime, students interested in NAMI on Campus have attended multiple NAMI events, volunteered and are promoting the club's cause. Organizers are interacting with members of the community and are coordinating with well-known speakers for potential events, including an upcoming discussion by speaker Jason Paden on mental health.

"We're determined to make this a reality," Fields said. "It will give students a support-based group and will provide educational, fun events. Even if you just know what it's like to have anxiety or stress, this will be an open, safe environment for all students, and a powerful influence for campus."

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(c)2015 The Daily Star (Oneonta, N.Y.)

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