GREENSBORO, N.C. (theACC.com) – The inaugural Atlantic Coast Conference Mental Health and Wellness Summit will take place May 21-22 at the Sheraton Imperial in Durham, North Carolina.
The two-day summit will explore strategies and best practices for mental health care for student-athletes at each institution. Attendees will also identify ways to reduce the stigma of mental illness and promote access to mental health services.
Last January at the NCAA convention, the Power 5 conferences unanimously passed legislation requiring schools to make mental health services and resources available for student-athletes.
“It continues to be a priority for our conference and institutions to focus on the mental health issues related to our student-athletes across all sports,” said ACC Commissioner John Swofford. “The upcoming mental health and wellness summit will allow our schools to share best practices and hear from presenters that are leaders in this field. This summit has been a year in the making and I’m pleased our conference continues to be leaders when it comes to the health and safety of our student-athletes.”
Kym and Mark Hilinski of Hilinksi’s Hope,
https://hilinskishope.org/, are the keynote speakers for the first day of the event. The Hilinski family started Hilinski’s Hope after their son Tyler, a quarterback at Washington State, committed suicide in 2017.
Chamique Holdsclaw, who played basketball at Tennessee and was the No. 1 overall pick in the 1999 WNBA Draft, will open the second day of presentations. Holdsclaw has dedicated her life’s work to mental health and wellness activism, and will share her own personal struggles and recovery with depression and Bipolar II disorder as a speaker and mental health advocate. A member of the 2000 Olympic Team that won a gold medal in Sydney, Australia, Holdsclaw has traveled the world using her voice for change in legislation and programming for mental health services and awareness.
Student-athletes attending the summit will also participate in a podcast called “Stronger Scars,” which was started by Bailey Cartwright, a Notre Dame women’s soccer player. Stronger Scars explores the stories behind student-athletes who deal with injuries throughout their careers.
ACC Mental Health and Wellness Summit Presentations
Tuesday, May 21
Canes Connected: The Mental Health Ambassador Program at the University of Miami
Miami’s mental health ambassador program consists of student-athlete volunteer ambassadors that help destigmatize mental health issues and reach out to fellow student-athletes to help them break the silence regarding their mental health issues.
Student Athlete Mental Health 101: There’s No Health Without Mental Health
This introductory workshop provides education to athletic students and staff about (a) how mental health is part of overall strength and wellness; (b) how the issue uniquely impacts athletes; (c) examples of prominent athletes who live with mental health issues; (d) options for seeking help; and (e) easy steps anyone can take for protecting their mental health and supporting others.
Reducing the Stigma of Mental Health
This session will focus on stigma reducing strategies used at different ACC schools. Various successful programs and initiatives will be presented, such as social media campaigns, student-athlete panels, student-athlete videos, and athletic department presentations, among others. Participants will have an opportunity to engage in small group discussions to brainstorm ideas that they can take back to their respective campuses.
Integrated Care Best Practices
Panel participants will share how members of Sports Medicine, Sport Psychology, Mental Health, other Athletic Department staff, and campus partners work together to provide comprehensive care for their student-athletes. Participants will be given an inside look at the models of care at the University of Pittsburgh and Duke University.
Wednesday, May 22
Suicide Prevention Strategies: A look at Clemson’s Tigers Together Program and Florida State’s Just C.A.R.E. Program
Participants will learn about the model practices on suicide prevention from Clemson and Florida State. Participants will learn how to collaborate with campus agencies to develop suicide prevention training and learn how to communicate concern. Participants will also learn the action steps to assist individuals in crisis to connect with the appropriate professional
Developing Meaningful Partnerships & Approaches to Sexual Violence Prevention
This workshop will explore the unique approach of a professor, community consultant, and university athletic director to build multi-level, and tailored sexual violence prevention programs among college athletes and those who work with them. Impact data will be shared as well as lessons learned and tips to create similar programs on your college campus.
Student-Athlete Mentors
This presentation will be conducted by representatives of the University of Virginia Student-Athlete Mentors (SAMs), who are charged with driving the improvement of student-athlete well-being by learning about related issues while connecting and empowering representatives from every varsity team to become peer leaders and resources with the obligation to disseminate their learning to their peers. This session will explore methods to maximize the benefits of peer to peer education and mentorship programs.
Creating Space: Diversity & Cultural Competence in College Athletics
This session will focus on the importance of cultural competence, not only in the mental health providers at each school, but in other staff members that interact with and impact the lives of student-athletes. Relevant literature will be reviewed and time will be allotted for small group discussions focused on developing effective practices across each department.
Building Student Resilience at Florida State
Participants will learn about a new trauma-informed online psychosocial educational resilience program at a large, diverse, research university. Participants will review videos and design formats of the FSU Student Resilience Project and learn why a trauma-informed approach is an important framework for the training. Participants will learn what data from the program reveals about student athlete reaction to the training, along with new information about particular components of the evidence-based training.
Self-Care and Stress Management
This workshop informs and empowers athletic staff and/or students on how to take immediate, preventive action to manage stress and anxiety effectively, identify coping skills, and gain a greater understanding of mental health and the vast resources available for support.