SMHW Offers a Myriad of Mental Health Resources for NYMC Students
The Office of Student Mental Health and Wellness offers students a wide range of resources and information regarding mental wellness, free of charge.
The Office of Student Mental Health and Wellness (SMHW) recently recognized Mental Illness Awareness Week during the week of October 4, offering daily informative and supportive messages to students. Mental Illness Awareness Week is dedicated to providing information on different types of mental health conditions and destigmatizing mental illness. The SMHW’s daily messages offered tips on how to take mental breaks and exercises for students to put their thoughts into writing as well as social media posts about mental illness and symptoms. Read more about the SMHW and the services they offer, as told by Robin Hershkowitz, LCSW-R, director of SMHW and assistant professor of psychiatry.
What are the SMHW’s responsibilities?
The Office of Student Mental Health and Wellness provides free and confidential psychological services for students, along with psycho-educational programs and wellness events. Recently, we modified our services to facilitate increased access to a broader choice of clinicians utilizing telehealth and telepsychiatry services through a partnership with Teladoc. We offer carefully designed programs to address student concerns in the areas of stress management and provide strategies to reduce symptoms of stress and anxiety, as well as integrative wellness classes such as yoga, meditation and Pilates.
How would you describe the day-to-day functions of the office?
On a daily basis, the Office offers counseling to students about challenges they are facing and planning the next wellness or psycho-educational program. This involves seeking input from students, identifying a topic, finding a speaker and then deciding how best to deliver the program. I also have ongoing discussions with our community partners, such as Teladoc and Montefiore Behavioral Health Center, to ensure quality of care and address any gaps or challenges in service delivery.
What is the office’s most-asked question by students or faculty?
The number one question is “Are your services free?” The answer is always, ‘yes!’ Students can seek counseling through a clinician at Teladoc, myself or work with one of our Master of Social Work interns. Regardless of how students choose to access mental health services at NYMC, it is free and confidential.
What is one thing you'd like students to know about SMHW?
We are a centralized office, meaning we serve all the graduate schools at NYMC. I would like to remind students that mental health services are available to them 24/7, free of cost, without judgment and with complete privacy. We value the opportunity to be part of their experience and to support them through their journey. I also want to highlight our web page which has extensive resources on various mental health topics.
Who can NYMC members reach out to if they have questions?
Students can email SMHW at NYMC_STUDENTWELLNESS@listserv.touro.edu. We also offer 24/7 access to a licensed mental health provider through Health Advocate, which is available by calling (855) 384-1800 or emailing answers@HealthAdvocate.com.
Students can also connect anonymously with a SMHW clinician through the Interactive Screening Program (ISP): https://nymc.caresforyou.org/welcome.cfm.
Is there a fun fact about SMHW?
Along with our recent messages, we post various resources and SMHW-related news and events on our Instagram @ NYMC_TCDM_SMHW