If you have ever seen me around campus, then you have heard me talking about the many resources available at the University when it comes to mental health. From workshops to free counseling, online self-care resources through CredibleMind, and therapy dog visits, there is an array of things in place to assist in mental well-being. As the Program Administrator of Mental Health & Wellness, I understand how these resources impact employees and their families. However, as simply Laqwanda Roberts-Buckley, I carry a deeper perspective as I use these resources personally.
I have been in the field of mental health for 19 years now. For several of those years, I have managed Bipolar Disorder, PTSD, and Generalize Anxiety Disorder. Understanding the importance of access to mental health resources goes beyond my responsibilities at work, it also includes my day-to-day life. Every month, I find myself spending time on the CredibleMind website, taking an assessment to gauge how I might be doing. I tend to call it taking my mental health “temperature” or doing a quick check-in. As much as I enjoy supporting the Wildcat community, I try my best to ensure that I am pouring into myself as well.
Another support I utilize is our Employment Assistance Program. I am an Arizona transplant. Coming to a new state and having my daughter join me later to attend school took a lot of adjustment for the both of us. We are the only family that we have in Arizona. For me, that call to ComPsych provided an instant line of connection to a provider I was grateful to have. Learning a new job, environment, and state could have easily opened a doorway to feeling overwhelmed. Having access to mental health professionals took one of the things off my to-do list as I worked toward establishing myself in my new home state.
Bernie the Bernedoodle visiting during a PAWS event.
Photo courtesy Amy Barber
As I leaned more into my university role, I realized how much I enjoyed the mental health offerings, especially the furry ones. One of the events I love on campus is Take A PAWS. This event is when LWC’s community partner, Pet Partners of Southern Arizona, brings therapy dogs to visit employees. Seeing employees smile and get excited about wagging tails, pets, and dogs doing tricks for treats makes me feel good, too. I normally sit next to Bernie the Bernedoodle and his handler, Jim, whenever they arrive. It’s part of my job to interact with employees as they arrive. However, it’s a much-needed moment for me as well. Sometimes, I need to sit on the floor and pet a therapy dog, too.
Regardless of why we as employees are using our resources here at the university, it’s important to remember that they are here to use. Our team of experts at LWC strives daily to find creative ways to assist employees in including wellness in their lives. It’s what we do, and as we do it, we also pour into our Wildcat community and ourselves. So, if you ever hear me say, “There is this resource at LWC for mental health,” I’m not just talking; I’ve used it too.