As millions around the world are impacted daily by the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic, the mental health effects of the coronavirus are appearing in significant ways. According to a recent report by the Center for Disease Control and Prevention, 40% of U.S. adults reported struggling with mental health issues or substance use as they try to cope with the various challenges of the coronavirus.
These concerns are magnified when we are dealing with young people and college students, as the CDC findings showed an overwhelming number of college students reporting declining mental health during the coronavirus, as they struggle to focus on school and work and have difficulty adjusting to a new normal.
It is with this in mind that KU Chabad has expanded its vital program called “ReJOYvination 360,” a multifaceted and broad initiative aimed at creating a full spectrum of emotional support for Jewish students at KU. This holistic, all-encompassing effort is aimed to provide students with the support, resources and skills to achieve mental wellness and fight the stigma of mental illness.
With their parents hundreds of miles away, students turn to the Chabad House when they are in crisis. The loving presence of co-directors Rabbi Zalman and Nechama Tiechtel are an effective stopgap measure, as very often they serve as first responders when a student is in a crisis.
“Being an out-of-state student, it’s tough not having family around to help me through rough times, so it’s good to have my Chabad family to fall back on whenever I need them,” said KU senior Sami Schechter. “It’s beyond heartwarming to know that no matter what pain is going on in your life, the Tiechtels are always just happy to embrace you for who you are.”
As the students returned to campus during this coronavirus era, they were welcomed by the Chabad team with open arms and a strong support. In addition to the regular KU Chabad programming, special mental health focused programs have been held to give that extra support during these very vulnerable times. These include ongoing mental health awareness programs both in person and virtually via Zoom. Among them are: “Talk to Charlie,” a bi-weekly mental health discussion hosted by a licensed therapist, “Worrier to Warrior,” offering a unique approach to fostering sustainable personal positivity, effectiveness and purpose, and “Positivity Bias,” a course exploring practical wisdom for positive living.
During these days of COVID-19, students are especially craving the warm Shabbat experience and what it provides them each week, as well as wanting to celebrate the Jewish holidays. Each week Chabad provides tens of Shabbat-to-Go Care Packages with all the essential resources so that they can celebrate Shabbat and the holidays in a meaningful way. These kits include fresh challah, bottle of grape juice, hot chicken soup, Shabbat candles, Friday evening guide, a Kiddush cup and an inspirational booklet for Shabbat.
Another very popular program of the ReJOYvination 360 initiative is the bi-weekly Check-In Program called J-Text. This unique system utilizes a Jewish trivia contest as a means to conduct ongoing check-ins with students. Twice a week more than 500 students are sent a trivia question. To encourage interaction, the seventh person to respond correctly receives a gift card. Students receive a follow up text with the answer and then a third text checking-in to see how they are doing. As a follow up, Chabad KU staff reach out to individual students each time, especially those who indicate they are not doing well.
As the KU campus deals with the spread of COVID-19 across the campus, more students are entering quarantine each week for contracting the virus or being in contact with a friend or roommate who tests positive. When a student enters quarantine, they immediately receive a TLC package from Chabad with warm chicken soup, uplifting treats and a note with encouraging words.
For many students getting the help they need is often scary and daunting, it may be riddled with shame and not always can they turn to their parents. At times students need an additional advocate to help them find the professional help to meet their needs. As part of this program, KU Chabad staff have been referring students to professional help, accompanying students to a health center, and have also provided financial support if a student may not be in a position to pay for mental health services.
“Our incoming students this year have different challenges than those who previously entered as freshmen,” said Nechama Tiechtel, co-director of KU Chabad. “We are dealing with a very vulnerable time in their lives, wherein addition to the COVID-19 realities that they are dealing with, there are also additional stresses stemming from social, familial or educational dynamics. We realize that we need to look out for these very basic needs.”
Other upcoming programs taking place in the months ahead are ongoing dinners and discussions on topics related to mental health and well-being, a series of workshops including a SafeTalk seminar on being a better listener as a tool to help prevent suicide, a Sober Dating course offering practical guidance and tools to navigate this often-stressful phase in college, a Mental Health Stress Management discussion and more.
As the semester winds down, the ReJOYvination program will be especially important during finals week, a particularly stressful time for any student. KU Chabad will be distributing care packages, serve midnight breakfast and offer Zumba classes. The Chabad Midnight Breakfast is a great way to alleviate stress, as they stop in to socialize with their peers and take a much-needed study break over delicious fresh food.
Melissa Hoffman is a psychiatric mental health nurse practitioner and a strong mental health advocate in Douglas County. She is the founder of Build Your Village and president of PSI Kansas and serves as an adviser to the ReJOYvination program. She said, “I applaud the efforts of KU Chabad in recognizing the need to decrease stigma related to mental illness. By encouraging discussion about mental health and increasing mental health education at this pivotal time in their young lives, Chabad is undoubtedly improving the well-being of students and impacting their future success. It was beautiful to hear the student’s reasons for being involved in this initiative and inspiring to hear their plans to make positive changes at the University of Kansas.”
Support for this vital initiative supporting the mental health needs of young college students comes from generous donors who are passionate about mental health and generous supporting grants from the Jewish Federation of Greater Kansas City and the Patricia Werthan Uhlmann Foundation. KU Chabad is reaching out to the community at large to support these endeavors and get involved by contacting Rabbi Zalman Tiechtel at .
Paige Breyfogle, a junior at KU is helping to develop ReJOYvenation 360 this semester. She is eager to see many students participate and take advantage of these incredible resources to enhance their lives and their college experience. “It is a really important program,” she said. “It is a really necessary program.”
Statistics don’t lie. The need is great. And KU Chabad’s ReJOYvination 360 program is here to help 24/7.
