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The UAF Student Health and Counseling Center offers students many resources to help them stay healthy and well while pursuing their academic goals! Depending on where you are located, you can access our services in person or via telehealth through UAF SHCC providers or TimelyCare. We are thrilled to continue offering you access to TimelyCare, a robust telehealth platform that includes crisis counseling, scheduled counseling sessions, medical appointments, health coaching and self-help resources! Staff and faculty are also eligible for the mental health, health coaching and self-help resources. Please consider downloading the and registering for care so that you have it when you need it.

Students in the Fairbanks area have access to in-person mental health and medical services through the SHCC provider team. We have exciting support groups and group counseling options available. These groups focus on helping students manage depression, anxiety and substance use concerns. In addition, we have groups tailored to helping students acquire the skills to thrive interpersonally. Other groups focus on helping students build important relationships and connections with others.  Please check out our group offerings on our website and register using this .

In addition, SHCC offers important training to our students, staff and faculty. This semester, we are offering QPR Suicide Prevention and Mental Health First Aid Training.  QPR stands for question, persuade and refer — the three simple steps anyone can learn to help save a life from suicide. Just as people trained in CPR and the Heimlich maneuver help save thousands of lives each year, people trained in QPR learn how to recognize the warning signs of a suicide crisis and how to question, persuade and refer someone to help. Each year, thousands of Americans like you are saying "yes" to saving the life of a friend, colleague, sibling or neighbor.

This semester, we have four more QPR trainings scheduled, all with space available. Please register . There is no fee for this training. In-person and Zoom options are available.

Mental Health First Aid training teaches trainees how to identify, understand and respond to emerging, worsening, and crisis-level signs and symptoms of mental health and substance use challenges among adult populations. SHCC is offering this in-person training on April 16. Pre-work is required before the training, so please sign up in advance. Students registering for the training are eligible for scholarships to cover the entire cost. Staff and faculty are eligible to attend the training, which costs $35. Please register .

SHCC front desk staff members are well-equipped to help you learn about the services available to you and the various modalities of care for which you are eligible. Whether you are interested in mental health support, medical services or training, please feel free to reach out to SHCC to explore your options! We can be reached at 907-474-7043.

Friday Focus is a column written by a different member of UAF’s leadership team every week. On occasion, a guest writer is invited to contribute a column.