When Heidi Matlack joined 鶹Ƶ’s counseling and advising staff 16 years ago, it was rare for a student to ask for help with an issue such as anxiety, depression or other mental health issues.
Fast forward to the present, and it’s a completely different environment.
“The amount of personal counseling that I'm doing with students has increased quite a bit,” says Matlack.
In a survey of YVC students conducted in the fall of 2024 by Trellis, 35% reported symptoms of depression and 47% reported generalized anxiety disorder in the 14 days leading up to the survey. Those numbers are in line with those reported by community college students across the nation, underscoring the prevalence of mental health challenges among students.
Matlack is quick to note that students have always dealt with issues related to their mental wellness. However, today they’re more willing to ask for help.
“I think we're decreasing the stigma around mental health and validating that people go through this,” Matlack says. “Faculty, staff and administration are also willing to talk about this in their classrooms and around campus more than in the past.”
While that progress is encouraging, more remains to be done. That’s why Matlack and other YVC faculty and staff are leading efforts to enhance the resources available for students to strengthen their mental wellness and boost their ability to persist in their education even when challenges arise.
TOP: Students work on watercolor paintings during an an event to support mental wellness in January 2025. ABOVE: A student works on creating a vision board as part of a mental wellness activity in January 2025.
Relevance Project
The college’s Counseling and Advising Center has long helped students contending with personal issues affecting their wellbeing and success. For example, counselor Guadalupe Huitron-Lilly said the college’s YVC Cares group was established several years ago to support to students in need. Faculty and staff can refer a student to YVC Cares, which includes representatives of various campus programs, to organize holistic support for that student.
In recent years, Huitron-Lilly said the number of YVC Cares referrals has skyrocketed.
“I think that speaks to how well-connected faculty and staff are with their students,” said Huitron-Lilly.
During the COVID pandemic, many young people missed out on critical opportunities for social-emotional and psychological development because they weren’t engaging with their peers as schools shifted to remote learning. As those students enter college now and in the coming years, Huitron-Lilly is glad that more students are asking for help.
“It takes a lot of self-awareness, it takes a lot of courage to ask for help,” she said.
In addition to YVC Cares, other programs that provide an additional layer of support include Veterans Services, Disability Support Services and the College Assistance Migrant Program. However, each of those programs supports a particular segment of students.
That’s why Huitron-Lilly is excited that YVC is getting additional resources to support the mental wellness of all students through the HSI Relevance Project. Funded by a $2.9 million grant from the U.S. Department of Education, one of the key prongs of the Relevance Project is a campus wellness program that provides students with culturally appropriate supports for their social-emotional health.
“I think the Relevance Project helps us develop a more organized approach to how we’re promoting mental wellness for all students,” Huitron-Lilly said. “It offers an opportunity for more collaboration across the entire college so we can be very intentional in our programming.”
"A student could have the knowledge they need and all the drive in the world to get to the finish line, but if they don’t have the tools to deal with the many stresses that are going to come at them, whether in school or in the workplace, then eventually they could get derailed."
— Denny Michels, Career and Wellness Coach
Getting real
One of the new efforts being piloted with YVC students is a program called . Developed at the University of Washington, Be REAL equips students with skills to manage their emotions and cope with challenging situations, mindfulness skills and practices that promote compassion for themselves and others.
Matlack and Huitron-Lilly were among faculty and staff members who recently completed training to implement Be REAL at YVC.
“There are a lot of different ways we can utilize the Be REAL program,” said Matlack. “We can add the curriculum into some courses we’re already teaching, such as our college success classes, or we can do it in a workshop for students.”
After an initial pilot with a small group of students this spring quarter, additional YVC faculty and staff will receive Be REAL training over the summer and the program will be expanded to reach more students in the fall.
Among the strengths of Be REAL, Huitron-Lilly said, are that it is evidence-based and provides flexibility in presenting information to students in ways that are culturally and linguistically relevant.
“It’s very practical in its approach,” said Huitron-Lilly. “It doesn’t require students to exert a lot of effort to implement strategies that are going to help you in your mental wellness. The exercises we will be teaching students are things they could do anywhere — they don’t need special clothing, they don’t need a yoga mat, they don’t need to spend money to do things that will promote their wellness.”
Care — anywhere, anytime
Challenges to mental wellness don’t only happen during regular business hours. While the in-person services provided by YVC’s counseling staff are indispensable, the college will soon start rolling out a new app that provides students with 24/7 access to mental wellness support.
The is specifically designed to support college students, faculty and staff and Matlack said other institutions have seen large numbers of students use the app and feel more supported.
“It adds to our wraparound services when students can reach out for support when they need it,” Matlack said.
Among the features of Timely Care are:
- On-demand mental and emotional support, health literacy guidance and crisis management by mental health care professionals.
- Access to evidence-based tools and techniques for self-care.
- A peer community providing a 24/7, inclusive and positive support system.
- Personal health coaching to support lifestyle changes and healthy habits.
YVC Career and Wellness Coach Denny Michels, right, at a yoga workshop sponsored by Associated Students of YVC in January 2025.
Career connections
Since becoming YVC’s career and wellness coach in July 2024, Denny Michels has already seen an uptick in requests from students and faculty for workshops and assistance on time management, study skills and how care for oneself. Michels is currently setting up a new career center space in Deccio Higher Education Center that will be the college’s hub for career-related services and mentoring — as well as a welcoming space for students who are feeling stressed.
Michels, who previously taught English at the high school level, sees a direct connection between mental wellness and students being ready to enter and thrive in their career.
“When you’re searching for a job or you aren’t certain what you want to do or you’re freshly graduated, there’s a lot happening internally,” said Michels, and questions about one’s future require tremendous introspection.
“A student could have the knowledge they need and all the drive in the world to get to the finish line, but if they don’t have the tools to deal with the many stresses that are going to come at them, whether in school or in the workplace, then eventually they could get derailed,” Michels said.
In the coming academic year, Michels is planning to offer monthly activities related to different aspects of wellness that students can incorporate into their lives. For example, one month might offer opportunities to learn about and practice yoga.
Ultimately, success in promoting greater mental wellness should lead to more students completing their degree or certificate.
“I have seen how much mental health impacts people and how much it can be a barrier in their life,” said Matlack. “When students are struggling with depression, anxiety, grief, loss, whatever it may be, we want to support them. Rather than them thinking ‘I have to stop my education to figure this out,’ if we can support them through that process with wraparound services, we can help them be more successful in the long run.”
Story by Dustin Wunderlich, director of community relations. Photos by Matt Barton, graphic design/multimedia content producer.