VolAware: Mental Health Awareness, Wellness, and Suicide Prevention
VolAware Description
In October, 2006 the University of Tennessee Counseling Center and the UT Safety Environment and Education Center hosted the first annual VolAware, a two day event targeting mental health awareness, wellness and suicide prevention.
VolAware aims to:
- Provide the community with skills to intervene when someone they know is in distress
- Decrease the stigma of mental health issues
- Promote emotional well-being and coping through life-skills development
- Provide prevention and early intervention of mental health problems
- Enhance education and awareness
- Enhance community collaboration
VolAware Street Fair 2009
VolAware is a year-long iniative to address mental health awareness, suicide prevnention, and wellness. As part of this year-lng initiative, we are hosting our 4th Annual VolAware Street Fair. This event takes place each October during the national Mental Health Awareness Week. This year's event is taking place on October 7th, 2009 from 11am until 4:30pm on the University Center plaza.
All students, staff and faculty are invited to attend the fair. It will be a fun and educational day. Please plan to join us!
The Interactive VolAware Street Fair includes:
- Opportunities to meet mental health providers on campus and in the Knoxville community.
- Interactive programming such as mental health jeopardy challenges, personal safetly demonstrations, fitness classes, and art competitions. It will also include a workshops such as a What Can I Do with A Major in the Helping Professions?" workshop and QPR Suicide Prevention trainings. Check back frequently for an updated Schedule of Events.
- An inner child play center including opportunities to remember what it was like to be a child and play with things such as finger paint, crafts, and Playdoh and have fun jumping on large inflatables.
QPR -- As part of event, we will also be providing training in QPR. QPR is a training program aimed at suicide prevention. The QPR-athon is open to everyone in the community. We are trying to train as many people as possible! QPR (Question, Persuade, Refer) provides the life saving skills necessary to effectively and directly ask someone if they are suicidal, persuade them to get help and refer them to the appropriate professional.
Mental Health Screenings will be available to the entire community and will be conducted by providers across the surrounding areas. Individual interested in taking a screening will be able to do so online or in person. UT Students, Faculty, and Staff can click here to take a mental health screening online any time by clicking here.