Valenrich Wellness is on the move again and enjoying the historically Black college and university (HBCU) experience at the National Association of Student Affairs Professionals (NASAP) 59th Annual Conference in Jackson, Mississippi. 

 

 

In addition to presenting on the importance of mentorship to student mental wellness, I especially enjoyed the Scandal watch party that took place Thursday evening. 

 

(Well, it can't be all work and no play). *smile*

 



 

In order for new understandings of disability to be developed and truthful representations of Black womanhood that supersede damaging, oppressive representations, it is crucially important that the rhetoric espoused through systems of domination is challenged, dismantled, and replaced with language that encourages a discourse of humanizing value and equality.

- Nadia M. Richardson, PhD - www.valenrich.com

 

The National Association of Student Personnel Administrators (NASPA) Mental Health Conference in Fort Worth, Texas ended just in time for conference attendees to travel to their various destinations and prepare for a day of historic transition.

 



Valenrich Wellness congratulates President Barack Obama as he is sworn in for his second term as
President of the United States. 

 

 

The significance of this day is only enhanced by the fact that it falls on Martin Luther King, Jr. day. 

Dr. King believed in the power of love.
Love fosters respect and encourages community.
In order for the stigma of mental health to be dismantled, love of mankind must be given the opportunity to develop respect for human difference and harness the power of advocacy that can transform communities by actively addressing the various forms of discrimination that threaten mental wellness.
Thank you Dr. King for your legacy of love.

 



 

If you discuss it, they will come.

 

That was certainly the case today during my presentation at the 2013 National Association of Student Personnel Administrators (NASPA) Mental Health conference.  Though my workshop was one of the last workshops of the day, it drew a crowd of student affairs professionals, university mental health professionals, and disability services professionals.  Many in the room admitted that discussions regarding the soci-cultural factors impacting the mental wellness of college students do not take forefront in their day to day services.  As such, the forum today provided them the relatively unique opportunity to consider the experiences in a way that diagnostic labels, university policies, and administrative paperwork do not.  Stronger collaborations between student affairs and academic affairs were a reoccurring theme during our discussions as was the need for faculty training.  I most enjoyed the passion apparent in the like-minded, student-centered professionals that attended the workshop.  There is still a lot of work to do on many college campuses but, based on what I saw today, I am hopeful.

 

What better way for Valenrich Wellness, LLC to launch then by attending the 2013 National Association of Student Personnel Administrators(NASPA) Mental Health Conference. For the last seven years, the NASPA Mental Health Conference has taken place concurrently with the NASPA Alcohol, Other Drug Abuse, and Violence Prevention Conference. Both conferences address issues such as prevention, policy development, intervention, crisis management and substance abuse.

 

 

I have had the pleasure of presenting research at this conference for the past two years and, each year, I participated in thought provoking discussions regarding the challenges faced by students in distress as well as the faculty and staff that seek to assist them. Tomorrow, I will present a workshop titled: Strength and Silence - Navigating the Intersection of Race, Gender, and Mental Illness. It is always a pleasure to engage audiences in these types of discussions. A special thank you to NASPA for the opportunity.