Tag Archives: NOVACares

Mental Health Resources, NOVACares, Uncategorized

Tip of the Week: How to avoid undo stress!

Welcome to our new NOVA Nighthawks and Welcome Back to our returning students. Here is the first tip of the week for the semester: Tips to avoid undo stress!

Starting a new college semester can be an exciting time in your life, but it can also arrive with some stressful baggage. Learning to adapt to your new schedule and create healthy balances can be challenging. While acclimating to your new course load, it is important to remember to get enough sleep (ideally 8 hours per night), eat well (avoid junk food and energy drinks), exercise (just 20 minutes per day can reduce stress), and maintain your mental health (support from friends or family, and not overloading yourself). No one is immune to stress and there are resources out there to help! To learn more, go to https://www.nvcc.edu/novacares/resources.html

Some additional tips for those starting their college journey:
– Read as much as possible.
– Research possible college majors.
– Polish social, people and soft skills.
– Embrace time-management tools.
– Weigh getting a job.
– Know how to stay safe on campus.
– Contact professors before classes start.
– Make the most of orientation activities.
– Research ways to get involved.
– Know where to go for academic help.

If you need additional info feel free to email us at novacares@nvcc.edu

Events, NOVACares, Sexual Assault Services

NOVA SAS Project – Vision Wall: Imagine a World Without Sexual Violence!

Imagine a World Without Sexual Violence!  What would be different????  Stop by our outreach events this semester and let your voice be heard on our Vision Wall!  Just write a note (it’s anonymous) to be added to the Vision Wall on what the world would be like without sexual violence.

Events, NOVACares, Sexual Assault Services, Uncategorized

October is Domestic Violence Awareness Month

Help us spread awareness and show support to victims and survivors by participating in The Clothesline Project. Happening at the MEC today (October 3) and tomorrow from 10am – 3pm!

 

NATIONAL DOMESTIC VIOLENCE AWARENESS MONTH

National Domestic Violence Awareness Month is an annual designation observed in October. For many, home is a place of love, warmth, and comfort. It’s somewhere that you know you will be surrounded by care and support, and a nice little break from the busyness of the real world. But for millions of others, home is anything but a sanctuary. The U.S. Department of Justice estimates that 1.3 million women and 835,000 men are victims of physical violence by a partner every year.

Every 9 seconds, a woman in the U.S. is beaten or assaulted by a current or ex-significant other.

Here’s another shocking statistic: the number of U.S. troops killed in Afghanistan and Iraq between 2001 and 2012 is 6,488. The number of women that were murdered by current or ex-male partners during that same time frame is 11,766, according to the Huffington Post. That’s almost double the number of people that were killed fighting in war. People who are in an abusive relationship will stay with their partner for a number of reasons:

-Their self-esteem is totally destroyed, and they are made to feel they will never be able to find another person to be with.

-The cycle of abuse, meaning the ‘honeymoon phase’ that follows physical and mental abuse, makes them believe their partner really is sorry, and does love them.

-It’s dangerous to leave. Women are 70 times more likely to be killed in the weeks after leaving their abusive partner than at any other time in the relationship, according to the Domestic Violence Intervention program.

-They feel personally responsible for their partner, or their own behavior. They are made to feel like everything that goes wrong is their fault.

–They share a life. Marriages, children, homes, pets, and finances are a big reason victims of abuse feel they can’t leave.

HOW TO OBSERVE

Use #DomesticViolenceAwareness to post on social media. Sometimes, people don’t know if they are really in an abusive relationship because they’re used to their partner calling them crazy or making them feel like all the problems are their own fault. Here are a few ways to know if you’re in an abusive relationship that you need to get out of.

  1. Your partner has hit you, beat you, or strangled you in the past.
  2. Your partner is possessive. They check up on you constantly wondering where you are; they get mad at you for hanging out with certain people if you don’t do what they say.
  3. Your partner is jealous. (A small amount of jealousy is normal and healthy) however, if they accuse you of being unfaithful or isolate you from family or friends, that means the jealousy has gone too far.
  4. Your partner puts you down. They attack your intelligence, looks, mental health, or capabilities. They blame you for all of their violent outbursts and tell you nobody else will want you if you leave.
  5. Your partner threatens you or your family.
  6. Your partner physically and sexually abuses you. If they EVER push, shove, or hit you, or make you have sex with them when you don’t want to, they are abusing you (even if it doesn’t happen all the time.)

HISTORY

Domestic Violence Awareness Month evolved from the “Day of Unity” held in October 1981 and conceived by the National Coalition Against Domestic Violence. The “Day of Unity” soon evolved into a week, and in October of 1987, the first National Domestic Violence Awareness Month was observed. In 1989 Congress passed Public Law 101-112, officially designating October of that year as National Domestic Violence Awareness Month. Such legislation has been passed each year since.

As this month comes to an end, the important discussion it brings to the forefront about domestic violence’s horrific repercussions should not.

If you are experiencing domestic abuse, please click here for help. If you are in danger, call 911.

 

Mental Health Resources, NOVACares, Resources, Uncategorized

Tip of the Week: Signs of Depression

Signs of Depression
Depression is a common mood disorder that can affect a person’s feelings, thoughts and body. People occasionally do feel sadness but it’s only for a brief time. With depression, it’s constant and it can interfere with your everyday life.
Experiencing signs of depression? If you think you are depressed then remember you are not alone and that you have the option to seek help. You can always reach out to NOVACares by filling out the NOVACares report.
http://www.nvcc.edu/novacares
People with depression may experience:
o Loss of interest
o Hopelessness
o Irregular sleep
o Concentration problems
o Feelings of guilt
o Insomnia
o Fatigue
o Weight loss or weight gain
o Suicidal thoughts
o Mood swings
o Constant sadness
o Restless sleep


For more information go to:
https://www.jedfoundation.org/
https://www.healthyplace.com/

NOVACares, Resources, Uncategorized

TIP OF THE WEEK: Resources for Homeless Community Members

homeless1NOVACares provides information for local emergency shelter for homeless community members. There are several options for housing in NOVA such as, off-campus housing, Arlington County Assistance Bureau, and Alternative House to name a few. For more information on homeless housing in Virginia please visit http://www.nvcc.edu/support/_files/HOMELESS-SHELTER-REFERRAL-LIST.pdf. If you or someone you know is homeless and you are seeking guidance submit an online report at https://cm.maxient.com/reportingform.php?NorthernVirginiaCC

Mental Health Resources, NOVACares, Resources, Uncategorized

Tip of the Week #4. 9/16: U-Life Line a Resource for the NOVA Community

Tip of the Week 9/16
• U-Lifeline is a free online resource for college mental health. This resources gives information on a variety of issues such as alcohol and drug usage, anxiety disorder, bipolar disorder, emotional health, schizophrenia, stress and suicidal behavior. For the Crisis text line Text START to 741-741, for the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline call 1-800-273-TALK (8255) for immediate help. For more information visit http://www.ulifeline.org/nvcc/

Mental Health Resources, NOVACares, Resources

Tip of the Week #2 (9.2.16)

TIP OF THE WEEK #2 (9.2.16): NOVACares is the college’s “See something, Say something” program where if you see any concerning behavior, you can submit an online report: https://cm.maxient.com/reportingform.php?NorthernVirginiaCC

Concerning behavior can be anything from feeling overly stressed to a change in attitude or personality of any member of the NOVA community. Reports can be submitted anytime and trained NOVACares responders will follow up with reports to maintain a safe community. To learn more about the NOVACares program visit www.nvcc.edu/novacares/ or email: NOVACares@nvcc.edu

Mental Health Resources, NOVACares, Uncategorized

Tips on Suicide Prevention from NOVA Police.

http://www.nvcc.edu/police/_files/publicsafetynewsletter-September2016.pdf

According to a study released by the CDC’s National Center for Health Statistics
on April 22, 2016, suicide rates increased 24% between 1999 and 2014, the highest they have been in three decades. The greatest pace of increase came after 2006, and rates increased for both males and females of all ages 10-74. Females aged 10-14 and men aged 45-64 had the largest percent increases in suicide rates, 200% and 43% respectively. This troubling new data was released just days before the beginning of Mental Health Month, observed each May for over 60 years.

The new CDC report also confirms that “suicide among adolescents and young
adults is increasing and among the leading causes of death for those demographic groups.” Suicide continues to be a major concern on college campuses with issues of contagion and ideation at the forefront of challenges facing suicide prevention specialists. The statistics for college students are alarming:
 Suicide is the 2nd leading cause of death among 18- to 24-year-olds.
 One in 10 college students has made a plan for suicide.
 There are more than 1,000 suicides on college campuses per year. This is approximately 100 times greater than the average number killed by active shooters on college campuses.
 Suicide contagion and clusters are more likely among young people in contained communities such as college campuses.
 The rate of suicide is between .5 and 7.5 per 100,000 among college students.
 Suicidal thoughts, making plans for suicide, and suicide attempts are higher among adults aged 18 to 25 than among adults over the age of 26.
 Thoughts of attempting suicide are reported to occur among 5% of grad students and 18% of undergrads.

Suicide prevention resources, addressing suicide prevention, information for suicide survivors, and help for friends in crisis in addition to other available counseling services, are available. Learn common misperceptions
about suicide and warning signs. Please share these resources, and others, with your campus community throughout Mental Health Month.
 Action Alliance for Suicide Prevention: Public-private partnership to advance the national strategy on suicide prevention
 American Association of Suicidology: Provides a college and university suicide prevention accreditation program in partnership with the Jed Foundation
 American Foundation for Suicide Prevention: Raises awareness, funds scientific research and provides resources and aid to those affected by suicide
 International Association for Suicide Prevention; A non-governmental organization in official relationship with the World Health Organization concerned with suicide prevention
 Jed Foundation: Promotes young adult emotional health and works to prevent suicide
 National Suicide Prevention Lifeline: Provides free and confidential emotional support to people in suicidal crisis or emotional distress 24 hours a day, 7 days a week
 SAMSHA: Suicide Prevention: Provides suicide prevention information and other helpful resources to behavioral health professionals, the general public and people at risk
 Suicide Prevention Resource Center: Provides specific resources for colleges and universities in this section
of their website.