UF’s Counseling & Wellness Center is promoting a new initiative to train students and faculty how to help and recognize students in distress.
The online interactive program, Kognito, consists of role-playing training simulations and games in the areas of health and behavioral health.
The program at UF has a version for students and one for faculty and staff, said Jaime Jasser, life mental health counselor and program coordinator for Kognito at the wellness center.
“It’s an online, interactive training program to help students recognize common signs of psychological distress that they might be seeing in other students,” Jasser said. “Some different examples of that could be different changes over time — if someone has significant changes in their mood or they change their appearance significantly.”
The program also instructs students on how to talk to a struggling peer so they can better identify the problem and direct them to get proper help, Jasser said.
The faculty training addresses such issues with students and teaches faculty how to recognize the key signs of mental distress, she said.
Kognito can be accessed through the Counseling and Wellness Center’s website anytime, from any computer. The free program takes about 25 to 30 minutes to complete, Jasser said.
“Given everyone’s busy schedules, it is great that one can learn about helping others where and when it is convenient for them,” said Gizem Toska, licensed psychologist and assistant director of outreach and consultation at the wellness center.
As more students and faculty members are trained about this matter, at-risk students could feel less isolated and more connected, Toska said.
“Our goal through Kognito is to get students and faculty to take an active part in identifying at-risk students, addressing their concerns and motivating them to get help,” Toska said. “In a way, it is less about decreasing the numbers needing counseling but more about making sure those who need help get helped.”
Toska said the program does not need to be completed all at once, but doing so is encouraged.
“This is a great way for UF members to support one another and to add to our sense of community, meaning and connection,” Toska said.
A version of this story ran on page 4 on 10/15/2013 under the headline "Online program trains students, faculty to identify distress"
