RIT Student Affairs Division provides wellness support during pandemic

During this time of COVID-19, the Wellness division of RIT Student Affairs remains a resource for undergraduate and graduate students seeking health care, mental health counseling, nutrition advice or guidance for navigating personal matters. While the delivery process looks different than before the pandemic, the level of care is the same.

In order to safely screen for coronavirus, the RIT Student Health Center no longer takes walk-in visits, even for local students. Instead, students can call the health center and schedule a telehealth visit or an in-person appointment, or talk with a nurse about their concerns to determine if a visit is needed. RIT’s primary health care providers now typically see between five and 15 students per day during scheduled in-person visits, and about as many via telehealth, said Dr. Lindsay Phillips, medical director at RIT Student Health Center.

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Dr. Lindsay Phillips

Students continue to contact the health office for a variety of issues, including routine and unexpected health care needs unrelated to the pandemic, such as prescription refills, urinary tract infections, injuries and transgender care follow-ups.

“Sometimes people are anxious because they don’t know that they can get help for their other concerns,” Phillips said. “We want to let students know that they can get care through the RIT health center.”

An easing of state licensing restrictions for medical care in the country means that the clinicians on Phillips’s staff can provide care for students living out of state. Illinois is the exception in this case; however, RIT practitioners can provide guidance to these student residents without a comprehensive visit.

Different regulations limit telemental health services offered through RIT’s Counseling and Psychological Services to New York residents. These restrictions do not pertain to the counseling center’s virtual drop-in groups, which offer non-clinical support to an increasing number of students, according to David Reetz, director of Counseling and Psychological Services.

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David Reetz

Reetz is seeing a wide variety of student reaction to the pandemic and the upended semester but noted that the majority of students are adjusting to being back home and learning online. Students having the hardest time are those with uneasy family dynamics, especially where there is a clash of cultural or lifestyle differences. Students experiencing these complex situations can get help from RIT’s Counseling and Psychological Services in making a safety plan and locating resources in their communities, Reetz said.

Students who are seeking summer co-ops and those who are graduating and facing an uncertain job market are also in a vulnerable place, he added. The counseling center is helping to keep students motivated and focused on career preparation despite the pandemic in the background. Students can easily slip into a malaise and put their co-op or job searches on hold until normal life resumes.

“That sets them up for a greater risk,” Reetz said. “We don’t want them waiting.”

Stick to a routine, take a walk, wear a mask

Face-to-face communication and physical contact help us manage anxiety and stress in normal times, Reetz noted, and sheltering at home can feel like a struggle. The isolation can lead to increasing anxiety, lack of motivation and pre-depression symptoms. Students can take some positive steps.

“One of the best self-care strategies is trying to maintain as much of a routine as possible,” Reetz said. “Getting up and going to bed at the same time, showering as you typically would if you were going to class or work in the morning, eat at the same time. Don’t change any of that because you potentially can.”

Reetz and Phillips encourage students to get outdoors for their mental health and for their immune system—while remembering to maintain six feet distance from others and to wear a mask.

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Kelly Read

“When you go outside and get exposed to sunshine, your body makes vitamin D, which boosts your immune system and it also helps with your circadian rhythm,” Phillips said. “This can improve your sleep and your mental and emotional functioning. And if you get exercise, that boosts your physical and emotional resilience.”

Eating well is equally important to building the body’s immune system and resilience. The Student Health Center offers remote nutrition counseling by appointment with registered dietitian Kelly Read ’16 (nutrition management).

“The last couple of months have been some of the most difficult times in our lives,” Read said. “We have been forced to work, learn and socialize from home. Now, more than ever, it’s important to stay hydrated, eat wholesome meals with colorful fruits and vegetables and maintain regular exercise. Remember that an occasional candy bar or ice cream is good, too.”

Helping students where they are now

Case management is another service offered through RIT Wellness, and complements the Student Health Center, Counseling and Psychological Services and other areas focusing on student physical and emotional well-being. The case management team helps students navigate life issues—such as health insurance, financial matters, food scarcity, housing issues and connecting to appropriate resources in their home communities.

“We’ve been helping students with groceries and other types of needs because many of our students have lost their positions on campus or off campus that they were using to support themselves,” said Megan Jaros ’05 (psychology), manager of case management.

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Megan Jaros

The need has increased. Case Management is overseeing the COVID-19 Emergency Fund for students experiencing financial hardship. RIT Development and Alumni Relations started the crowdsourcing campaign to help students with short-term emergency assistance. The fund provides up to $1,000 per applicant.

“We have 100 applications and $146,000 to distribute,” Jaros said. “The fund is temporarily closed while we process the current applications and will reopen once we understand how much money we have left to distribute.”

Jaros reassures students who are feeling detached from each other and from campus that they are not alone in the way they are feeling or their struggles to succeed this semester.

“I want our students to know that we are here, and that we are happy to support them and connect them to the resources available,” Jaros said.

Online Resource

Information about ongoing services offerings and new virtual programming opportunities, open to all students, is available on the new Virtual Student Life web page. Resource listings will continue to evolve and grow as new programming opportunities are available. This space will house information for all student experience related programming – not just those functionally situated within the Division of Student Affairs.