CORONAVIRUS (COVID-19) RESOURCE CENTER Read More
Add To Favorites

SUNY Adirondack adds new office for more mental health initiatives

Post-Star - 7/14/2022

Jul. 13—QUEENSBURY — SUNY Adirondack has hired four health experts for a new office that will expand the college's mental health services.

The Health and Wellness office will focus its practice on six pillars of health: the physical, emotional, social, spiritual, intellectual and the occupational aspects of a student, according to a news release issued Tuesday by the college.

Lori Prock is the director of the new center.

"Health is not just physical and emotional," she said.

Prock was previously the emergency preparedness coordinator for Saratoga County. She has a bachelor's degree in biology from the College of Saint Rose and a master's degree in health education from Sage College.

Tobey Gifford and Kyle Esposito will be wellness coordinators.

"I try to lead and show others the path toward health, happiness and peace through establishing balance of healthy body and mind," Esposito said in the news release.

Gifford served as an adjunct instructor at the college for several years, and is an alumna of SUNY Adirondack.

The fourth hire is nurse Deb Neal, who has been a registered nurse at Glens Falls Hospital since 2017, and will offer regular hours in SUNY Adirondack's residence hall.

The new office is made possible with funds from the federal American Rescue Plan Act of 2021, a portion of which SUNY colleges must designate to mental health services.

SUNY Adirondack spokesperson Rhonda Triller said that the physical office space is currently in transition, and will be located in the Counseling Center so all the health-related staff can work closely together.

Prock, Gifford and Esposito have all started their positions, while Neal won't be starting for a few weeks, Triller said.

The college is also in the process of creating wellness spaces around campus, which will encourage mindfulness, reflection, socialization, physical activity and healthy living.

This office is the latest in a string of health initiatives the college has been undertaking since the beginning of the year.

In February, SUNY Adirondack joined the JED Campus network, an initiative of The Jed Foundation that helps colleges strengthen mental health, treat substance abuse, and emphasize suicide prevention.

In March, Hudson Headwaters Health Network's Mobile Health Unit began making biweekly visits to the Queensbury campus, offering its services to students, faculty, staff and even their family members.

The unit is located outside the residence hall the second and fourth Thursday of each month.

"We are excited to add to existing health initiatives on campus to ensure we are caring for our students' well-being in a holistic way," said Dean of Student Affairs Kathryn O'Sick.

___

(c)2022 The Post Star (Glens Falls, N.Y.)

Visit The Post Star (Glens Falls, N.Y.) at www.poststar.com

Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.