2007-08 Wellness Peer Educators

On Top (From Left to Right): Alyssa Patricio, Kieu Tang, Amy Thiara, Dr. Tiffany O'Meara

On Bottom (From Left to Right): Jonathan Brick, Ali Esfandiari, Morgan Chee, Stephanie Aoki, Arya Marvazy, Cherry Duong, Dr. Annie Ahn

The UCSD Wellness Peer Educator Program is started in the 2004-2005 school year.  Wellness Peer Educators participate in All Peer training in basic counseling skills, group facilitation, crisis management and ethics, and how to construct and implement outreach and workshop presentations. They also receive more intensive training in mental health wellness issues throughout Fall quarter. Wellness Peers plan, develop, advertise, and deliver psycho-educational workshops and interactive presentations related to mental health wellness. Topics include stress management, relaxation training, recognizing depression and anxiety, suicide prevention, assertiveness training, building healthy relationships, how to communicate love and appreciation, how to increase self-confidence, reducing stigma and spreading awareness of Counseling and Psychological Services on campus. The Wellness Peer Educators also serve as Live Well Peer Coaches in which they meet one-on-one with students, use Motivational Interviewing techniques, and assist them in goal-setting to create a more healthy and balanced life. Other activities the Wellness Peers are likely to be involved in include:

• National Depression Screening Day
• Tabling events to educate students about CAPS Services
• Stress Management Workshops
• Building Healthy Relationship Workshops
• Biofeedback and Relaxation Training Workshops
• Co-facilitating Building Social Confidence Groups
• Spring quarter "Stress-Free Zone"
• Live Well TMC Peer Coaches
• Peer Recruitment

Wellness Peers are available for presentations and interactive workshops tailored to your group's needs. Some of the groups the Wellness Peers have presented to include:

• SOLO Passport to Leadership
• Express to Success
• McNair Program
• Student Health Advocates
• Psi-Chi
• UCSD Residence Halls
• Jenna Druck Foundation

If you are interested in becoming a peer educator for the Wellness Peer Education program for the 2008-09 school year, you can apply online in the Spring 08 quarter. There will be an Information Session about the program and application process in April.   Applications are typically accepted in mid-April before the next academic year. For more information about the program, or to request a presentation for your group, you can contact Dr. Tiffany O'Meara at (858) 534-1579 or by e-mail at tmomeara@ucsd.edu.

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