Wellness

If this is an emergency situation call 911. If you or someone you know is experiencing a crisis situation, call 988 or text "home" to 741-741.

Welcome to Sea Aggie Wellness

At Texas A&M Galveston, we believe wellness is invaluable during the college experience and beyond. The World Health Organization defines wellness as "...the optimal state of health of individuals and groups." We recognize 8 "dimensions" of wellness that are interconnected and play a crucial role to an individual or groups optimal health. Each of these dimensions of wellness are equally important and should be treated as such. At Texas A&M Galveston, there are many passionate faculty and staff who work diligently to create an environment that promotes wellness on campus and within our communities.

8 Dimensions of Wellness

Emotional: Emotional
The emotionally well person is able to appropriately express and manage the entire range of feelings, including anger, fear, happiness and sorrow. They possess high self-esteem, a sense of humor, and positive body image. They also seek support from a mental health professional when needed.

Resources:

TAMUG Counseling, Career and Ability Services:

Texas A&M Galveston offers free counseling to students on campus.

To schedule an appointment with a counselor, click HERE! On the right hand side of the webpage, you can click the blue button the request an appointment.

The counseling office also allows walk-in appointments.
Environmental: Environmental
The environmentally well person recognizes the earth's limited resources, and strives to minimize wasteful consumption or unnecessary destruction of animals, plants, elements, or energy. They engage in recycling and conservation, protect natural resources, and strive for living spaces free of health hazards. An environmentally well person also is concerned with personal safety and is aware of their surroundings.
Financial: Financial
Financial wellness is the process of planning living within your financial means. Becoming financially literate by creating a budget and learning to be a good consumer benefits your future financial health.
Intellectual: Intellectual
The intellectually well person values education and engages in lifelong learning, and pursues activities that increase knowledge, develop moral reasoning, foster critical thinking and expand worldviews. In addition, they appreciate the fine arts, and value intuition, empathy and understanding as forms of knowing.
Occupational: Occupational
The occupationally well person fulfils a socially defined role that is both stimulating and inherently rewarding. They choose a role (or several roles) that are consistent with beliefs, goals, lifestyle, personality and values.
Physical: Physical
The physically well person eats a varied and nutritionally balanced diet. They also get an adequate amount of sleep, engage in moderate to vigorous exercise 3-5 times a week, get routine medical check-ups appropriate to their age and risk factors, and take safety precautions.

Resources:

Texas A&M Galveston Campus Recreation Center:

Hours of Operation and Access
Spiritual: Spiritual
The spiritually well person seeks meaning and purpose in human existence. They develop an appreciation for the depth and expanse of life and the natural forces that exist in the universe.
Social: Social
Social wellness involves successfully interacting with others, participating in, and feeling connected to your communities.

Looking for Support

I would like mental health support

Counseling office + how to schedule an appointment
TELUS + summary and how to access
Gulf Coast Center + 988
List of community therapist we have a relationship with
MHA's Mental Health Screening Tools

I'm worried about a friend

Care Team
988
Seize the Awkward Campaign

I'm looking for access to food and basic needs

Student Assistance Services

I would like help accessing health care or a doctor

UTMB appointment scheduling w/instructions (maybe an FAQ?)

I want to improve my physical wellness

Campus Recreation
Student Assistance Services

I'm looking for financial information and support

Financial Aid Office
Financial Literacy info from SSI/librarian who's name escapes me

I would like to connect with peers

Student Activities

I would like to explore spirituality

JED Campus

The Texas A&M University System has partnered with The Jed Foundation, a leading nonprofit dedicated to supporting and protecting student mental health, to enhance existing initiatives underway across the Texas A&M System to increase awareness, connection and the use of available mental health and well-being resources.

Texas A&M University at Galveston is actively participating in JED Campus, the signature four-year program of The Jed Foundation, to receive guidance on comprehensive systems, programs and policy development that build upon existing student mental health, substance use and suicide prevention efforts.

Why JED?

Formally establish a baseline of where our faculty, staff and students are in relation to mental health and well-being programming, resources and care options
Foster a connected university community that openly supports the mental health and well-being of peers and colleagues
Create consistency across the university through collaborative responses and policies related to prevention, awareness and crisis mitigation

Healthy Minds Study

As part of the multi-year JED Campus program, Texas A&M at Galveston is also participating in the Healthy Minds Study, a survey for faculty, staff and students. Data received through this survey helps provide a baseline for understanding the perceptions, awareness levels and ongoing needs of our university community — as a whole — as we take the next steps in supporting mental health and well-being across Texas A&M at Galveston.

Program Timeline

March 2024: Formally announce launch of the JED Campus initiative universitywide
April 2024: Conduct Healthy Minds Study* and appoint and convene JED Campus Team

*This study was reviewed and approved by Advarra IRB. The TAMU HRPP/IRB gave this study a human subjects research not engaged determination under IRB2023-0904.

JED Campus Subcommittees

Based upon the recommendation of The Jed Foundation, work on the Strategic Plan has been divided up into five subcommittees led by members of the JED Campus Team. If you are interested in joining a JED Campus Subcommittee, please contact Joe Hoff at hoffj@tamug.edu.

JED Campus Subcommittees

Strategic Planning & Policies

Ensure that emotional well-being is a campus-wide responsibility. Advocate for policy and resource support.

Joe Hoff (Lead), Dr. Brett Furth, Dr. Todd Sutherland, Miles Shellshear, Shelby Hearn
Priorities: Ensure the campus community is aware of the JED Campus strategic plan and the work of the task force, review drug & alcohol policies, review medical amnesty policy
Achieved:

Life Skills & Social Connectedness

Identifying Students At Risk & Help Seeking

Help campus community members to identify, reach out to, and refer students who may be struggling. Promote help-seeking behavior through destigmatization efforts and increased access to resource information.

Krissy Johnson (Lead), Sarah Bowman, Kimberly Joyner, John Vandewater
Priorities: Integrate mental health & substance use screening into wellness days, expand suicide prevention training for students, faculty, and staff, implement campaigns/programs to encourage help-seeking by de-stigmatizing mental health and substance misuse problems on campus
Achieved:

Clinical Services & Substance Misuse

Ensure access to all necessary clinical care services, and enhance systems, protocols and processes in order to coordinate necessary care for students. Ensure that substance abuse policies and protocols best support students.

Joe Hoff (Lead), Daisey McCloud, Ken Bailey, Krissy Johnson
Priorities: Review the UTMB health services contract and conduct student focus groups to determine improvements needed
Achieved:

Crisis Management & Means Safety

Reinforce adequate and appropriate institutional response to student deaths or other emergencies, strengthen established protocols for the reporting of, and follow-up to, emergency situations, and minimize environmental risks for suicide.

Shelby Hearn (Lead), Roland Kelly, Sarah Schendzelos, Danny Roe, Carrie Rowland
Priorities: Review At-Risk/BIT recommendations for potential implementation by CARE Team, conduct an environmental scan and develop a plan for implementing applicable access restrictions based upon the results, develop a plan to expand break-away closet rods to all residence halls in the next 10 years, implement a drug collection program
Achieved: Drug collection program

Annual Health Fair

Every semester, community health partners join us on campus to meet with students, faculty and staff to share resources, opportunities and provide basic services such as immunizations and STI screenings.

Information on the Fall 2023 Health Fair is coming soon!

Peer Educators

About the Peer Educators

The Peer Educators are full time students that assist their peers in making a successful academic
and social transition into college life. We provide outreach, support and training to help students
become familiar with University resources and the campus culture, develop social relationships and help build a sense of community.

If you are interested in becoming a Peer Educator, apply HERE

Relaxation & Recovery

Our on campus relaxation room is located in the Seibel building (BLDG 3030) room 104M. To access the relaxation room, simply ask the front desk worker for entry at the Counseling and Career Services suite.

Get Involved with TAMUG Wellness

For more information and inquiries, please contact:

Krissy Johnson, Assistant Director of Well-being & Facilities

Office Phone: 409-740-4855

Email: krissyjohnson@tamug.edu

Office: SAGC (Building 3026) Rm. 200