Del Mar College’s Counseling Center Celebrates a Decade of Fun, Food, and Info During “Spooktacular” Mental Health & Resource Fair for Students on Oct. 24
College hosted 32 area organizations, along with campus services, for informative event addressing students’ mental health needs
Article by Richard Guerrero, Jr.
For some students, the pressure of keeping up with classes while working and fielding responsibilities at home can seem utterly frightening. The Del Mar College (DMC) Counseling Center, however, is the place that students turn to when life’s challenges prove exceptionally vexing or insurmountable. And, making access to resources addressing the issue a fun experience is something the DMC Counseling Center, along with the Student Engagement and Retention Division, has been doing around Halloween for a decade.
DMC Counseling Center staff and partners held their 10th annual Spooktacular Mental Health & Resource Fair on Oct. 24 for the College’s students, including a haunted house and various informational and health services tables throughout the first and second floors of the Harvin Student Center on Heritage Campus.
DMC Counseling Center Director Jessica Edwards, M.A., LPC, says the event requires several days to transform the Harvin Student Center into the spooktacular event space that it was. Key to the fair’s success are the agencies who participate in the fair.
“These agencies gave out lots of information and free giveaways,” Edwards said. “We had free flu shots courtesy of Walgreens and free pizza for students while supplies last. The Coastal Bend Wellness Foundation provided free health screenings – STI testing – as well. Of course, there also was the haunted maze that students visited to get additional info on alcohol and substance use awareness as well as suicide prevention.”
The DMC Counseling Center offers free and confidential counseling services to students all year long. Staff also provide the College’s employees and students with consultations covering the Center’s services, and staff discuss how individuals can get help for themselves or for someone they’re concerned about.
“Our center typically has more than 1,000 appointments each year,” Edwards says. “Based off last year’s data, the top three concerns that students reported are anxiety, depression and partner relationship distress; we are seeing a similar trend this year so far. We also assist students who are experiencing a mental health crisis, such as experiencing suicidal ideation. Last year, we assisted 20 students in crisis who either were then stabilized by a counselor or needed support getting to a local mental health hospital.”
Among the organizations participating during this year’s fair were the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention, Amistad Community Health Center, Bayview Behavioral Hospital, Children’s Advocacy Center of the Coastal Bend, Coastal Bend Wellness (including Behavior Health and the Pride Center), Coastal Plains Community Center, Corpus Christi Hope House, Corpus Christi-Nueces County Public Health District, Corpus Christi Police Department Victim Assistance Program, Council on Alcohol + Drug Abuse – Coastal Bend, Youth Continuum of Care Coalition, Counseling and Recovery Services, Family Counseling Services (including Crime Victim Services), Family Endeavor (Veteran Supportive Services), MHP Salud, National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI) – Corpus Christi, Nueces Center for Mental Health and Intellectual Disabilities, Oceans Behavioral Health, South Texas Family Planning & Health Corporation, South Texas Substance Abuse Recovery Services, Texas Adoption Center, Texas Department of Health and Human Services/Texas STAR, Women’s & Men’s Health Services, Women’s Shelter of South Texas (The Purple Door), Walgreens Flu Shot Clinic, Corpus Christi Public Library, Corpus Christi Regional Transportation, Coastal Bend Food Bank, Mobility Management Services – R. E.A. L. Inc., and New Life Direct Primary Care.
Del Mar College campus resources participants included the Career Development Department, Center for Access and Advocacy, Financial Aid Services, Learning Resources, Nurse Education Department, Student Success Center, Student Leadership and Campus Life, TRIO Educational Opportunity Center, TRIO Student Support Services, DMC Nursing Department – Alpha Delta Nu Honor Society, Veteran Services and Valdar’s Market, a service provided by DMC in conjunction with the Coastal Bend Food Bank.
For freshman Studio Art major Diamond Aguilar, the Spooktacular’s haunted house was her first opportunity to tour just such a creepy, ghoulish space.
“I’ve always been so nervous when it comes to haunted houses, so whenever they said there was going to be a haunted house here, I said, ‘OK, I can totally go to that,’” Aguilar said. “I liked the decorations, the colors and the sounds. It was really cool.”
Fellow freshman Studio Art major Alexis Camareno said she thought the experience was immersive.
“I liked the lighting and how you were able walk around and see things for yourself,” Camareno said.
When asked about a favorite feature, both Aguilar and Camareno declared in unison: The library.
“There were little potions in there and characters – if you looked around in there, there was a lot to see even though it was a pretty small room,” Camareno said. “Del Mar definitely has a lot of Halloween spirit."