By Emma Bynes and Nina Hutchins
@emma_bynes4
Oftentimes when walking down Alden Street, you can see a good number of students with bright green tags on their backpacks. When new students arrive on campus, there are always questions about the significance of these. The colorful tags signify that those students are graduates of Pride Cares, and can offer peer-to-peer support to other students who may be struggling with mental health.
Last Monday, on February 24, Springfield College held its annual graduation from the mental health program. This year’s ceremony was highlighted by keynote speaker Brian Magoffin — Head of Communication for the Office of the President — and 27 graduates were recognized. Over 160 Springfield students have graduated from the program in its history, and have committed themselves to reflecting the importance of the Spirit, Mind and Body mission here on campus. The program was developed by Lauren Gray and Dr. Bob Accorsi, and was launched in the spring semester of 2022 with a small group of student-athletes.
The Pride Cares program aims to utilize peer-to-peer support for mental health issues and advocacy. Many people on campus know that those who wear the tags can be a valuable resource for students who may be struggling with mental health issues or just want someone to talk to.
The six-hour training program required to participate in Pride Cares equips students to offer support to others— utilizing non-judgmental language and listening skills. This interactive program also provides graduates with resources on how to connect students with other mental health tools on campus if necessary.
One of this year’s graduates, sophomore Kaelin Cerasulo, spoke about how meaningful it is to her that she is approachable to others around campus.
“With this certification, I hope to be able to observe my peers and teammates more effectively and be able to help when and if needed,” Cerasulo said. “Also, I hope that my green tag makes me more approachable around campus, even to people I do not know.”
Cerasulo felt it was important to join Pride Cares because she “never wanted to leave a situation wishing I could have done more. With this certification I feel more comfortable talking about these harder topics and having resources to outsource if more help is needed.”
Since its inception, Pride Cares has completed seven separate training sessions for students. This training, done for 2 hours and 15 minutes a night for three consecutive nights, includes collaboration with other participants and professionals in the mental health field.
Christine Johnston, the director of Campus Recreation and Health promotion and one of the facilitators, explained how “the participants [work] on creating language they can use to help engage others in conversations around mental health. We also learn about stress, anxiety, and depression.”
Johnston, along with Dr. Adam Feit and Lauren Gray, work together alongside six graduate student facilitators to certify these students. Participants sign up for Pride Cares on a volunteer basis, and many graduates are also student-athletes here on campus. Students can apply to be a part of the next cohort of Pride Cares on the Mental Health Promotion section of the Springfield College website.
Johnston highlights the solidarity aspect that this program brings to the campus community and emphasizes her appreciation for all of the students who have spent so much time and energy to be a resource for their peers.
She commends how these students truly embody the “mission of the college by serving the campus community.” This unique program is just one of the facets that makes the Springfield College campus such a supportive and encouraging environment.
“Pride Cares is amazing…seeing the green tags all over campus… It really is an honor,” Johnston said.
Photo Courtesy of Springfield College