The wait is finally over, VITAL is here!
The Veterans Integration to Academic Leadership (VITAL) program is a partnership between the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) and UMBC to help veterans achieve their academic goals. The VITAL program is comprised of VA mental health professionals who can help both student veterans and their universities/colleges by providing and/or assisting with services, resources, and support.
VITAL can assist with:
Enrollment in VA healthcare.
VA and non-VA resources.
Academic accommodations.
Advocacy for student veterans.
Clinical services for veteran students dealing with various daily stressors, including attention issues, difficulty concentrating, stress, sleep problems, memory issues, anger/irritability, anxiety, depression, relationship issues, and PTSD.
Additionally, VITAL can assist with:
Trainings for faculty/staff.
Consultation services for faculty/staff.
Dr. Daniel Koster is our on-campus psychologist for the VITAL program and will be on campus every Monday, beginning March 4, to meet with students, faculty, and staff. To schedule a meeting with Dr. Koster, please email him at Daniel.Koster2@va.gov.
Help us spread the word, this is a great on-campus resource for our veteran population!
For more information about VITAL at UMBC, email Dennis Walker, OCSS assistant director for veterans services and adult learners.
Dr. Renique Kersh, vice president for student affairs, will serve on two panel discussions at national and regional events in March 2024.
At the NASPA Annual Conference, Dr. Kersh will serve on the panel, "Beyond Mentorship: The Transformative Role of Coaching," on March 11. Using case studies and insights, panelists will declassify myths about coaching and its role as a potent, innovative tool for staff empowerment and growth and team dynamics. They'll discuss how to budget for coaching, manage challenges, and measure for success. Dr. Kersh will share insights on how she used coaching in her previous role as vice president at Simmons University, and how she hopes to use it in UMBC's Division of Student Affairs.Dr. Kersh is also a panelist for "Defining Womanhood" at the USM Women's Forum Women's History Month webinar on March 13. The panel will discuss characteristics that contribute to their definition of womanhood and share how these characteristics and qualities present themselves in their personal and professional lives.
Additional panelists for "Defining Womanhood" will include Kelsey Beckett, chief of staff and director of operations in USM's Office of Academic and Student Affairs, and Shantala Thompson, associate director of University of Maryland's LGBTQ+ Equity Center. It is moderated by Dr. Allyson DeMaagd, coordinator for sexuality and gender diversity at Towson University.
The wait is finally over, VITAL is here!
The Veterans Integration to Academic Leadership (VITAL) program is a partnership between the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) and UMBC to help veterans achieve their academic goals. The VITAL program is comprised of VA mental health professionals who can help both student veterans and their universities/colleges by providing and/or assisting with services, resources, and support.
VITAL can assist with:
-Enrollment in VA healthcare.
-VA and non-VA resources.
-Academic accommodations.
-Advocacy for student veterans.
-Clinical services for veteran students dealing with various daily stressors, including attention issues, difficulty concentrating, stress, sleep problems, memory issues, anger/irritability, anxiety, depression, relationship issues, and PTSD.
Additionally, VITAL can assist with:
-Trainings for faculty/staff.
-Consultation services for faculty/staff.
Dr. Daniel Koster is our on-campus psychologist for the VITAL program and will be on campus every Monday, beginning March 4, to meet with students, faculty, and staff. To schedule a meeting with Dr. Koster, please email him at Daniel.Koster2@va.gov
For more information about VITAL at UMBC, email Dennis Walker, OCSS assistant director for veterans services and adult learners.
With all the available "healthy" food options out there and all the diets to choose from, how do we know what to eat? Should I eat plant based or animal based? Keto or Paleo? Should I try "intermittent fasting" or Noom? Did you know that 80 to 95% of dieters gain back the weight they've fought so hard to lose? Similarly, chronic dieting can also cause our body's metabolism to slow down making it that much more difficult to lose weight. Our bodies are made for survival, when we starve ourselves our metabolism will slow to protect us. What if instead of trying a new diet, we went back to the basics of letting our bodies determine what to eat? What if we healed our relationship with food and our body? Intuitive Eating can help you. Intuitive eating is NOT a diet but a way of eating that is driven by hunger and fullness cues. It involves being mindful and positive about your food and body. It means understanding and responding to what your body wants and needs, without counting calories or points. It is a personalized and natural process.
Eating Disorders and disordered eating patterns impact people in a variety of ways. Some signs to look out for include:
If you are experiencing some of these symptoms you may need additional support. Retriever Integrated Health (RIH) can help you find the help you need. At RIH, the first step is to schedule an Initial Consultation call with one of our counselors. Schedule this appointment by visiting RIH, located in the Center for Well-Being, by calling our office at 410-455-2542, or by going to the myRetrieverCare patient portal and scheduling online.
RESOURCES