When we suspect relationships are mentally, emotionally or physically violent or abusive, why do we all of a sudden feel like "it's none of our business?" 

Good question! Is it ever REALLY our business to get involved when we suspect that someone we know is in a relationship that is unhealthy? Maybe we are asking the wrong question. The REAL question is, How can we support people that we care about, when we believe that they are in a relationship that is hurting them? Wouldn't we want someone to show up for us if we were struggling? 

More than 1 in 3 women (35.6%) and more than 1 in 4 men (28.5%) in the U.S. will experience rape, physical violence and/or stalking by an intimate partner in their lifetime.

Overall the percentages of Trans and LGBTQ+ individuals who are affected byintimate partner violence are estimated to be even higher than their cisgender counterparts. 

Based on these statistics, the chances are you've known someone, will know someone or will be someone who will experience a relationship that is mentally, emotionally or physically abusive. 

So what do you say? Where do you start? 

Consider these tips: 

1. Start by initiating a conversation that lets your friend know that you care about them and are concerned: Start this conversation with an affirmative statement like, "You're always so fun to be around. I've missed you!"
2. Avoid being Accusatory: If you know your friend's relationship is unhealthy, it's okay to say, "I've noticed you're always on your phone. Is there anything going on that you want to talk about?" Instead of, "Stop answering that. Just tell them you're busy." 
3. Be Supportive: Listen to your friend and let them open up about the situation on their own terms. Don't be forceful with the conversation and remind them that you want tohelp. 
4. Focus on the Behavior: Instead of labeling their partner as "abusive" or "bad," focus on the unhealthy behaviors you've seen and provide your friend with a safe space to talk about it. (https://www.joinonelove.org/learn/i-did-a-thing-is-my-friend-in-an-abusive-relationship/) 

Resources here on campus that provide emotional and mental health support. Both resourcesoffer individual and group counseling and can help refer students to outside resources. 

• UMBC Retriever Integrated Health
• UMBC Women's Center
• TurnAround Rape Crisis Center
• National Domestic Violence Hotline

Retriever Integrated Health is excited to celebrate Hispanic Heritage Month!  To kick things off, staff shared information about the significance of celebrating the month beginning on the 15th and held a fun discussion about their favorite dishes from Hispanic countries, like Cuban coffee made in a colador, Dominican mofongo, chicken ropa vieja, and tamales!  Celebrating the wide variety of cultures, food, art, music, dance, traditions, achievements, and contributions of Hispanic and Latine people and countries is an important part of celebrating the people who make up the UMBC community!

As the campus center for medical and mental health needs, RIH also recognizes the importance of acknowledging the many barriers that Hispanic and Latine people face when trying to access services, leading to disparities in health and healthcare.

• Stigma within Hispanic and Latine communities can create a reluctance to access mental health services and increases feelings of shame for those who want to seek help.  

• The rates of suicidal thoughts, plans and attempts are rising among Hispanic and Latine young adults, though they remain lower than the overall rates for young adults in the U.S.  

• In 2022, Hispanic and Latine folx had the highest uninsured rates of any racial/ethnic group in the U.S., leading to 10% of Hispanic and Latine adults reporting an inability to get needed medical care due to cost.

It is with this in mind that RIH encourages Hispanic and Latine students to reach out to schedule needed medical and mental health appointments! RIH medical services include sick care as well as preventative care (including immunizations).  RIH counseling services are free and confidential for students.  For students who have questions about insurance, RIH has specialists to support students who need to enroll in the UMBC plan or Medicaid. There are also a number of community organizations in the Baltimore area that provide bilingual medical and mental health resources and community outreach such as CentroSOL and Latino Providers Network.  These resources can be accessed by not just UMBC students but also the greater community.  

September is National Recovery Month. The purpose of this month is to "promote and support new evidence-based treatment and recovery practices, the nation's strong and proud recovery community, and the dedication of service providers and communities who make recovery in all its forms possible."

Having a mental health or substance use disorder can be incredibly isolating despite how common these concerns are. Support for recovery is crucial, and you can find that support at UMBC. So often, we consume the harrowing tales of addiction, but rarely do we hear the stories of recovery. A study published in 2020 by the CDC and the National Institute on Drug Abuse found that "3 out of 4 people who experience addiction are in recovery." Mental health and substance use disorders are treatable. Having worked in the recovery field, I have witnessed the positive reality of recovery. I have also witnessed that seeking and accepting help can be hard. UMBC students are incredibly intelligent and tough and typically try to solve their own problems independently. A person in recovery needs community support, and there are many ways to access this. By embracing recovery, one can improve mental and physical health and form stronger relationships with friends, family, and classmates. Recovery is possible. Help is available. RIH celebrates that hope and honors Recovery Month. We urge all community members to join this celebration by reducing the stigma of mental health or substance use disorders and approaching someone considering or active in recovery with acceptance, support, and inclusion. 

If you or someone you know is struggling with a mental health or substance use disorder, know that free and confidential help is available 24 hours a day through SAMHSA's National Helpline, 1-800-662-HELP (4357). RIH providers are also happy to support you with this concern. You can make an appointment by calling 410-455-2542 during business hours.

September is Suicide Prevention Month and at Retriever Integrated Health, we are observing this month of awareness by sharing resources UMBC community members can utilize for themselves or others if suicide is a concern.

Did you know that:

• In 2021, suicide was responsible for 48,183 deaths.  That's about one death by suicide every 11 minutes, or approximately 132 every day.
• Suicide is the second-leading cause of death for teens and young adults aged 10-34.
• 94% of adults in the United States think suicide can be prevented.

Sometimes the challenge lies in knowing how to prevent suicide, and in the inherent discomfort and fear in the word suicide.  Many people believe that directly talking about suicide increases the likelihood of a person attempting suicide, but the opposite is actually true.  Talking about suicide with a trusted person greatly decreases a person's likelihood of attempting suicide.  For UMBC community members who need support in increasing their comfort and confidence in talking about suicide, RIH offers Question, Persuade, Refer, a one-hour-long skills-based workshop that provides practical tools for use with folx in suicidal crisis.  Visit the RIH myUMBC page to learn more and to sign up for a session of QPR being offered this fall.  

Having thoughts of suicide is more common than you may think.  In 2021, 12.3 million people seriously thought about suicide and 3.5 million made a plan for suicide.  If you are having thoughts of suicide, you are not alone and you do not have to figure out how to manage your feelings alone.  At UMBC, there are many options for support: 

• 988, the Suicide and Crisis Lifeline, is available by call or text 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, and will connect you with a trained local mental health professional.  
• Togetherall, an online peer support community, connects you with other college students who may be going through the same things as you.
• Urgent Mental Health Care visits at Retriever Integrated Health, allow you to see a counselor when you are in distress, Monday-Friday 8:30am-5pm at the Center for Well-Being.
• ISP is a self-screening tool that connects you anonymously with an RIH counselor for consultation.  You can access this and other online tools on our website.

By seeking help when you are struggling and knowing how to support peers when they are struggling, you can be a part of suicide prevention at UMBC.