Suicide is a concerning public health issue that leaves a long-lasting impact on families and communities. Between 1999 and 2019, the suicide death rate in the U.S. increased by 33%.

According to recent data, there were nearly 46,000 deaths by suicide in 2020 (approx. 126 per day), making it the 12th-leading cause of death in the United States. In Iowa, it is the 9^th leading cause of death. Suicide rates vary across a variety of demographics. For example, in 2020, men died by suicide 3.88x more than women.  White males accounted for 69.68% of suicide deaths in 2020. Suicide rates are higher among LGBTQ youth and adults compared with straight/cis adults. Yet, 93% of adults surveyed in the U.S. think suicide can be prevented.

Since 2008, September has been recognized as National Suicide Prevention Awareness Month. This is a time to acknowledge those impacted by suicide, raise awareness, and connect individuals with suicidal ideation to resources and treatment services. This is also a sensible time to openly discuss mental health and help reduce lingering stigmas.

One of the more recent resources at our disposal is a new crisis hotline number. On July 16, 2022, Iowa rolled out a three-digit number—988—for people to call or text to reach a trained counselor who can help them deal with suicidal thoughts and mental health crises. The new 988 number does not summon law enforcement. For more information, visit: https://988lifeline.org/.

A wonderful training opportunity at Drake will take place later this month. Please consider attending QPR training on September 21 (1-2 pm), offered through Drake HR’s BUILD program. QPR stands for Question, Persuade, and Refer—the 3 simple steps anyone can learn to help save a life from suicide. This training is being presented by Kayla Bell-Consolver, Director, Student Counseling Center and Dr. Greg Lengel, Associate Professor of Psychology. Class size is limited to learn more access the fall BUILD schedule here. You can RSVP with Linda Feiden (linda.feiden@drake.edu).

— Maureen De Armond, Human Resources

Have you completed your annual physical since last December? If you are on Drake’s health plan, don’t forget to take a copy of the Premium Discount – Annual Physical Form to your appointment. This form can be found on myDrake in the Human Resources Employee Wellness section.

Those on Drake’s health plan who complete a physical with their PCP between Dec. 1, 2021 and Nov. 30, 2022 and submit a Premium Discount – Annual Physical Form by Dec. 2, 2022, will receive the wellness health insurance premium discount in 2023, which is a savings of approximately $30 per month.   

Besides receiving a premium discount, an annual physical is a great way to receive important health information through age and gender specific examinations, schedule recommended preventative screenings, and create a doctor-patient relationship.

If you have not scheduled your annual physical yet with your PCP, you are encouraged to do so as soon as possible.

Please contact linda.feiden@drake.edu with questions.

— Linda Feiden, Human Resources

Bulldogs United In Learning Drake (BUILD) is a learning and development series available to faculty and staff who wish to enhance their professional skills, improve their wellbeing, and expand their boundaries.

We encourage all employees to check out the BUILD Fall 2022 Schedule that is now available on myDrake in the learning & development section under the Human Resources app.  To register for any class, send an email to linda.feiden@drake.edu.

September offerings:

Emotional Intelligence (EQ) 101. Sept. 13 from 2-3 p.m. in the Olmsted Center, Conference Rooms 310-311

Best Practices in TeamDynamix. Sept. 14 from 11 a.m. to 12 p.m. in the Olmsted Center, Conference Rooms 310-311

Impeccable Dependability: Strategies to get and stay organized. Sept. 20 from 10-11 a.m. in the Olmsted Center, Conference Rooms 310-311

QPR (Question, Persuade, and Refer) Training for Suicide Prevention. Sept. 21 from 1–2 p.m. in the Olmsted Center, Conference Rooms 310-311

Tour of Drake Campus (FULL). Register to be placed on waiting list for the next tour

Getting a Head Start: A TIAA Workshop to help create a retirement strategy. Sept. 28 from 10-11 a.m. in the Olmsted Center, Conference Rooms 310-311

Excel Pivot Tables & Filters. Sept. 29 from 2-3 p.m. via Microsoft Teams

— Linda Feiden, Human Resources

Do you feel like your use of technology (social media, news outlets, email) is out of your control?  Do you feel distracted or unable to focus due to constant digital interruptions?  Would you like to start this academic year off by establishing a new relationship with technology?  If so, join us for a Digital Detox inspired by Cal Newport’s book Digital Minimalism: Choosing Life in a Noisy World. Portfolio/Penguin, 2019.

During this six-week session, participants will consider their relationship with technology, set their own rules of technology engagement, and support one another as we detox from the technology that runs our life.  Sessions will be held on Mondays from 3:30–4 p.m., beginning Sept. 12.  Space is limited to the first 25 that sign up, so commit to a better relationship with tech today.

To register for this program, send an email to Erin Lee Schneider at erin.schneider@drake.edu.

— Linda Feiden, Human Resources

Have you completed your annual physical since last December? If you are on Drake’s health plan, don’t forget to take a copy of the Premium Discount – Annual Physical Form to your appointment. This form can be found on myDrake in the Human Resources Employee Wellness section. 

Those on Drake’s health plan who complete a physical with their PCP between Dec. 1, 2021 and Nov. 30, 2022 and submit a Premium Discount – Annual Physical Form by Dec. 2, 2022, will receive the wellness health insurance premium discount in 2023, which is a savings of approximately $30 per month.    

Besides receiving a premium discount, an annual physical is a great way to receive important health information through age and gender specific examinations, schedule recommended preventative screenings, and create a doctor-patient relationship.

If you have not scheduled your annual physical yet with your PCP, you are encouraged to do so as soon as possible.

Please contact linda.feiden@drake.edu with questions. 

— Linda Feiden, Human Resources

Join us in July for HealthyU BINGO. The goal is to fill up a blank BINGO card (or two), during the month, with healthy activities completed from a provided list.  Then, in August, we will get together to play games of HealthyU BINGO for prizes.  

You are welcome to fill out the HealthyU BINGO card without playing the BINGO games, but who doesn’t like playing BINGO! 

To get started, send an email to linda.feiden@drake.edu. Deadline to register is Thursday, June 30.  All participants will receive an email with an attached packet that includes directions, a list of HealthyU BINGO activities, and a blank BINGO card.  You are welcome to make multiple copies of this card.   

Please feel free to reach out with questions. This is a great event for the whole family!   

— Linda Feiden, Human Resources

This past academic year, 488 faculty and staff attended Bulldogs United in Learning Drake (BUILD) classes.  These classes assist individuals with learning new skills, improving their well-being, and strengthening professional knowledge.

We are now in the process of planning for our 2022–2023 academic year.  If there are topics you would like to see addressed in BUILD sessions this fall, or next spring, please let us know.  If you have general suggestions for growing or improving the BUILD experience, we’d like to hear those too. And if you would like to present a BUILD session, we would love to hear from you!

Please send an email to linda.feiden@drake.edu with your ideas and suggestions.

— Linda Feiden, Human Resources

As we reflect on the COVID-19 pandemic, there are some surprising silver linings. Employers are finding ways to be more flexible with where, when, and how work is performed. There are suddenly more obvious and easy ways to accommodate employees with disabilities. In many ways, we are finding it easier to empathize and give others space to be human. This is all great—drawing positives from this difficult chapter is important and meaningful.

One of the additional pandemic silver linings is that more and more people are talking about mental health—stress, anxiety, depression, grief. And this is great! The more open people are the less stigma attaches. However, mental health conditions, resources, and conversations can still feel, well, complicated.

It is important to recognize that there is often no one single cause for a mental health condition. Instead, there are many possible risk factors that can influence how likely a person is to experience a mental health condition or how serious the symptoms may be.

Some risk factors for mental health conditions include trauma, which can be a one-time event or ongoing; your environment and how it impacts your health and quality of life (also known as social determinants of health, like financial stability and access to health care); genetics; brain chemistry; and your personal habits and lifestyle, such as a lack of sleep.

Naturally, understanding the risk factors for a mental health condition can be more difficult when it’s your own mental health. Take time to ask yourself about your thoughts, feelings, and behaviors to see if this is part of a pattern that may be caused by a mental health condition. Here are some questions to get you started:

• Have things that used to feel easy started feeling difficult?
• Does the idea of doing daily tasks like making your bed now feel really, really hard?
• Have you lost interest in activities and hobbies you used to enjoy?
• Do you feel irritated, possibly to the point of lashing out at people you care about?

Our society focuses much more on physical health than mental health, but both are equally important. If you are concerned about your mental health, there are several options available. We wrote about mental health care options through Broadlawns and our EAP on May 3. We offered some self-care tips on May 10.

Another free resource to check out is a page hosted by Mental Health America featuring a range of screening tools you can take (with two offered in Spanish). I completed one of the screening tools and it only took a quick minute. The results do not constitute a diagnosis but are helpful. They include some possible “next steps” and a variety of related “Info & Resources.”

Take time to assess your mental health and to take care of you!

— Maureen De Armond, Human Resources

As we approach the end of Mental Health Awareness Month, and close out the academic year, now is a great time to reflect on your well-being.  Though the last two years ushered in tremendous change, one fundamental fact has not changed: we all need time to recharge.

Ultimately the responsibility of taking care of “you” starts with you.  It is not selfish to take care of your own needs — it is imperative.  Studies have shown that taking time away from the job can have physical and mental health benefits.  People who take vacations have lower stress, less risk of heart disease, a better outlook on life, and time away can even spur greater creativity.  Did you know that Lin-Manuel Miranda conceived the play Hamilton while on vacation?

Here are some guidelines to help you reap the benefits of vacation, wherever you go.

Get a change in scenery. Vacation doesn’t need to entail extensive travel. The fun of it is going somewhere that is different from your daily life. This may be a short drive from home, an extended road trip, or an excursion to the other side of town. For day and weekend trips, consider checking out one of Iowa’s amazing state parks.

Plan. Being spontaneous on occasions can be exciting, but pre-planning gives you something to look forward to, creating a sense of joy.  Even if you’re only going across town, you can still identify which days you’re going to take off and plan what you’re going to do in advance. Not interested in a long drive? Check out the events highlighted on the Catch Des Moines website.

Identify the type of experience you want to have. The ideal vacation is different for everyone. For some, it’s soaking up the sun by the water. For others, it’s a creative pursuit, exploring a new location, trying new cuisine, or engaging in an adventure sport. Knowing this will help you decide potential destinations and activities. If trying a new food or restaurant sounds good to you, check out the list of DSM restaurants on the Catch Des Moines website.

Spend time outdoors. Spending time in nature can benefit you both mentally and physically. Whether you’re traveling or staying home, build in time outdoors as part of your vacation.  Take a morning walk, fish on a lake, watch the waves crash at the beach or enjoy a picnic in a park. If you are looking for a new walk adventure, check out a Des Moines trail that you haven’t explored before. There are plenty to choose from!

Unplug. Unplugging from work can be difficult, but it is a big part of what makes vacation feel like vacation. It’s down time for your brain, creates the space for creativity to emerge and allows you to be fully present with your family and travel partners. Unplugging is easier said than done. Here are a few tips that may be helpful.

Create memories. Vacations are a great opportunity to create lasting, positive memories.  Recalling those happy memories can head off stress, anxiety, and depression. Capture fun moments with your smartphone, through journaling, or start a gratitude jar. You’ll enjoy revisiting these memories in the months and years to come.

As easy as it might be to keep on working and skip a vacation, don’t. Taking some time away can provide you with an experience that leaves you refreshed and re-energized, and you don’t have to go very far to do it. So, get packing and go. You’ll be glad you did.

— Linda Feiden, Human Resources

As we discussed in last week’s OnCampus, May is Mental Health Awareness Month. This week, we wanted to provide some reminders about some of the resources available to Drake employees.

Broadlawns Medical Center

With our new partnership with Broadlawns Medical Center, Drake health plan participants can access mental health services and take advantage of virtual care visits with Broadlawns providers. As a reminder, all Broadlawns primary care providers are in-network.

Broadlawns Medical Center offers the most comprehensive delivery system for mental health services in Central Iowa. Its professionals are dedicated to excellence, compassion, and personalized care.

Providers from Broadlawns primary care, mental health and several specialty clinics offer virtual care services. Virtual Care Visits provide a safe and convenient way for you to access care through your existing provider or to establish care with a new healthcare provider. During your virtual care visit, Broadlawns providers can review your medical history, discuss chronic diseases, medications, acute concerns, symptoms of illness, mental health and prevention. Broadlawns also offers Outpatient Mental Health Services.

Broadlawns’ Outpatient Behavioral Health Clinical Director, Kindra Perry provides additional details about accessing these services:

Broadlawns Medical Center offers two platforms for virtual visits. The first option is through Doxy.me where a link is sent to you via text or email, and you can have your virtual appointment using your smart phone or computer.  The second option is through the Broadlawns patient portal where you log into your patient account to have your virtual appointment via your smart phone or computer. To access either of these telehealth appointment options, simply request a virtual visit when scheduling your appointment, and you can select the platform that works best for you!

Employee Assistance Program

All Drake employees and their spouses/partners and dependents also have access to Drake’s employee assistance program (EAP). Our EAP provider is Employee and Family Resources. Although many people think of EAP as offering free and confidential mental health counseling (which they do), our provider offers a wider range of resources, including webinars, podcasts, blogs, self-assessments, legal consultations, life coaching, and more. They even offer a free mobile app you can download.

Throughout the month of May, we will share additional resources. These, however, are two core resources available to support you, your mental wellbeing, and the mental wellbeing of your family.

— Maureen De Armond, Human Resources