ISU student works to eliminate mental health stigma on campus
Ames TribuneOct 29, 2017
It took internet searching her symptoms, speaking with her mom, seeing a doctor to rule out stomach problems and visiting a psychiatrist before Beman, now a junior studying elementary education with an endorsement in special education and reading at
"When I was going through that, I had a lot of friends and family support, but I realized how stigmatized the issue (of mental health) was," Beman said. "People didn't know how to help me. People didn't think it was any kind of problem. So coming into college, I wanted to do whatever I could to make sure people don't feel alone, and help anyone out that I could."
Since receiving her diagnoses, Beman's mental health journey has led her down a path to not only try to raise awareness of mental health issues around campus, but also to attempt to remove the "taboo" surrounding mental health for others, through her new role as president of ISU's student-run chapter of the
NAMI is a grassroots mental health organization, and the organization's ISU student chapter was founded in 2016 with a mission of ending the stigma surrounding mental illnesses, educating the campus community, promoting services and supports and advocating for mental health issues. The group meets the second Tuesday of every month, hosts speakers and offers informative presentations to dorms and Greek life organizations, during which members share personal stories of their mental health experiences.
Beman joined ISU's NAMI on Campus shortly after the group was formed, first held an executive position as vice president and took over as president this semester.
"Joining NAMI, I really wanted to just end the stigma, and educate people on what to say to people who have mental health issues," Beman said. "I can see people get uncomfortable if I bring it up. I don't want that to be a thing, I don't want people to have to feel uncomfortable and like they can't get help. The more we work to educate campus, the less taboo it will be. People won't have to feel like they can't talk about it."
This semester, Beman felt is was time to take another step forward with several initiatives: sponsoring the 2017 Story County Mental Health Expo, participating in the ISU homecoming parade and being part of NAMIWalks Iowa, a 5K event that raises awareness and funds for NAMI organizations across the country, for the first time.
"[Beman] has tried very hard to make sure that the [group] flourishes as far as membership and events, there's always something we're working on," Price said."We have seen a record for the amount of people that we've had in our club this year at meetings. She's just kept it alive, and not just that, but growing. That's a really good feeling, because it can be pretty hard to get people on board with mental health sometimes, because it's kind of a heavy topic."
Beman's main initiative since becoming president, called
Beman said that ISU is the first
Since the project came to the university, Beman said that NAMI on Campus members, working in tandem with the
"I've been really impressed with her determination and her incredible motivation," ISU Police Department Deputy Chief
Jacobs said another
"NAMI on Campus is one way to get involved and support your fellow Cyclones," Newton said. "I really appreciate the passion that [Beman's] brought to this. Students like her are what keep us going and keep us super involved in what's happening on campus. She also has lived experience, so she's able to bring that to the table."
Although ISU's NAMI on Campus chapter has grown since it was first established, Beman said the work the organization wants to accomplish is not over. She hopes that the organization can continue to blossom alongside growing mental health resources on campus, including recently added new counselors and mental health training for the police department.
"There's more specific organizations for mental health groups, but there's nothing in general, so people were really happy when we came on to campus," Beman said. "It's a really good reaction overall. It's definitely growing, and growing in the right direction."
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