Student News

Corrine Williams Talks Mental Health Services at UK, World Mental Health Day

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photo of young woman outside coping with stress of social isolation, face mask on knee
Headshot of Corrine Williams.

LEXINGTON, Ky. (Oct. 8, 2021) — The pandemic has shone a bright light on a stark reality. Mental health concerns are widespread, and access to quality care, or any care at all, is incredibly unequal.

According to the National Alliance on Mental Illness, one in five adults experience mental illness in the United States. While these statistics show how pervasive these issues are, when taking a closer look, we see which groups are impacted more than others, and upon further inspection we see that certain groups struggle more than others to receive the care that they need and deserve. 

This year’s World Mental Health Day (WMHD) highlights this issue. The theme, “Mental Health in an Unequal World,” will enable government leaders, civil society organizations and community members to focus on the issues that perpetuate mental health inequality locally and globally.

At the University of Kentucky, mental health is a top priority. The UK Counseling Center (UKCC), housed in the Office for Student Success, is dedicated to providing students with a number of resources to address their mental health and well-being needs on campus. Through drop-in programs like Let’s Talk, to tailored individual counseling, to UK’s new 24/7 peer-to-peer online community, Togetherall, UK understands that not all students have the same needs when it comes to mental health and strives to ensure that every student has equal access to resources that fits their unique needs. 

In honor of World Mental Health Day, UKNow sat down with Corrine Williams, acting associate vice president for student well-being and UK College of Public Health faculty member, to discuss her role at the university, why the mental health of our students is important and how we as a university are working to end the stigma surrounding mental health.

UKNow: Can you explain your role at UK and why it is important to you?

Williams: As the acting associate vice president for student well-being in the Office for Student Success, there are five units in my area: Campus Recreation and Wellness, Counseling Center, Disability Resource Center, Financial Wellness and the Violence Intervention and Prevention (VIP) Center. This is one of the most rewarding roles I’ve had on campus because it allows me to use my public health background to really make a difference in the lives of students — we’re encouraging wellness across a variety of dimensions and are supporting students who may be struggling a bit. 

UKNow: How does mental health come in to play in this role?

Williams: Mental health is currently one of the most talked about issues — we know that the COVID-19 pandemic has caused a lot of distress for a variety of reasons, through loss, financial instability, etc. Across all areas, we’re having to think about how we support students who may be experiencing challenges with their mental well-being. 

UKNow: Why is the mental health of our students important?

Williams: First and foremost, the mental health of our students is important because we care about them and we want to make sure we are helping to support them however we can. We also know that students who are struggling with their mental health may not be able to perform as well academically and may need additional support to stay on track with their degree progression. I always tell my students — as long as you’re engaging with me and keeping me updated, it’s more important to take care of yourself first, and we’ll figure out the academic stuff when they can. 

UKNow: What resources do we provide students with concerning their mental health? How has UK, and the Office for Student Success, made mental health and wellness a priority, especially during such turbulent and unprecedented times?

Williams: The UK Counseling Center is one of the key resources on campus that people often think of, but depending on what the underlying issue is, a resource such as one of our coaching initiatives might be more appropriate for helping a student with their problem. 

UKNow: This year’s theme for World Mental Health Day is "Mental Health in an Unequal World." What systemic barriers exist for students to receive care and how can we remove those barriers?

Williams: While UK provides lots of great resources, there are still various barriers to accessing them. Some are cultural — students may come from families or communities who believe that talking about mental health challenges is a weakness. We are trying to create opportunities for students to access services in ways that may be more comfortable for them — Let’s Talk, as one example, lets students drop in to talk to a clinician without making an appointment and can get some basic guidance on their problem. 

UKNow: How are we working to break the stigma surrounding mental health?

Williams: I think COVID-19 has created some interesting openings to discuss mental health — we’ve acknowledged a collective trauma and, in many ways, that makes it okay for everyone to say that they aren’t doing well and may need help. I’m hopeful that we can carry this energy forward and make sure every member of our community knows that it’s okay to seek help, and we’re here to help.

To learn more about UK’s wellness resources, click here. For more information on how you can get involved during this year’s WMHD, follow the link.

As the state’s flagship, land-grant institution, the University of Kentucky exists to advance the Commonwealth. We do that by preparing the next generation of leaders — placing students at the heart of everything we do — and transforming the lives of Kentuckians through education, research and creative work, service and health care. We pride ourselves on being a catalyst for breakthroughs and a force for healing, a place where ingenuity unfolds. It's all made possible by our people — visionaries, disruptors and pioneers — who make up 200 academic programs, a $476.5 million research and development enterprise and a world-class medical center, all on one campus.   

In 2022, UK was ranked by Forbes as one of the “Best Employers for New Grads” and named a “Diversity Champion” by INSIGHT into Diversity, a testament to our commitment to advance Kentucky and create a community of belonging for everyone. While our mission looks different in many ways than it did in 1865, the vision of service to our Commonwealth and the world remains the same. We are the University for Kentucky.