About My Role
The Mental Health Officer is here to create and support campaigns based around raising awareness of mental health and welfare issues prevalent in student life.
About Me
Hi | Shwmae! I’m Caitlin, your Mental Health Officer 2019/20!
Alongside this role I study Human Geography, a subject I developed a passion for being born and raised in gorgeous Pembrokeshire. Being close to the beach and in the Welsh countryside definitely influenced my love of being outdoors and studying our world! I also love travelling and exploring new cultures and landscapes.
Being involved with the SU has been the highlight of my time in Cardiff. My involvement began with Welcome Team last year, and since then has included: being a Student Senator; President and Treasurer of Talk It Out; Vice-President of Mind Your Head; Co-Project Coordinator and Research & Development Officer for the charity branch SKIP Cardiff; and being a member of the Advice and Welfare Executive Committee to name a few.
As someone who has always encouraged people to talk about their mental health (be that to me as a friendly confidante or to a professional) I grasped at the opportunity to lead campaigns related to student mental health. In Universities across the UK right now there is a student mental health crisis. As a current student alongside my role as Mental Health Officer, I will always have an insight into student life and pressing issues within the student community that are having an effect on our mental health and campaign to raise awareness around them. I’m hoping that through working with our VP Welfare & Campaigns and the Student Led Services we can spread awareness and resources whilst engaging with students across the University to hopefully improve their student experience and wellbeing.
My main priorities for the year include:
- Lead successful existing campaigns such as AlrightMate? and Minds Matter whilst introducing my own based on points from my manifesto - including awareness of domestic abuse and violence, for example.
- Create more opportunities for Student Led Services across campus so more students are aware of their services and events whilst also finding out more about the incredible work they are doing to improve student welfare.
- Produce a collection of articles based on prevalent issues impacting student welfare including information on where help can be found for anyone experiencing these issues.