Wellness Center Southern Illinois University

The Mission of the Wellness Center is to support Southern Illinois University community through evidence-informed, holistic and accessible programs and services that maximize student growth, academic success and life-long healthy behaviors.

 Medical/Counseling to Health Promotion/Public Health Model  Individual intervention to a Policy, Systems and Environment approach  Content based to process based programming

 Need to attract more qualified HP GA’s  Shift from LCSW/LCPC GA’s  Approached MPH program and Health Education PHD  Promised additional GA positions to Academic Dept  In return, received opportunity to interview top candidates

 HP in Higher Education is a specialty career  No HP in HE degree or certificate program in the nation  Guiding Documents for HP in HE  ACHA Standards and Practices  CAS Standards  NCHEC standards and CHES competencies

 All GA’s are.5 FTE – full tuition waiver  Focus on education/training  Weekly common readers  Readings support the weekly training and build upon each other  In week 9 – GA’s assume the role of facilitator  All readings prepare students for programming

 Fall – focus on mentoring and creating community/teamwork  Spring – GA implement group programming and individual programming  End of spring semester, focus on job skills  2 nd year (if appropriate)  GAs become mentor and help with the trainings  Higher level and independent programming

 GA’s are treated as professionals  Professional dress  Punctuality  Discipline  Required to attend meetings  Help coordinators  Develop/inform programming

 Move from boss/employee dynamic  Opportunity to take more risk – opportunity to make mistakes and correct them  Coordinator still responsible for GA development  GA are not restricted to work with only one coordinator and are encouraged to experience all coordinators style and programs.

I. Health Education Practice II. Communication III. Health Promotion Programming & Research Unqualified Novice Adequate Competent Expert

 Professional attibutes  Progress toward meeting competencies  Personal goal setting Unsatisfactory Marginal Effective Highly Effective Outstanding

 Final performance review  Focus group  Evaluation of Wellness Staff

GAs are able to  have a variety of experiences  apply knowledge and skills in the field  experience diverse approaches to wellness  work with multiple coordinators

Challenges  focusing on theory and policy in training  not managing GA expectations  failing to realize GA strengths and weaknesses  expecting GAs to switch coordinators in the middle of large projects

Stumbling blocks  MPH, PhD, and Dietetics GAs  differences in GA preparedness  personality conflicts  differences in work ethic

Southern Illinois University Wellness Center