Student Outreach Services

Executive Summary

Housed under the Division of Student Affairs and Enrollment Management’ Wellness Center, the Office of Outreach Services provides holistic wellness services relative to behavioral and mental health impediments on the primary public health level to all current students (full or part-time) enrolled at Fort Valley State University (FVSU) and residents of Peach, Macon-Bibb, Macon, and Dooly counties. Outreach services focuses on five main areas of focus: general mental health for youth and adults, substance abuse prevention, HIV/AIDS prevention, suicide prevention, and sexual violence prevention and risk-reduction. In addition to these correlative health indices, services entail retention-based activities for LGBTQIA youth and complimentary programming designed to meet unacquired social determinants of health, specifically in the areas of food, clothing, personal hygiene, housing, all relative to sustained wholistic homeostasis. Supported at a 100% level of operations by State, Federal and private funding sources, the Office has acquired over $3,740,000 since it’s independent status as a stand-alone unit with the Wellness Center in support of its campus and community wide programming. Administrative and programmatic leadership for the varying initiative is comprised of three-full time staff, consisting of a Director, Coordinator, and Clerical Aid, approximately 30 peer educators, 10 community based organizational (CBO) partners from the four targeted counties of Peach, Macon-Bibb, Macon, and Dooly Counties and contributing FVSU faculty and staff.  

Outreach Unit Peer Leadership

The Outreach Unit incorporates prevention services designed to eliminate the onset of mental and physical instabilities associated with various mental health crises. Through the utilization of its Peer Educator Program (PEP) – modeled through National peer to peer training modules, PEP empowers leaders from the student body, faculty, staff, and representatives from the community-based organization (CBO partners) to facilitate prevention activities addressing psychological issues, while incorporating best practices and guidance into on and off-campus programming. Our targeted areas are:

• • HIV / AIDS Prevention
  • Substance Abuse Prevention
  • Sexual Violence Prevention
  • Sexual Violence Risk Reduction
  • Suicide Prevention
  • Just Open Yourself (JOY)/GSA
  • Youth Mental Health Awareness
  • Peer Educators – Administrative Support
  • The Vault Ft. Tommy's Closet 

Current Programming

A.    Violence Avoidance Leadership Uplifting Education (VALUE): Supported through funding from the Department of Justice, the VALUE Initiative seeks to stop school violence amongst school aged youth in the counties of Peach, Bibb, Dooly, and Macon via engaging cognitive behavioral trainings, and to also train adults on recognizing the signs of a troubled young person.
B.    Training Encounters Advancing Mental Health (TEAM): Supported through funding from the US Department of Health and Human Services, the TEAM initiative seeks to empower adults with built capacities in identifying behaviors indicative of the progression of serious mental health illnesses and immediate referrals to mental health service agents and tertiary providers of support.
C.    Shepherds in the Valley (SIV-Sexual Violence Prevention Initiative): Co-Awarded from the Georgia Departments of Public Health (DPH) and Behavioral Health & Developmental Disabilities (BHDD) via a 5-term renewable allocation and 1-year close-out grant, SIV targets male-identifying members of athletic programs, fraternal organizations, and general student body with evidence-based practices (EBP) guided lessons on what constitutes sexual harassment and violence.
D.    Mary Magdalene Initiative (MM-Sexual Violence Risk Reduction Initiative): Co-Awarded from the Georgia Departments of Public Health (DPH) and Behavioral Health & Developmental Disabilities (BHDD) via a 5-term renewable allocation and 1-year close-out grant, MM targets female-identifying members of the student body with EBP guided lessons designed to build awareness of what constitutes sexual harassment and violence and the subsequent emergence of solidarity amongst women. 
E.    Be the Sober One (BTSO-Substance Abuse Prevention): Supported from the Governor’s Office of Highway Safety, BTSO supports FVSU students and residents of Peach and Bibb counties with raised capacities on identifying the comprehensive risks of alcohol abuse, including of driving while impaired, and incompliance with seatbelt utilization.
F.    Cultivating Leadership & Wildcat Services (CLAWS-Track II): Student Development): Supported through funding from the Georgia Department of Behavioral Health & Developmental Disabilities CLAWS addresses behavioral health impediments than when uninterrupted may result in detrimental life-consequences for FVSU students.
G.    Just Open Yourself (JOY-Gay Straight Alliance (GSA): Integrated within all programming areas, JOY seeks to ensure that members of the LGBTQIA community are afforded heightened opportunities to participate in behavioral health programming, as the community is disproportionately impacted by all areas.
H.    The Vault featuring Tommy’s Closet: Supported by Institutional and community resources, inclusive of alumni, faculty, staff, students, churches and business, the Vault supplies FVSU students with Masloic-driven goods relative to food, clothing, and personal hygiene.
 

Prevention Training

• Adult ALC and VOICES Presentation 2021-HIV/ AIDS and Substance Abuse Prevention
• Peer Educator Led HIV/AIDS Prevention Zoom Video
• Peer Educator Led Substance Abuse Prevention Zoom Video

Supportive Documentation

• VOICES/VOCES – Safe in the City
• ALC Student Worksheets

Outreach Programming Supported By: