Each year, the Teaching & Learning Excellence Division (TLED) Print Wall Calendar is designed to inspire faculty to take a deep dive into higher education issues, and this year’s edition is no different. This year’s theme is “Empowering Students by Meeting Basic Needs,” with each month in the calendar highlighting specific essential resources, showcasing how Austin Community College (ACC) and the surrounding community address twelve basic needs through:

Innovative curriculum integration

  • ACC faculty have addressed students’ basic needs within their instruction, from free sewing classes to mental health workshops.

Supportive campus resources

  • From food pantries to technology loans, ACC campuses are equipped with resources designed to support students’ daily needs directly.

Active community engagement

  • We collaborate with local organizations and initiatives to extend support beyond the campus, ensuring that our students can access comprehensive services and opportunities within the wider community.

The goal of this calendar is to ensure faculty are informed about the essential resources available to students. We hope this will help create an educational environment where all students can succeed. For February, the basic need being highlighted is Mental Health.

Mental Health

We’re committed to ensuring every student has the tools they need for success. Prioritizing mental health is essential to fostering a supportive learning environment where students can thrive both academically and personally. This month, we shine a spotlight on ACC’s Mental Health Counseling services, which provide vital support to help students navigate challenges, build resilience, and maintain overall well-being. Executive Dean of Mental Health Counseling, Dr. Jodi Denyszyn, emphasizes how ACC’s Mental Health Counseling team is here to support student success by offering therapy and clinical programming throughout the district. She shares: 

“ACCs Mental Health Counselors are a confidential resource at the college, and counselors are available on every campus, district-wide. We offer individual and group counseling sessions in a variety of modalities. We offer in-person sessions, telemental health sessions, or a blend of the two. Our work is grounded in guidance from our licensure boards, state laws, occupational codes, and professional associations. ACC students request counseling for a variety of reasons, including trauma, stress, anxiety, depression, grief, relationship concerns, and concerns about substance use. We care deeply about our students, and we are grateful for the opportunity to help them work toward their goals.”

Mental health is vital for our students’ success at ACC. ACC’s Mental Health Counseling (MHC) unit offers short-term counseling services to enrolled students. MHC’s licensed counselors offer services and programs throughout the district to foster resiliency skills, develop individual and educational growth, and help maintain a safe and healthy learning environment. In addition to up to twelve counseling appointments, they offer group counseling, psychoeducational workshops, and programming in partnership with ACC’s Office of Equal Opportunity Compliance (EOC), including awareness and prevention programs on drug/alcohol abuse, domestic and intimate partner violence & abuse, and suicide prevention. ACC’s MHC serves students by appointment in their preferred modality – in-person or via tele-mental health. Additionally, MHC provides community resources and referrals to every individual who reaches out. For a list of wellness resources, for more information, and to request counseling services, ACC students are encouraged to consult www.austincc.edu/counseling. For emergency situations, please call 911 or 988 (suicide lifeline).

Understanding the Need for Mental Health Support at ACC

Mental health remains a critical factor in student success, and recent data underscores the importance of accessible counseling services. 

ACC’s Mental Health Counseling team reported that from Fall 2023 through Summer 2024, 977 ACC students attended 3,508 mental health counseling appointments. 

  • Furthermore, 74% of ACC students who participate in an Intake, Distress, or Counseling session with MHC persist from Fall to Fall semesters. In comparison, 85% of ACC students who participate in an Intake, Distress, or Counseling session with MHC persist from Fall to Spring semesters.
  • According to the Student Financial Wellness Survey (Fall 2023 Semester Report, p. 7), in Fall 2023, 35% of students receiving ACC’s mental health counseling disclosed symptoms of depression, while 45% of respondents reported generalized anxiety disorder.

This data underscores the importance of raising awareness and ensuring students know how to access the support available.

ACC Resources to Share With Your Students

  • ACC’s Mental Health Counseling (MHC) Services: Offers individual counseling, group counseling, psychoeducational workshops, and other services and programs throughout the ACC District to support students.
  • Student Accessibility Services (SAS): Provides equitable and effective access for students with documented disabilities to support their full participation in College classes and activities, which includes students who have mental health diagnoses.
  • Student Support Services: Provides a wide range of support resources to help students succeed, including financial aid, food assistance, mental health counseling, accessibility services, tutoring, and more.

Additional Community Resources to Share With Your Students

  • ACC’s Mental Health Resources: Mental health resources listed by region for outpatient, crisis assistance, and substance use treatment.
  • Amplify Center: Community resource located at ACC’s Eastview Campus offers mental health support to unenrolled students and community members. 
  • Aware Central Texas: 24/7 hotline and resources for those who have experienced abuse and trauma in Central Texas.
  • Call Blackline: Peer support and counseling for marginalized peoples. Blackline uplifts the LGBTQIA+ BIPOC populations, however, all are welcome.
  • DESI LGBTQ+: Helpline for South Asians: Support and resources for South Asian LGBTQIA+.
  • Family Crisis Center: Safe space for individuals facing domestic violence, sexual abuse, harassment, or stalking with a 24/7 hotline.
  • Trans Lifeline: Trans Lifeline is run by and for trans people and offers a hotline and financial support.
  • Veterans Crisis Line: Free, 24/7, confidential support that can help even if you’re not enrolled in VA benefits or health care. Chat online, call, or text 838-255.

For additional resources, visit Social Support’s ACC & Community Essential Resource List.

If you or someone you know is in crisis or considering harm to self (suicide) or to others, please call or text 988 immediately for 24/7 support. The 988 Lifeline is available for everyone, is free, and is confidential. 

Discussing and addressing these needs is essential for creating an educational environment where all students can succeed. By supporting these fundamental areas, we foster a culture of care and resilience, empowering students to focus on their goals without stress from unmet needs. This calendar aims to inform faculty about these resources, allowing them to share directly with students and address these needs in their instruction.

To learn more about all twelve basic needs highlighted in the TLED Calendar, visit the TLED Print Wall Calendar webpage and explore more essential resources.

ACC is committed to supporting every student’s basic needs. We are more than an educational institution —we are a community that cares, supports, and grows together.

“Every Need. Every Student. Every Day.”

 

Print Correction: Embracing Our College Values

When we launched the 2024-2025 TLED Print Wall Calendar in September 2024, we were excited to share a resource designed to support faculty in meeting students’ basic needs. However, we were made aware of a misprint in the calendar and knew we had to make it right. In true ACC spirit, we embraced Courage by acknowledging the mistake, asked for Compassion as we worked to correct it by partnering with the Mental Health Counseling (MHC) team to provide accurate information, spread Joy with a fun sticker pack, and said a big, bold Yes to learning and growing together. As a reminder of our shared commitment to adaptability and continuous improvement, every calendar now includes a sticker pack so users can update the misprint while embracing our College values. 

Forgot to request a calendar? No worries! Additional calendars and sticker packs are available for pick-up at all ACC campus libraries and Teaching & Learning Centers (TLCs). Contact your campus library or TLC to confirm availability.