Forum is Anything but Finite

      While the forum event remains a one-day event, that does not mean the dialogue surrounding mental health must also become a thought which one struggles to remember. To allow the ending of the 'forum' would be to give a thirsty man a glass of water to last him the week. The man will last past the week but will soon meet the earth thereafter. Though current mental health efforts preserve the status quo, the status in question may exist on an unequal plane. A plane which balances against the wind on fading wood and sinking foundations. That is to say: room for improvement represents a constant as 'satisfactory' can never take the place of 'successful'.

     All prosaic musings aside (haha), the forum will not end on April 7th at 9pm. At that time, the forum will ascend to the realms of the web. The forum will continue on the "UM Mental Health" social media accounts. Each week (follow the forum event), we hope to post a blog article or two detailing the mental health efforts of other universities. The University of Miami currently spearheads both the smoking cessation and sexual assault awareness movements; it should also be at the helm of innovation pertaining to mental health practices/policy. Aside from blogging, we hope to maintain a constant dialogue about mental health through the inception of "#ummentalhealth". 

     Eventually, we will share our practices with other like-minded campuses (more about this will be disclosed on forum day).  

A Brief Introduction

Goal of Forum Day: "to provide a safe space in which the UM community may discuss the mental health climate on campus as well as current policy"

Future Goals:

• facilitate a dialogue between students and administrators in hopes of improving current mental health resources and policy
• start a continuous conversation about mental health as it relates to the UM community
• spread knowledge of existing mental health resources
• increase efficacy and sphere of influence of current mental health resources
• unite student orgs to foster a mentally supportive as well as healthy environment 

Hosting Organizations:
1) Student Health Advisory Committee (Main)
2) Student Government of the University of Miami
3) Miami Mindfulness

Supporting Organizations: UBS, ODK, COISO, VSO, CRU, SPARK, Pier 21, Pen & Sword

Key Players:

• Austin Eng (Secretary, SHAC)
• Jose-Miguel Rosillo (President, Miami Mindfulness)
• Kristiana Yao (Vice President, SHAC)
• Maggie Lee (President, SHAC)
• Alessandria San Roman (President, Student Government)
• Ishpreet Singh (Speaker Pro Tempore, Student Government) 
• Brianna Hathaway (Speaker, Student Government)