Shining a Light on Mental Health

“Our leadership does really take an effort to cater to our students and their needs and provide a well-rounded environment that encourages wellness,” Kumar said.

First, students who call CAPS are connected with a triage specialist who helps guide them to identify their needs, field specific requests, and make an appointment. Telehealth and in-person options are both available. Then, when it is time for the appointment, students meet with their therapist for an initial 1.5-hour-long, conversational visit to get to know the student and better understand their needs and goals. The therapist and the student will talk through their plan and any future sessions. CAPS follows a brief therapy model, meaning they are able to provide up to 10 sessions before referring the student to a professional in the community.

“Students who are on the fence about seeking out our services, to them I would say you are on a journey, and this journey can be difficult," Kumar said. "If there is anything I want to put out there as a therapist and as a representative of CAPS is you are not alone in your journey. We are here to walk along with you.”

Courage to Speak Up

For Giambattista, a partner in his journey is exactly what he found. He received the tools he needed to better understand his situation and support his own wellness. It gave him the courage and the confidence to be open and honest about his mental health. AAfter a series of appointments he found himself going about his day remembering the guidance he received from his CAPS therapist and leaning on that guidance to support himself in the moment.

“That’s why CAPS was really helpful, because you’re not just talking to any person, you’re talking to someone who knows where to push you, someone who knows how to get you to the next step away from depression,” he said.

Through CAPS, Giambattista now had the tools and resources he needed to manage his depression. But it was his Christian faith that allowed him to be open about his journey and share it with others.

“Christ became my rock, my thing I could fall back on in my fight against depression,” Giambattista said. “When you have that firm rock, hey, no matter what I have Christ, so what if I have depression, I’m not really concerned about that. It doesn’t make me concerned anymore. I’ve got something else defining me that’s not depression.”

As someone whose depression was made worse through feelings of isolation, he knew what was at stake for students who were in a similar position as him. During a student town hall with UNO Chancellor Joanne Li, Ph.D., CFA, early in the Fall 2021 semester, Giambattista stood up and shared his experience directly with Li and members of UNO’s executive leadership team. He shared his story about how isolation impacted his mental health and urged university leadership to maintain in-person activity.

“When I saw I had the opportunity to speak with her face-to-face I thought I want to let her know personally what my stakes are, what’s at stake for me with class modality," Giambattista said. “Of course it’s a big deal in a pandemic, there’s a risk factor there, but there’s more risks than just COVID. You have a lot of people who need this daily getting out of the house.”

Li and the leadership team took the message to heart, thanked Giambattista for speaking up, and continue to support in-person and on-campus activity while supporting campus wellbeing

“Learning is not only about the material. Learning is to interact. Education is to inspire,” Li said during the town hall. “If you are not inspired, you cannot learn. So trust me, UNO, our faculty and our staff will always be holding firm. We will be your rock. Count on us. And for all those students that have challenges emotionally, we understand that. You are not alone.”

Giambattista said the interaction showed him that support for student wellness permeated throughout campus.

“I was really grateful to be able to have the opportunity to speak with her,” he said. “She was very receptive, she heard me, she let me know she heard me, and I am very thankful to her for that.”

Every step in Giambattista’s journey required courage: From making the decision to seek help, to taking the time to work with a counselor, to sharing his personal story in a public setting, to being open and honest about mental health. This is a journey he encourages everyone to take, because it’s a battle that can’t be fought alone.

“You’ve got to take that first step,” he said. “That’s vital, because no one is going to take you into CAPS, no one is going to take you into those meetings, you’ve got to take that first step and make that meeting. It might be hard for some people, but you’ve got to fight this, you’ve got to drag it out into the light, you’ve got to have multiple people on your team. So, take action.”