Maureen Dasey-Morales, director of Wichita State University's Counseling and Testing Center, has been appointed the assistant vice president for wellness, a new position created after the restructuring of Student Affairs.

In this position, Dasey-Morales will oversee the three wellness departments on campus – the Counseling and Testing Center, Campus Recreation and Student Health Services. The position pushes outreach and education, which typical health clinics don’t always do.

“College counseling work is unique, and it’s difficult to understand the inner workings of a university and the demands on students, faculty and staff,” says Dasey-Morales. “I don’t know that clinicians in mental health agencies outside of college mental health understand that.”

As the field of mental health in colleges has changed, the way people look at mental health and overall wellness has changed as well. It was once something that no one talked about, and university counseling centers acted as an island, a neutral place that wasn’t involved with the rest of the campus community.

“We’re still a neutral place for students to go and get unbiased help, but the idea of everyone coming to us has really gone away,” says Dasey-Morales. “We ask how we can reach out to the university community and get our services out to them.”

In the past year, the wellness departments have worked with several other departments on campus to raise awareness about personal wellness. They have partnered with the Office of Diversity and Inclusion and Student Involvement to host events and reach out to students.

“It’s mental wellness, physical wellness, social wellness and lifestyle wellness – all these things contribute to being a healthy individual.”  

–Maureen Dasey-Morales  

The restructuring of Student Affairs and the creation of the wellness branch is meant to increase these collaborations and continue to develop and integrate new programs.

“It’s all to help students, faculty and staff achieve a high level of wellbeing,” says Dasey-Morales. “I’m hoping this will help the rest of the university to see us in that role and to look at wellness in a different way.”

Dasey-Morales’ other goal is to help students, faculty and staff understand that part of learning in higher education involves learning what it means to be a well-rounded, healthy individual.

“Wellness is multi-faceted,” she says. “It’s mental wellness, physical wellness, social wellness and lifestyle wellness – all these things contribute to being a healthy individual.”

The outreach programs initiated by each of the wellness departments include training and applied learning opportunities. Giving the campus community the tools to understand wellness results in a better functioning university.

“If you’re a resilient person, if you’re energetic in your work and interact positively with others, and if you care for your mind and your body, you’re going to be a more successful person in your career and your degree,” says Dasey-Morales. “You’ll be more successful in creating things and innovating things. That’s part of your education.”

Dasey-Morales hopes to organize and energize the wellness offices to continue getting the word about wellness out and promote department services while empowering the people who are doing the work.