‘The right initiative at the right time’
Chabad on Campus addresses students’ mental health needs
Rabbi Shmuli Rothstein knows the consequences of students not getting support for their mental health needs.
The Chabad at Pitt rabbi has seen students break down due to the stress and anxiety of being on campus during the anti-Zionist encampments last summer. He has visited hospitals to see students who have overdosed and has even intervened to prevent suicide attempts.
“A girl was here yesterday crying. She had a hard time,” Rothstein said. “I don’t blame her. I would do that, too. There are times in your life when you just need someone.”
Rothstein said that students across all walks of life have reached out to him.
“There’s a lot of preventative energy that’s needed,” he said. “It’s not all about attacking the illness. There’s a lot of work to get done before the illness.”
To that end, Chabad on Campus has created a new mental health initiative: EMPOWER—Encouraging Mental Positivity, Wellness and Emotional Resilience.
The program will provide counseling services with licensed therapists, mindfulness workshops, stress management sessions, peer support groups, educational programs on mental health awareness and self-care, and collaboration with university resources.
Chabad is teaming with Dr. Daniel Saul of Cardigan Psychological, who is managing the professionals working with the program and a staff of students interested in helping their peers.
“Students can really help in their own social circles to be more connected and know what their peers are feeling, and to really be able to uplift them themselves, if they have the tools to do so,” said Sara Weinstein, co-director of Chabad on Campus.
The idea, she said, is to make the program accessible for students, whether it’s through the professionals at Cardigan Psychological or their peers.
“We are a safe haven for students,” she said, “but they are effective working with their peers.”
And while students will be an important part of the program, they won’t be left to their own devices.
“We have someone on staff who is mental health first aid training-certified,” Rothstein explained.
The students working with the initiative receive a stipend and training. More than a dozen have already asked to be part of EMPOWER.
“They’re going to host programs for their fellow students and friends,” he said. “They’re going to be fun programs with food. They’re going to be lavish-ish. I want people to come and be excited about this.”
The professionals, he said, will ensure that specific mental health concepts are addressed throughout the program.
“They’ll be a mission behind it, a story or a value point within the program to bring out some mental health issue,” he explained.
And while the program is being overseen by Chabad on Campus, EMPOWER takes inspiration from Rabbi Abraham Twerski, who looked outside of the Jewish community to help those with addiction issues, and will be open to all students.
The concept, Rothstein said, is based on a fundamental Jewish idea.
“You have to have a healthy mind, body and soul,” he said. “The program embodies the saying from the Talmud, ‘Kol Yisroel Areivim Zeh L’Zeh’ — ‘We are all responsible for one another.’”
EMPOWER will help students prioritize mental well-being and foster a healthier, more resilient community, he added.
“I think students run into a lot of insensitivity about what their real issues are,” Weinstein said. “We want them to feel like there’s a real channel or venue where they can be themselves and be there for their fellow students as well.”
The program, Rothstein said, is a judgment-free zone and the hope is that everyone will feel welcome.
“There’s a famous line from the Tanya that says, ‘Unless you’re standing in your fellow’s shoes you can’t rebuke them.’ And, it goes on to say, ‘You’re never standing in your fellow’s shoes.’ You’re never going to know how they grew up, what their situation is. So, there’s never space to judge another person.”
EMPOWER, funded by the Staunton Farm Health Foundation, kicked off Nov. 4 and will be housed at Chabad on Campus’ new location at 220 Meyran Ave.
For both Rothstein and Weinstein, EMPOWER is the right initiative at the right time fulfilling the right need.
“It’s pertinent and it’s needed,” the rabbi said. PJC
David Rullo can be reached at drullo@pittsburghjewishchronicle.org.
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