Dear You, a student-led mental health organization, recently launched at the University of Kansas with a mission to build connections before a crisis.
Rather than focusing only on seeking professional help when mental health struggles arise, Dear You KU emphasizes the importance of building a supportive campus community through everyday interactions.
“Connection alone is a powerful tool for mental health,” Vince Serpe, co-president of Dear You KU, said.
According to Dear You KU’s website, Serpe’s passion for mental health advocacy began in high school through his involvement with Sources of Strength. He continued that work at KU through Dear You, hoping to build a supportive community where mental health is discussed openly and students feel less alone.
KU is the fifth university to establish a Dear You chapter, joining the University of Missouri, Iowa State University, the University of Colorado Boulder and the University of Nebraska-Lincoln.
According to Serpe, KU students recognized a need for greater awareness of existing mental health resources on campus, motivating them to bring the organization to Lawrence.
“We just want to connect with people, and the value in just genuinely saying hi to someone, genuinely smiling, genuinely waving, just acknowledging that everyone around you is also a human being is so useful to people's mental health,” Serpe said.
The chapter hopes to remind students that they are not alone while helping connect those who are struggling with appropriate resources and support.
“I wanted to be on the Dear You media team to help spread awareness of suicide prevention and serve as a platform that students could reach out to for support,” Liv Pekarek, Dear You media director, said.
Dear You KU's leadership team receives Question, Persuade and Refer training, a suicide prevention program that teaches participants how to recognize warning signs, approach someone who may be struggling and connect them with professional resources.
Dear You is also in communication with Counseling and Psychological Services (CAPS) at KU.
Located in Watkins Health Center, CAPS provides services such as crisis support, psychiatry and mental health and wellness-based events for KU students.
According to Serpe, Dear You’s connection with CAPS will help the team further their mental health training and refer students in dire situations more seamlessly.
One way the organization is working toward its goal of building connections is through its “Call Your People” campaign, which encourages students to stay in touch with their loved ones.
In September, Dear You KU hosted its first event on Wescoe Beach in recognition of Suicide Prevention Month. Students were encouraged to call someone they cared about and express feelings they might not normally share.
“People were saying, ‘Hi Mom,’ and some were talking to people that have passed,” Serpe said.
A video highlighting the event was shared on Instagram, where it received more than 35,000 views.
“Media is important for spreading Dear You’s message because it gives our team a way to advocate on building connection before crisis,” Pekarek said.
For Dear You KU, the event marked the beginning of its efforts to build a more connected campus community.
In the spring, Dear You KU plans to host Ruck Week, an event intended to raise awareness of the emotional struggles people may carry without others knowing.
Rucking involves walking or hiking with added weight, typically using a weighted vest or backpack. The chapter hopes to use the physical weight as a metaphor for the emotional burdens students may carry in their everyday lives.
“We want everyone to realize that people around them are always carrying more weight than you can see on the surface,” Serpe said.
For more information, visit Dear You KU’s website.
This article was edited by Head Arts and Culture Editor Allie Mapes. If the information in this article needs to be corrected, please contact allie.mapes@ku.edu.