EWING, NJ November 9, 2021 – Peers are helping each other process pandemic trauma as The College of New Jersey (TCNJ) welcomes students back to campus.

As part of a college-wide community learning day in September, TCNJ’s trauma support network, AmIOK, led 20 volunteers from various student organizations to facilitate programs focused on reinforcing resilience and raising awareness about adverse childhood experiences (ACEs). ACEs are potentially traumatic events experienced at a young age that can increase chances of illness, early mortality, injury, crime involvement and chronic disease. Since the on-campus event, referrals and requests for services submitted to AmIOK’s emergency hotline doubled from last year.

“Once students came back, we knew we would witness increased trauma effects,” says Assistant Professor and Graduate Nursing Program Coordinator, Dara Whalen. “It’s been a very rough 18 months. That is why AmIOK collaborated with TCNJ’s Cultural and Intellectual Community Council to develop crucial programming related to the theme of resilience for TCNJ’s community learning day.”

AmIOK is the latest addition to a vast portfolio of mental health resources and services offered by the college. This new program is offered through TCNJ's Center for Integrative Wellness, a training clinic and holistic health center that provides low-cost and longer-term mental health services to TCNJ students, faculty, staff and community members.

According to the Association for University and College Counseling Center Directors (AUCCCD), nearly 90% of campus counseling center directors worldwide reported increases in students’ search for support services before the pandemic in 2019. One study of 134,000 college students in 28 countries found those who worry about contracting the virus “reported COVID-19–related mental health distress, with interpersonal disengagement, struggles with motivation, and boredom, as well as anxiety, depression, and sleep disturbances…”

To address student trauma and support resilience efforts, the program included a keynote speaker, panel discussion featuring notable experts, communal yoga sessions, art exercises based on the Japanese ‘broken vessel’ principle and provided an emergent response team for participants who may have been triggered by sensitive content. Keynote speaker Dr. Kimberly Noble, a neuroscientist, pediatrician and professor of Neuroscience & Education at Teachers College, Columbia University, remarked on the detrimental effects of stress on the body and mind. “However,” notes Noble, “stress can also be buffered by supportive relationships.”

AmIOK student volunteer Tulika Desai, TCNJ nursing major 2023, describes her community learning day experience, stating, “This was AmIOK’s first in-person event on TCNJ’s Campus. We were not only showcasing our events; we introduced our program to thousands of TCNJ students. It could not have gone better. AmIOK did an amazing job of combining fun workshops and tabling events with the important conversation of resilience. The entire day was focused on ways to implement understanding and empathy into daily life, for others and ourselves too.”

This year’s TCNJ summer reading requirement reinforced AmIOK’s efforts by highlighting resilience. “The book choice, The Deepest Well by Nadine Burke Harris, considered the prevalence of ACEs and the potential problematic outcomes that are related to people with high ACE scores. However, the author reminds us that we can engage in practices that lead to healthier outcomes,” says Professor and Summer Reading Faculty Fellow, Tabitha Dell’Angelo.

“After reading the book, we asked students to reflect on the adaptive coping strategies proposed by Burke Harris and self-assess how they cope with stress. The responses showed that students were open and excited about looking closely at their own practices and making changes that will lead to better outcomes.”

TCNJ’s School of Nursing, Health, and Exercise Science Dean Carole Kenner remarks, “AmIOK’s involvement in engaging students to process trauma and embrace resilience is crucial to effectively reopening the campus. We are proud of this program’s work and hope our model can serve as a gold standard for listening to and uplifting young people at colleges far and wide.” The school consistently ranks as one of the top five best nursing schools in New Jersey.

Servicing TCNJ and the greater Mercer County area, AmIOK helps college students who experience a crime or traumatic event with a 24-hour confidential hotline operated by trained nurse practitioners and counsellors. The program’s comprehensive healing approach includes medical evaluation, counseling and other individualized services. AmIOK implements campus community education and training to foster a trauma-informed communication approach for students, faculty and staff. AmIOK received more than $1 million from the New Jersey Victims of Crime Act (VOCA) grant program earlier this year.

TCNJ’s School of Nursing, Health, and Exercise Science prioritizes trauma-informed care across its three departments. Exercise Science Professor Nick Ratamess explains, “The pandemic lockdowns affected physical and emotional health. Gym closings led to reduced activity, increased weight gain, fitness reductions, and more emotional stress overall. To address this crisis, promoting activity should be a priority moving forward.” In the school’s Public Health department, faculty and students also research COVID-19’s impacts on numerous societal health issues.  

TCNJ’s School of Nursing, Health, and Exercise Science educates aspiring health professionals to become future leaders across the healthcare industry. Faculty work closely with local healthcare partners to provide students with applicative skills and foundational knowledge. The nationally acclaimed school is dedicated to preparing individuals—through programs in nursing, public health, exercise science, and physical education teaching—for the many rewards of guiding people, communities, and populations toward improved health outcomes.

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