CAPS Peer Educators are student advocates with specialized knowledge to support mental health, stress reduction, and emotional well-being within the TCNJ community. We design, organize, and implement programs on campus to increase wellness, self-care, and resilience; and to engage students in reducing mental health stigma. We welcome partnerships with students, faculty, and staff.
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What We Do
Act as liaisons between Counseling and Prevention Services (CAPS) and the TCNJ student community
Provide students with information, support, and referrals
Offer workshops and programs on wellness & mental health topics for groups of students, such as Greek organizations, athletic teams, student organizations, club sports, and academic classes.
Provide outreach to First Year students, offering support and address topics such as Homesickness/ Adjustment to college, Stress and Time management, and Managing Conflict
Design and implement campus-wide programs such as:
- Mental Health Awareness Month events including Stigmonologues, Messages of Hope, Run for Resilience, and Stress is Scary
- Suicide Prevention & Stigma reduction campaigns
- Eating Disorders Awareness Month: NEDA-Monologues, Speaker Presentations, Selfies for Self- Care, Seeing Yourself Clearly
Participation in THRIVE Wellness Expo, the Resiliency Fair, & other campus initiatives
Workshop Menu
All of our workshops are interactive and can be modified to accommodate different group sizes. Please contact us if you have any questions or need more information.
- Stress Busters – Why are students so stressed out, and what can we do about it? This workshop helps participants to identify common sources of stress, understand the damage stress and anxiety can cause, and provide strategies for managing stress.
- More Than Just the Blues – Discuss how clinical depression is different from just feeling “the blues.” Find out more about the signs and symptoms of depression, coping strategies, and how to help a friend. Learn about counseling resources on and off-campus.
- How To Help A Friend– Do you have a friend who seems to be struggling with Depression, Anxiety, or other mental health issues? You’re not alone. This workshop will cover recognizing signs and symptoms as well as provide some Dos and Don’ts for supporting peers who are struggling.
Request a program
If you would like to request one of the above programs from the CAPS Peer Educators or discuss the option of having a more tailored program to meet your needs, please complete an online program request form. NOTE: Requests need to be submitted at least 2-3 weeks in advance of the proposed program. (The last date to submit your program request form for the Fall semester is November 15th and for the Spring semester is April 10th).
Follow up with Robbin Loonan, MA, DVS, LPC at (609) 771-2247 or loonanr@tcnj.edu, if you do not hear from an Mental Health Peer Educator within a week of submitting your request.
Some topic areas we cover:
- Stress and Anxiety Reduction
- Time management
- Transitioning to college
- Disordered Eating and positive body image
- Communication skills and conflict management
- Depression / Helping others in distress
- Healthy self-esteem & Coping Strategies
- Mental Health Stigma- reduction