There is a new – and modern – way for students on the Kent State Salem and East Liverpool campuses to get advice from a mental health expert: the Minutes 4 Mental Health podcast.
Penny Minor, Ph.D., is the counseling specialist for the Columbiana County campuses who hosts a weekly podcast that she launched at the beginning of the semester. So far, more than 100 students are registered as listeners and, as word gets out, more are joining that list.
To gain access to the podcast link, interested students simply need to send an email to Minor (pminor1@kent.edu) with “Podcasts” in the subject line – a name and Kent State email address are all that is needed. She will reply with an invitation to join the podcast, which will then be listed on the student’s Canvas homepage, giving access to the sessions.
Each podcast averages between 15 and 20 minutes, with topics about mental health and wellness, as well as discussions about learning and studying. Following each podcast, there is a three-question quiz. If a student listens to four podcasts and completes the quizzes, they will receive an “I Am Listening” podcast t-shirt.
Additionally, students are eligible for monthly giveaway prize packs consisting of items such as sweatshirts, ear buds, computer bags, baseball hats and mugs. The monthly prize pack items are listed on the Minutes 4 Mental Health Canvas page.
Minor sometimes includes a guest speaker and also offers opportunities for students to co-host a session. There is no monetary compensation for co-hosting, but students can gain experience as a podcaster and receive speaker merchandise. Some instructors are beginning to include these podcasts in their curriculum.
Minor hosts the podcasts from a studio on the Salem Campus, complete with computer software and audio equipment acquired with help from grant funding.
The podcast initiative was funded by the American Rescue Plan Act, which was created to support communities responding to the impacts of the Covid-19 pandemic through the Ohio Department of Mental Health and Addiction Services and from PreventionFIRST!
Several months ago, Minor applied for and received an Ohio Wellness Campus Collaborative grant for $25,000. The grant offered mentorship through PreventionFIRST! to help with budgeting, program development and education related to mental health services for the Columbiana County campuses.
Cutline A: Penny Minor, the mental health counseling specialist for the Columbiana County campuses, hosting a Minutes 4 Mental Health podcast from the studio on the Salem Campus.