THOUSAND OAKS, Calif. – Cal Lutheran Athletics has taken another step toward strengthening its support of student-athlete well-being after completing Mental Health First Aid training over the summer.

Led by Associate Director of Athletics/Senior Woman Administrator Katie Bell, the department participated in the NCAA-sponsored Mental Health First Aid program on August 10. The training brought coaches and administrators together to learn how to recognize, understand and respond to mental health and substance use challenges.

The initiative was designed to give members of the department additional tools and confidence to support student-athletes experiencing mental health challenges, while helping create an environment where asking for help is encouraged and supported.

"Coaches and administrators are experts when it comes to physical health, but understanding mental health and how it can affect our student-athletes is paramount," Bell said. "I am very thankful that we were able to gain hands-on experience through the Mental Health First Aid training program, so we are all better equipped and more empowered to support our student-athletes."

Mental Health First Aid is an early-intervention training program that teaches participants to identify signs and symptoms of potential mental health challenges, listen nonjudgmentally, provide reassurance and connect individuals with appropriate professional support. Participants also learn how to respond to crisis and non-crisis situations through the Mental Health First Aid Action Plan and develop strategies for their own self-care.

The NCAA Division III program, offered in partnership with the National Council for Mental Wellbeing, provides funding for member institutions to receive Mental Health First Aid training, with an emphasis on equipping athletic trainers and head coaches to support student-athlete mental well-being.

For Cal Lutheran Athletics, the training is about more than adding another certification to the department. It is about creating a culture where student-athletes feel comfortable speaking up when they are struggling and know that seeking support is encouraged.

Cal Lutheran Interim Associate Vice President and Athletic Director Elizabeth Brooks emphasized the importance of creating that environment, drawing on her own experiences as a student-athlete.

"When I was a student-athlete at Cal Lutheran, I was struggling. My mom died unexpectedly before my freshman year and, as much as I tried to move through my grief, depression and anxiety took over. So much so, I didn't show up for our team's report day," Brooks said. "My coach knew what I had been through, and I'll never forget the grace my coaches and my teammates showed me. If it wasn't for their grace and my family's support, I would have suffered in silence and been afraid to ask for help."

Brooks now hopes to help other students find that same sense of support by encouraging them to seek help and take advantage of campus resources.

"EMDR therapy changed the trajectory of my life, and I share my story to help others, reduce the stigma around mental health, and encourage students to utilize campus resources like CAPS or Spiritual Care for support," Brooks said.

Cal Lutheran head women's volleyball coach Kellee Roesel shares that commitment to making mental health a priority, emphasizing that it deserves the same attention and care as physical health.

"There are few things more important in a person's life and well-being than their mental health," Roesel said. "I often ask them, if your knee has been hurting you for some days, wouldn't you go to the athletic trainer? If you had a fever that lasted for more than a day, wouldn't you go to a physician? In that same respect, if your head or heart are hurting you, why don't you do the same and seek out professional help via a therapist?"

Roesel believes that being open about mental health can help student-athletes feel more comfortable seeking support. By sharing her own experiences, she hopes to make conversations about therapy a more natural part of her relationships with her players.

"I often share my story in seeking intensive therapy after I lost my husband tragically in 2017 and how that therapy literally saved me," Roesel said. "That vulnerability provides a foundation for introducing therapy to my team and is one that I am grateful for."

For Roesel, encouraging student-athletes to seek support is an important part of coaching them beyond the playing surface.

"Our job as coaches is all-encompassing. Head, heart, body, soul," Roesel said. "Suggesting therapy for my student-athletes and alumni is paramount in my job. Seeing a young woman who was struggling, sought treatment through therapy, and is now a better woman because of that, is just one of my purposes as a coach. One that I take seriously and with great humility."

Mental Health First Aiders are not trained to diagnose or treat mental health conditions. Rather, they serve as an important link between someone experiencing a mental health or substance use challenge and appropriate professional support.

By completing the training together, Cal Lutheran Athletics is better equipped to recognize when a student-athlete may need support, respond appropriately and help connect them with the resources they need.

Most importantly, the department hopes the training reinforces a simple message for its student-athletes: You do not have to go through it alone, and asking for help is a sign of strength.