Managing Mental Health: In the Classroom & Beyond

a Discovery Core Experience

This course may be taken as either a BCORE 107 (Social Sciences) or as a BCORE 104 (Arts & Humanities) course. It also fulfills the DIVERSITY graduation requirement.

About This Course

This course will explore resources and practical coping skills through art, writing, and other creative mediums to manage anxiety. Guest speakers may include local therapists to provide the framework for workshops/weekly journaling  writing exercises based on cognitive behavioral therapy techniques. There will be a civic engagement portion with a local nonprofit to provide mental health education and support to others in the UWB community.

Working with a local non-profit?

Yes! There will be a group research and writing component of this course in conjunction with NAMI that will allow students to reflect on the impact and power of art and poetry on mental health. 

Collaboration is Key

During this course, we will work with the UWB Counseling Center, as well as student members of the the new NAMI student club, and our learning will be supported by Valley Cities Medical and the National Council for Well Being )thanks to funding through the King County MIDD tax!).  

Required Saturday, Oct 5 Class Session

This course involves getting certified in mental health first aid (made possible through the King County MIDD funds and a collaboration with Valley Cities Medical’s educational program) to learn techniques on how to have an effective discussion with someone who may be experiencing a mental health and/or substance addiction challenge. Attendance at an all day virtual Saturday session on October 5th is mandatory to complete the mental health first aid portion of the course, with pre-work and registration with Valley Cities to be done the first week of class.

Professor Laura Umetsu (she/her/hers)

School of Business

About Professor Umetsu

Laura K. Umetsu grew up in Seattle, Washington. She has a passion for project management and networking, which led her to be accepted to the Michael G. Foster School of Business, where she graduated with distinction in Marketing and Entrepreneurship with a heavy emphasis on project management.

Laura’s projects have been featured in the United Nations International Women’s Day Celebration, Harvard University, University of Washington Daily Newspaper, the Daniel Pearl Foundation, the Acting Globally Newsletter for the Foster School of Business, the University of Washington’s President’s Newsletter, and KOMO 4 News. Laura concluded the tenure of a three year scholarship in Louisiana as an Ernest N. Morial Scholar at Louisiana State University in 2013, and became a member of the Washington State Bar Association in 2014. In addition to her work as an attorney, Laura teaches a variety of business and law coursework in the Seattle area. From 2014-2020, Laura served as a board member of NAMI Seattle, and continues to advocate on behalf of members of the local community who have been diagnosed with a wide variety of mental illnesses.

Contact

Email: lumelody@uw.edu