Integrative health clinic in UC aims to engage students – Montana Kaimin

In the corner of the UC, tucked next to Ship-Ex and Jus Chill'n, lies the often forgotten University of Montana Health and Medicine (UMHM) Wellness Clinic. Several different programs across campus share the space, including Curry Health Wellness Center, the physical therapy program, the athletic training and neural injury programs, among others. This semester the clinic plans to make the space more accessible and visible to students.

Valerie Moody, director of the athletic training program, said that the space was set up to be a satellite clinic during the spring of 2019. Several different health programs on campus used the space, but Moody said that it didnt get a lot of foot traffic.

Last year it seemed like we were just sitting a lot and nobody really knew what the space was, she said. Moodys goals this semester are to let students know the space is there and to engage them in more activity-based events.

Each program will get the space for a set amount of time each week to do tabling or events. Mondays and Thursdays, physical therapy will offer services in the space from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.

Tuesdays will rotate monthly between different programs. September is neural injury and athletic training. This week they will be featuring Montana Brain Injury Alliances Unmasking Brain Injury display from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. The display will feature artistic masks created by people who have suffered traumatic brain injury.

Curry Healths Wellness Center will take over Wednesdays from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. for Wellness Happy Hour, which will feature different themed activities, a bowl of condoms, some Curry swag and a raffle. This months theme is responsible drinking.

Students from a variety of disciplines will take the reins on Fridays, answering questions about their programs from 12 to 1 p.m. Cindi Laukes, Director of the Neural Injury Center, said that she values the creativity that students bring into using the space. Theyre not only the target, she said, but kind of an integral part, too.

Kayli Julius, a specialist at Curry Health Wellness, expressed her hopes that the clinic will become a place where students feel comfortable dropping by when they have questions or need help. Sometimes I think theres just barriers to care because its kind of scary coming in to see a medical provider or counselor, she said. If theyre in a space like the UC, maybe it would help kind of break down some of those barriers to getting services.

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Integrative health clinic in UC aims to engage students - Montana Kaimin