Pittsburgh Technical College
Office of the President
We know it can be stressful as you head into a new school year, which is why we put together a guide to help you think about what you want out of this year, how you can stay connected to yourself and others, and plan for a year that feels good to you.
You Are Here is an experience from JED and our partners at PINK offering tips, practices, and resources for navigating transitions like back to school with intention, connecting with your authentic self, pressing pause when you need to, and embracing your next chapter.
This back-to-school season, JED is here to support you with useful advice, tips, and resources to plan for a strong start. Beginning right now, exactly where you are, you can take the first steps to have a year that feels good to you.
We can’t always control the stress that comes into our lives, but we can control how we manage and react to it. Understanding these stressors in order to respond to them in a healthy way is a key component of mental health.
Understanding and addressing the sources of our anxiety can be challenging, but there are things we can do to manage it with the support of our network and the help of trained mental health professionals.
Find more resources to start the year strong in the Mental Health Resource Center
Dean of Counseling & Student Development
988 Suicide and Crisis Lifeline
The 10-digit Lifeline number 1-800-273-TALK (8255) will continue to be operational after July 16 and will route calls to 988 indefinitely.
Need Support Now?
If you or someone you know is struggling or in crisis, help is available. Call or text 988 or chat 988lifeline.org
Stephanie A. Svilar, Ed.D., LPC, NCC (She/Her)
Dean of Counseling & Student Development
Health & Wellness Center, Keystone Hall #103
Office: 412.809.5341
Students: Use your PTC email address toSchedule a Meeting
Please stop by the Faculty and Staff lounge and pick a piece of the puzzle. This month, we want you to help us complete the puzzle. You are welcome to snap a selfie when you add a piece and send it to me. Once we complete it, we will save it and start another one.
There are some games available as well. This is another great way to take a mental break.
Dean of Counseling & Student Development
The Office of Diversity, Equity & Inclusion, and DEI Task force wish to thank Cheryl Lumsden for her dedication, commitment, and service to Pittsburgh Technical College and her passion and persistence in serving on the task force. I had the privilege of working alongside her and other members for over a year. She demonstrated humility, kindness, and patience.
Although she is retiring, I know she will continue doing great things to promote diversity, equity, inclusion, belonging, and accessibility for those lives she encounters.
I wish her all the best as she embarks on a new chapter of her life.
Congratulations on your retirement, Cheryl!
In collaboration with the Dr. Stephanie Svilar, I am pleased to launch the Wellness Walk Campaign. The purpose is to promote physical activity as one of many ways to improve mental health and well-being. Walk for 15-30 minutes between the hours of 11 am-1 pm with a colleague or student around the campus (inside or outside). Not only is walking good for you physically, but it is also a great way to take a mental break. Start small and then build to walking at least 30 minutes per day either on campus or at home.
As a reminder, a fitness center is ready and available for use.
Ever wanted to work out, but felt intimidated by the equipment?
No need to worry. Beginning July 18th, one of our own fitness professionals will host an open house to provide a quick overview of how to use the equipment safely and efficiently.
August will kick off PTC’s fitness focus where you can subscribe to gain tips for utilizing things around your home for strength training, and you can sign up for one-on-one training. We will also have outside group activities for you to participate in around the campus.
If you are interested in learning more, please email us at wearelistening@ptcollege.edu
Stay tuned for further details.
Congratulations to the graduating Surgical Tech class of 2022!!
First class to complete the Cultural Competence and Workplace Diversity training.
Instructor: Gabrielle Muzina
Students: A Johnson, A. Pritt, D. Abrantes, D. Matson, G. Thomas, J. Illig, K. Schulmeister, L. Mills, M. Forry, T. Gozur
We are so proud of your commitment to excellence and accountability. Demonstrating your cultural competence and intercultural responsiveness is one of many ways to promote diversity, equity, inclusion, belonging, and accessibility.
Please keep in touch and consider joining the alumni DEI affinity group. If you are interested, email us at wearelistening@ptcollege.edu
Thank you, Shane McGarvey and the Rainbow Alliance, for hosting the Pride Month Camp Fire finale. We had a wonderful time celebrating with students, faculty, and staff.
I am privileged to work for an institution that promotes an authentic, not aspirational culture. The Office of Diversity, Equity & Inclusions values (civility, advocacy, respect, empowerment, safety) are evident during events and throughout our daily lives on campus.
To Dr. Harvey-Smith, Dr. Becky Ramirez-Duncan, Dr. Eileen Steffan, Jacklyn Smith, Nancy Feather, and all our student participants, I am honored to serve as the Chief DEI Officer at Pittsburgh Technical College (PTC).
Finally, as Pride Month closes, we must continue to focus on creating an inclusive workplace that embraces diversity, belonging, and accessibility for all. We strive to be an institution and employer of choice because of our culture of care.
Juneteenth, the official name of the federal holiday Juneteenth National Independence Day, also called Emancipation Day, Freedom Day, Jubilee Day, Black Independence Day, and Juneteenth Independence Day, is a holiday commemorating the end of slavery in the United States, observed annually on June 19. This year Juneteenth falls on Sunday, June 19, 2022.
In 1863, during the American Civil War, Pres. Abraham Lincoln issued the Emancipation Proclamation, which declared more than three million enslaved people living in the Confederate states to be free. However, more than two years would pass before the news reached African Americans living in Texas. It was not until Union soldiers arrived in Galveston, Texas, on June 19, 1865, that the state’s residents finally learned that slavery had been abolished. The formerly enslaved people began celebrating with prayer, feasting, song, and dance.
As part of the leadership’s commitment to Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, Belonging, and Accessibility, President/CEO Dr. Alicia B. Harvey-Smith approved Juneteenth as an official PTC holiday. PTC recognized the holiday and day of service on Monday, June 20. The purpose was to reflect, participate in community service activities, and educate yourself on ways to promote diversity and inclusion in personal and professional environments. However, you chose to celebrate, it is our hope that you used the time to learn more about the contributions, sacrifices, courage, resilience, and talents of African American people. Juneteenth is one of many ways we can participate in developing our cultural competence and cultural responsiveness.
Mental Health Awareness Month (MHAM) has been observed in May in the United States since 1949. The purpose is to raise awareness and educate the public about mental illnesses as well as sharing strategies for maintaining mental health and wellness. Additionally, MHAM strives to reduce the stigma that surrounds mental health. The theme for 2022 is “Back to Basics” with the goal of providing foundational knowledge about mental health and what people can do if their mental health is a cause for concern.
PTC is implementing the Make It OK and Seize the Awkward campaigns during May for both students and staff. This campaign is focused on reducing the stigma of mental illness. You will find information about the campaigns posted in common areas on campus. You are encouraged to learn what to say to someone who is struggling using the table tents and other resources located in the cafeteria, student lounge, and staff lounge. And you are encouraged to Pledge to Make it OK by signing one of the cards outside of the cafeteria.
Another important note is that PTC is becoming a JED Campus! The JED Foundation is a non-profit organization that helps schools build comprehensive systems, programs, and policies that support students. They focus on supporting students in multiple ways, but special effort is made to increase mental health, substance use, and suicide prevention efforts. We will have JED Campus representatives with us on May 17th and 18th to meet with our Task Force who will be involved in creating and implementing a strategic plan to address the mental health needs of our students.
Finally, the Citrone 33 Foundation will be hosting a breakfast on May 19th for members of the Pittsburgh Council on Higher Education at PNC Park. Our President and CEO, Dr. Harvey-Smith, will be the keynote speaker and will address mental health needs at our local colleges and universities while also kicking off the Pittsburgh Youth Mental Health Coalition which will follow the breakfast.
Dean of Counseling & Student Development