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Employee Wellness

School of Health Sciences and Wellness Employee Wellness

Employee Wellness

Pointers Achieving Wellness

The Employee Wellness program at UW-Stevens Point is run by health science and wellness students in an advanced practicum course. They manage programming, promotion and activities of wellness-related events around campus.

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Sallie Scovill

Sallie Scovill

  • Professor – Health Sciences and Wellness
  • Coordinator – UW-Stevens Point Employee Wellness
715-346-4614

Health Information

Take a health risk assessment or find out more information on the topics listed.

Breastfeeding Resources

UW-Stevens Point has been designated as a Breastfeeding Friendly Campus by the Portage County Health and Human Services – Division of Public Health and the Portage County Breastfeeding Coalition. Private, comfortable places to accommodate lactation needs of employees, students and campus visitors are available in six buildings.

Contact your supervisor, adviser or professor regarding needed break times for breastfeeding.

Campus Map

  • Chemistry Biology Building (CBB) – Room 119
  • Collins Classroom Center (CCC) – Room 222
  • DeBot Dining Center – Room 052A
  • Dreyfus University Center (DUC) – Room 222A
  • College of Professional Studies (CPS) – Room 238A
  • Marshfield Campus: WW Clark Administration Building – Room 105
  • Wausau Campus: Main Academic Building – Room 328

Benefits For Baby – Breastfed babies are at lower risk for:
  • Type 1 diabetes
  • Obesity
  • Sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS)
  • Diarrhea
Benefits For Mom – Mothers who breastfeed are at lowered risk for:
  • Type two diabetes
  • Hypertension (high blood pressure)
  • Certain types of cancer (such as breast and ovarian)

Source: Centers for Disease Control and Prevention

Stress reducing techniques include:

  • Create a positive support group.
  • Find a calm and soothing place for pumping. Listen to your favorite music.
  • Breastfeeding can be challenging!
  • Know you are not alone. Reach out to campus resources (listed above).

Source: Office of Women’s Health

  • Eat food from all food groups.
  • Aim for 5 servings of fruits and vegetables per day.
  • Aim for at least half of your grain intake to be whole grains.
  • Breastfeeding requires more fluids. Sip on fluids throughout the day and at meals.
  • Limit caffeine. Up to 2 cups of coffee per day is usually ok. Discuss with your doctor.
  • If you think your baby is reacting to something you are eating, talk to your doctor.

  • Breast milk can stay at room temperature (up to 77 °F) for up to 4 hours after pumping.
  • Breast milk can be stored in an insulated cooler (with frozen ice packs) for up to 24 hours.
  • Breast milk can be stored in the refrigerator for up to 4 days.

Source: Office of Women’s Health

Breast milk changes as your baby ages to meet their nutrient needs. When a baby is first born, breast milk is called colostrum. When babies are 3 to 5 days old breast milk transitions into mature milk.

  • Breast milk can protect your baby from infections because of the antibodies in breastmilk.
  • Breastfeeding can help you financially. Formula costs can amount to $1,500 per year.
  • Prolactin and oxytocin are the hormones involved in making breastmilk. These hormones may also cause a feeling of wanting to be together with your baby.

Source: Office of Women’s Health

Mental Health Resources

National Suicide Prevention Lifeline: 1-800-273-8255(TALK) and 988
Crisis Text Line: Text TALK to 741-741

Counseling Center
910 Fremont Street
3rd Floor Delzell
Stevens Point, WI 54481-3109
715-346-3553
Hours: 8 a.m.-4:30 p.m. Monday-Friday
counsel@uwsp.edu

CAP Services Mental Health Navigator Program: 715-343-7104
The Mental Health Navigator Program can help Portage County residents find Psychological services relevant to their needs in and around Central Wisconsin. Navigators can work with you to find an appropriately trained provider within your insurance network.

Aspirus Behavior Health Clinic
3398 E. Maria Drive
Stevens Point, WI 54481
715-341-7441

  • Individual therapy
  • Psychiatry services available
  • Assessment and testing

Marshfield Clinic Plover Counseling Center
2450 Vineyard Drive
Plover, WI 54467
715-342-0290

  • Individual therapy
  • Psychiatry services available
  • Assessment and testing
  • Telehealth services available

Point Counseling Center
715-303-2900
1547 Strongs Ave Suite D
Stevens Point WI 54481

  • Individual therapy
  • Walking distance from campus

Insight Counseling Services
Jessie Jenson, LPC
120 W. Union St.
Waupaca, WI 54981
715-942-8292

  • Individual therapy
  • Telehealth services available

Behavioral Health Clinic of Wausau
3600 Stewart Avenue, Suite B
Wausau, WI 54401
Plover Office
1820 Post Rd #1
Plover, WI 54467
715-842-9500

  • Individual therapy
  • Assessment and testing

Compass Counseling
Locations in Weston, Wausau, Schofield and Wisconsin Rapids. (See website for individual location contact information).

  • Individual therapy
  • Assessment and testing

  • National Crisis Text Line: 741 741
  • National Suicide Prevention Lifeline: 988 (new 3-digit dialing code), 1-800-273-TALK (8255)
    • This is a crisis hotline that can help with many issues, not just suicide. For example, anyone who feels sad, hopeless, or suicidal; family and friends who are concerned about a loved one; or anyone interested in mental health treatment referrals can call the Lifeline. Callers are connected with a professional nearby who will talk with them about what they are feeling or concerns for other family and friends. Call the toll-free Lifeline, 24 hours/day, 7 days/week.
  • Veterans Crisis Line: 1-800-273-TALK (8255) and PRESS 1 or text 838 255
  • National Youth Crisis Hotline: 1-800-442-4673
  • 911
  • NAMI: nami.org/help or 1-800-950-NAMI (6264)
  • United Way: Call 211 or Find Your Local 211 at UnitedWay.org
  • Crisis Text Line: Text “MHFA” to 741741
    • Available 24/7, 365 days a year, this organization helps people with mental health challenges by connecting callers with trained crisis volunteers who provide confidential advice, support and referrals if needed.
  • Lifeline Crisis Chat
  • The Trevor Project
    • Call 866-488-7386 or Text “START” to 678678
    • https://www.thetrevorproject.org
    • Trained counselors available 24/7 to support youth who are in crisis, feeling suicidal, or in need of a safe and judgment free place to talk. Specializing in supporting the LGBTQI+ community.
  • Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration’s (SAMHSA) Disaster Distress Helpline
    • Call 1-800-985-5990 or text TalkWithUs to 66746 to connect with a trained crisis counselor.
    • SAMHSA’s Disaster Distress Helpline provides 24/7, 365-day-a-year crisis counseling and support to people experiencing emotional distress related to natural or human-caused disasters.

  • Mental Health First Aid USA: The Mental Health First Aid website has additional resources related to the most common mental disorders.
  • Child Welfare Information Gateway’s Mandatory Reporters of Child Abuse and Neglect:
    • Summary of State Laws: This summary will also tell you whether you are required to report by law and specific statute information for a particular state.
  • National Council for Behavioral Health: Search for organizations that are committed to providing mental health services to anyone in the community who needs it regardless of their ability to pay.
  • Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration: SAMHSA provides information on mental health services and treatment centers through an online service locator. You can search by your location, whether or not they provide services for youth, payment options (private insurance, cash, or something else), languages spoken, etc.

Seven Dimensions of Wellness

The term wellness has been applied in many ways. It is much more than just physical health, exercise, and nutrition. Wellness is multidimensional including Spiritual, Physical, Emotional, Career, Intellectual, Environmental, Social (SPECIES). Wellness is a full integration and the pursuit of continued growth and balance in these seven dimensions of wellness. Each dimension contributes to our own sense of wellness or quality of life, and each affects and overlaps the others. At times, one may be more prominent than others, but neglect of any one dimension for any length of time has adverse effects on overall health.

The career dimension recognizes personal satisfaction and enrichment in life through work. It is the ability to get personal fulfillment from jobs or chosen career fields while still maintaining balance in life. Occupational development is related to attitudes about work. The desire to contribute to a career to make a positive impact on the organizations in which one works and on society as a whole leads to career wellness. It is essential to contribute the unique gifts, skills, and talents to work that are both personally meaningful and rewarding in order to gain purpose, happiness, and enrichment in life. Achieving optimal career wellness allows one to maintain a positive attitude and experience satisfaction and pleasure in employment.

Tips and suggestions for optimal occupational wellness include:
1. Explore a variety of career options.
2. Create a vision for your future.
3. Choose a career that suits your personality, interests, and talents.
4. Be open to change and learn new skills.

The emotional dimension recognizes awareness and acceptance and healthy expression of one’s feelings such as happiness, hope, love, joy, sadness, anger, fear, and/or stress. Emotional wellness encompasses optimism, self-esteem, and self-acceptance. It includes the capacity to manage feelings and related behaviors including the realistic assessment of limitations, development of autonomy, and ability to cope effectively with stress. Emotional wellness also includes intimacy, independence, and interdependence. Awareness of and accepting a wide range of feelings in oneself and others is essential to wellness. It is important to take on challenges, take risks, and recognize conflict as being potentially healthy. Managing life in personally rewarding ways, and taking responsibility for one’s actions, will help to see life as an exciting, hopeful adventure. It is better to be aware of and accept these feelings than to deny them, and it is better to be optimistic in an approach to life than pessimistic.

Tips for optimal emotional wellness:
1. Tune in to your thoughts and feelings.
2. Cultivate an optimistic attitude.
3. Seek and provide support.
4. Learn time management skills.
5. Practice stress management techniques. 
6. Discover your specific stress relievers.
7. Generalized anxiety resources
8. Accept and forgive yourself.

The environmental dimension is the extent to which one cares for the earth by protecting its resources. It is the ability to recognize personal responsibility for the quality of the air, water, and land. The ability to make a positive impact on the quality of homes, communities, and the planet while understanding the negative effect of personal choices contributes to environmental wellness. Environmental wellness is recognizing the unstable state of the earth and the effects of daily habits on the physical environment. It consists of maintaining a way of life that maximizes harmony with the earth and minimizes harm to the environment.

Tips and suggestions for optimal environmental wellness:
1. Stop junk mail.
2. Conserve water and other resources.
3. Minimize chemical use.
4. Renew a relationship with the earth.
5. Reduce, Reuse, Recycle: reduce the amount of pollution we generate; reuse containers, bags, and batteries; recycle paper, glass, aluminum, and plastic.

The intellectual dimension encourages creative, stimulating mental activities. A good person expands his or her knowledge and skills while discovering the potential for sharing one’s gifts with others. The mind should be continually exercised just like the body. To become intellectually well, it is important to explore issues related to problem-solving, critical thinking, and adaptation to change. Intellectual wellness involves spending more time pursuing personal interests and reading books, magazines, and newspapers while staying aware of current events and issues. It is the ability to open one’s mind to new concepts and experiences that can be applied to personal decisions, group interaction, and community enhancement, improve skills and seek challenges in pursuit of lifelong learning.

Tips and suggestions for optimal intellectual wellness:
1. Take a course or workshop.
2. Learn or perfect a foreign language.
3. Seek out people who challenge you intellectually.
4. Read.
5. Attend museums, exhibits, and theaters.
6. Learn to appreciate art.

The physical dimension recognizes the need for regular physical activity. Physical development promotes learning about diet and nutrition while discouraging the use of tobacco, drugs, and excessive alcohol consumption. It is better to consume foods and beverages that enhance good health rather than those which impair it. Physical wellness is the ability to maintain a healthy quality of life that allows one to get through daily activities without undue fatigue or physical stress. Optimal physical wellness is met through a combination of good exercise and eating habits. Improving physical wellness consists of building physical strength, flexibility, and endurance while taking safety precautions including medical self-care and appropriate use of a medical system as well as protecting oneself from injuries and harm. The physical dimension of wellness involves personal responsibility, disease prevention, and care for minor illnesses, and also knowing when professional medical attention is needed. Being physically fit and feeling physically well often leads to the psychological benefits of enhanced self-esteem, self-control, determination, and a sense of direction.

Tips and suggestions for optimal physical wellness:
1. Exercise daily.
2. Get adequate sleep. 
3. Prevent injuries by using seat belts, wearing helmets, and other protective equipment. 
4. Learn to recognize early signs of illness and prevent diseases. 
5. Practice safe sex, if sexually active. 
6. Eat a variety of healthy foods and control meal portions.
7. Use alcohol in moderation if at all.
8. Quit smoking or continue to refrain from smoking and protect from second-hand smoke. 
9. Strive to reach and maintain a healthy weight.

Social wellness is the ability to relate to and connect with other people in the world. The ability to establish and maintain positive relationships with family, friends, and co-workers contributes to social wellness. Friends can serve as a source of encouragement and reinforcement for practicing healthy habits. The social dimension encourages one to become aware of his or her importance in society. It is vital to stay connected to people, form new relationships and participate in various social activities. Social wellness encourages one to take an active part in improving the world by encouraging healthier living and initiating better communication with others. Social wellness encourages one to discover the power to make willful choices to enhance personal relationships and important friendships, and build a better living space and community. Social wellness also includes showing respect for others, oneself, and other cultures.

Tips and suggestions for optimal social wellness:
1. Cultivate healthy relationships.
2. Resources for social anxiety
3. Strengthen current friendships, contact an old friend, or discover new friendships.
4. Get involved.

The spiritual dimension recognizes one’s search for meaning and purpose in human existence. It includes the development of a deep appreciation for the depth and expanse of life and natural forces that exist in the universe. Spiritual wellness is the ability to establish peace and harmony in our lives. It encompasses a high level of faith, hope, and commitment to our individual beliefs that provide a sense of meaning and purpose in human existence. It is better to ponder the meaning of life for ourselves and to be tolerant of the beliefs of others than to close our minds and become intolerant. Becoming spiritually well means striving for consistency with our values and beliefs.

Tips and suggestions for optimal spiritual wellness:
1. Explore your spiritual core.
2. Spend time alone/meditate regularly.
3. Be inquisitive and curious.
4. Be fully present in everything you do.
5. Listen with your heart and live by your principles.
6. Allow yourself and those around you the freedom to be who they are.
7. See opportunities for growth in the challenges life brings you.
8. Volunteer!

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