Workshops & Downloadable Resources

Workshop Menu

We have developed a variety of skill building workshops for students, faculty and staff covering a range of advocacy topics.

Self-Advocacy and Resilience

• How to Be a Boundaries Badass (60 minutes)
  Students will learn and practice a variety of skills related to understanding the importance of creating and practicing healthy boundaries in all of their relationships, whether platonic, familial, or romantic.
  
• Hack Your Nervous System: Understanding Your Own Stress Response (60 minutes)
  Students will learn about how stress affects the brain and body in order to better understand how to regulate their own nervous system, as well as develop awareness of on campus mental health resources.
  
• Stop Spinning Your Wheels: Developing a Self-Care Plan for Overall Wellness (60 minutes)
  Students will explore multiple facets to their personal wellness and develop a plan for maintaining or improving their self-care strategies

Support and Advocacy Skills

• How to Help a Friend (60 minutes)
  This workshop includes training on how to recognize when someone has experienced a trauma and needs assistance, how to assist them in a trauma-informed and supportive manner, and educates students about the resources available to help on and off campus.
  
• Fight, Flight, Freeze: The Neurobiology of Trauma (60 minutes)
  This workshop examines the physiological response to trauma within the body and what it means for the physical and emotional body of survivors.  By understanding what’s going on “behind the scenes,” we can better understand how to help support survivors of trauma.
  
• Changemakers: A Crash Course in Social Advocacy & Activism (60 minutes)
  Students will discover the difference between advocacy and activism, as well as discuss how they can apply advocacy and activism skills to the causes about which they are most passionate to affect positive change in their communities.
  
• Educating the Traumatized Brain: Bringing Trauma-Informed Practices into Higher Education (90 minutes)
  Trauma is, unfortunately, a common occurrence in our society and one that impacts a significant number of our students before and during their time at Butler University.  When a person experiences trauma, it can greatly impact their ability to learn and retain new information, complicating their success as a student.  In this session, we will explore how faculty and staff can develop a trauma-informed educational experience to support young adults who have experienced trauma and help them thrive.

If you do not see a workshop that fits the unique needs of your group, please contact the Office of Student Advocacy (jearthur@butler.edu) and we will be happy to tailor-make a workshop for you.

Join the Student Advocacy Task Force

The mission of the Student Advocacy Task Force is to explore and understand the physical, educational, and emotional needs of students at Butler University and discover and improve support services so that all students can be successful in achieving their personal and educational goals. 

The Task Force meets monthly to discuss current student need trends, to provide feedback on proactive supportive measures, and examine opportunities for improving student support services.

If you are interested in joining the Task Force, please contact Jules Grable (jearthur@butler.edu). 

Red Folder Crisis Response Resource

Helping our campus community respond with care and concern is a critical factor in providing the best possible support for individuals experiencing mental health challenges.

Student Advocacy has developed downloadable Red Folder resources for faculty/staff and students to learn how to better recognize, respond to, refer and report mental health concerns to the appropriate campus resource.  

Recognize: Common indicators of distress can be found throughout this guide.  Students may present with indicators not listed.

Respond: Respond appropriately to the student.  Each situation is unique.  Use the tips and listed points to determine the most appropriate response.

Report: Always submit a referral as part of your response to students of concern, regardless of the perceived severity.  Review the various reporting obligations to help you determine the appropriate next steps to help the student of concern.

Refer: Encourage help-seeking by providing students with information on the appropriate resources available on campus.