SUNY New Paltz faculty and staff attend Making Healthful Decisions Conference with support from Academic Affairs

The SUNY New Paltz Institute for Disaster Mental Health and faculty & staff committed to mindfulness attended the Cornell Cooperative Extension’s 26th annual Making Healthful Decisions Conference at Dutchess Community College on Nov. 1, thanks to critical funding from a new initiative within the SUNY New Paltz’s Provost’s Office. 

The conference brings together a cadre of mental health experts, from teachers to human services professionals to parents, to build mindfulness and resilience strategies in times of crisis.  

“A strong and resilient community recovers better after a disaster. The goal of our project was to learn at the conference and then bring back that knowledge to campus,” said IDMH Special Programs Manager Anastasia Shown. “As a new employee and faculty member at SUNY New Paltz, this was a great way to meet more staff across campus and connect with students. I look forward to working with them through the rest of the year.”  

“We’re excited to apply what we’ve learned to a new project aimed at healing-centered, strength-based approaches as well as wellness, education and counseling,” said Megan Mooney ’26g (Clinical Mental Health Counseling), graduate assistant for IDMH.  

Funding from this new initiative, which gears funds towards collaborative programs aimed at enhancing the campus climate, led to an equal number of students and campus employees from different departments, gaining and providing insights on the importance of mindfulness.  

This included an appearance from Faculty/Staff Contemplative Group, which leads weekly, remote meetings on mindfulness and well-being. Their presentation helped to gear their message of creating a safe, supportive and mindful space to a wider audience. 

“I felt so honored to be a part of the Making Healthful Decisions Conference and loved the genuine sense of community created in that space,” said Chris Whitaker, head of the Faculty/Staff Contemplative Group and certification officer for the School of Education Dean’s Office. “The healing, the sense of belonging, the building of connections and the deepening of understanding with so many others in the Hudson Valley who are working to improve people’s lives were especially affirming for me.” 

Click here to learn more about the Institute for Disaster Mental Health at SUNY New Paltz.