HeartInMind
HeartInMind is a mental health initiative open to all students with disabilities who attend one of the colleges of the San Diego Community College District. A partnership between Mental Health and Disability Support Programs and Services districtwide, the project aims to increase awareness and support around the unique mental health needs and experiences of students with disabilities. Rooted in Sentipensante (sensing/thinking) pedagogy, this effort will introduce contemplative practices and draw on the inherent strengths of the individual to support the mental health needs and academic success of participants.
HeartInMind includes:
- A mental health & disability resource hub
- Weekly student support group open to students districtwide
- Program training for DSPS & Mental Health Counselors
Topics Include:
10/7: Disability Awareness Month (Week 1)
10/14: Disability Awareness Month (week 2)
10/21: The Working World 101
10/28: Distress Tolerance Skills!
11/5: Building Healthy Relationships
11/11: No Meeting/Campus Closed
11/18: Taking Care of ourselves: The Eight Dimensions of Wellness
11/25: No Meeting/Campus Closed
12/3: Coping with the Holidays
12/9: End of Semester Virtual Potluck
Students who are interested in participating can attend our weekly support group, open to anyone who identifies with having a disability and wanting to support their mental health. Participants are not required to be enrolled in DSPS services to join.
Our Philosophy
The philosophy and approach of HeartInMind is informed by Professor Laura Rendón’s book, Sentipensante (Sensing/Thinking) Pedagogy: Educating for Wholeness, Social Justice, and Liberation (Stylus Publishing 2014). Sentipensante pedagogy provides powerful insights on how to incorporate thoughtful and social justice-oriented practices into our academic spaces. Sentipensante pedagogy, according to Dr. Rendón, works with three goals:
- “Disrupt and transform entrenched beliefs…about teaching and wholeness…that act against wholeness and appreciation of truth in all forms” (135).
- Cultivate “personas educadas, well-rounded individuals who possess knowledge and wisdom” (136).
- “Instill learners with a commitment to sustain life” (136).
Our project will incorporate Rendon’s goals to empower students with disabilities to honor their intersecting identities and support their mental health needs.
https://laurarendon.net/sentipensante-pedadgoy/
Please connect with us if you would like to collaborate or want more information!
Thursdays at 2pm on Zoom (meeting ID 968 2193 9236)
HeartInMind
Lucy Plascencia | jplascencia@sdccd.edu