On 12th September 2024, the Psychoeducational Programme, organized by the Unit Mentor Mentee, Faculty of Engineering, in collaboration with the Unit Psikologi dan Kaunseling (Psycon) UNIMAS, took place at Bilik Mesyuarat Utama, UNIMAS from 9:30 AM to 1:15 PM. The event brought together lecturers, counselors, and experts to discuss the importance of mental health in academic settings, with a focus on how lecturers can support their students.
The programme was led by Puan Saptuyah Barahim, Ketua Pegawai Psikologi, along with five other dedicated members from Psycon. It began with an insightful presentation on the various services provided by Psycon, focusing on mental health support specifically designed for students at UNIMAS.
In the session titled “Introduction to Psycon and the Mental Health Plan for Students”, Puan Saptuyah outlined essential strategies for early intervention and counseling support. She emphasized the critical role that lecturers play in identifying students who may be struggling with mental health issues and guiding them toward the available resources. Lecturers were provided with detailed steps to follow for student referrals, ensuring that support reaches those who need it in a timely manner.
Cik Ummikhaira Sofea presented on the Mental Health Standard Operating Procedure (SOP), giving lecturers clear guidelines on how to recognize the early warning signs of mental health concerns. The SOP included intervention protocols and referral processes to ensure students receive the appropriate care. This session empowered lecturers with the knowledge and tools to spot behavioral or academic changes in students and provided practical advice on how to approach these issues with sensitivity.
A particularly impactful session was led by Ustaz Muhammad Mujahid on Basic Helping Skills. This session equipped lecturers with fundamental skills such as active listening, empathy, and offering non-judgmental support. These tools are essential for lecturers to help students while maintaining professional boundaries, ensuring a supportive yet structured approach to mental wellness.
The program concluded with an interactive role-play activity where lecturers practiced real-life scenarios. These simulations allowed participants to apply the skills they had learned by engaging with hypothetical students facing mental health challenges. This hands-on exercise provided lecturers with confidence in handling sensitive situations, enabling them to address such issues more effectively in the future.
By the end of the programme, lecturers had gained a deeper understanding of how to support their mentees not just academically, but also in terms of their mental and emotional well-being. This holistic approach is key to fostering a nurturing and supportive academic environment at UNIMAS. The programme concluded with a token of appreciation ceremony for the speakers, in recognition of their valuable contributions.
This initiative underscores UNIMAS’s commitment to enhancing the mentoring experience by ensuring that lecturers are well-equipped to support their students in every aspect of their academic journey, promoting both educational success and mental wellness.
