The Center for Health Education and Wellness is dedicated to a community model that is embodied in the “VOLS HELP VOLS” commitment: We are all Volunteers. We look out for each other.
Based on data collected from our annual health and wellness survey, triennial CORE survey, and national research, CHEW develops campaigns and programming to address personal safety, sexual misconduct, substance use, and health and wellness initiatives.
Mission
The Center for Health Education and Wellness empowers all Volunteers to thrive by cultivating personal and community well-being. CHEW aims to fulfill this mission by helping the UT community prioritize holistic wellness.
CHEW’s prevention efforts are grounded in the Center for Disease Control’s Social Ecological Model. We utilize campus surveys, national statistics, and current research to inform our evidence-based prevention and intervention strategies.
Diversity
We recognize and appreciate that how people approach wellness is influenced by individual characteristics such as race, age, ethnicity, sexual orientation, gender, gender expression, physical ability, and socioeconomic status. These individual characteristics are taken into perspective as we facilitate programs and outreach related to sexual health, nutrition, alcohol and other drug use, sexual assault prevention, and other wellness topics.
Vision
CHEW seeks to advance UT’s commitments to excellence in outreach and engagement through programming that educates the UT community about their own health and wellness and encourages them to actively advocate for the health and wellness of their fellow Volunteers.
CHEW is grounded in the community model of “VOLSHELPVOLS.”
Values
The Center of Health Education and Wellness is guided in mission, spirit, and action by the following core values:
Accountability
Collaboration
Community
Creativity
Holistic Wellness
Safety
Social Responsibility
Support
Initiatives
Participants engaging with the AOD area/initiative will be able to:
- make decisions that promote safe, healthy behaviors and reduce risk related to AOD use.
- appraise oneself accurately regarding their current AOD use.
- identify and utilize campus/community resources.
- demonstrate AOD misuse/use disorder awareness, understanding, and advocacy
Participants engaging with the General Health & Wellness (GHW) initiative will be able to:
- Describe at least two consequences of risky behavior related to GHW focus areas (cold & flu, nutrition, sexual health, sleep, stress, and tobacco cessation) on emotional, personal, and/or physical wellness and academic success.
- Describe at least two strategies to reduce risk related to GHW focus areas.
- Employ at least one strategy to maintain or achieve emotional, personal, and/or physical wellness in GHW focus areas.
- Identify and utilize at least one on-campus or off-campus resource related to managing one’s emotional, personal, and physical wellness related to GHW focus areas.
Participants engaging with the IW initiative will be able to:
- recognize risk reduction strategies relevant to relationship violence prevention.
- recognize active bystander opportunities to build a healthier and safer campus community.
- identify resources available for themselves and others when experiencing a level of harm.
Participants engaging with the VOLS 2 VOLS Peer Health Education initiative as peer health educators will be able to:
- Demonstrate ethical decision-making skills per the National Association of Student Personnel Administrators (NASPA) Peer Educator Code of Ethics
- Describe the consequences of risky behavior on students’ emotional and/or physical wellness and academic success.
- Explain the role of peer educators in contributing to a healthy and sustainable campus community
- Create a healthy and sustainable campus community through peer health education outreach activities.
Participants engaging with the employee wellness initiative will:
- enhance their individual relationship to one of the eight dimensions of wellness.
- develop an awareness and understanding of health promoting skills.