Encounter: A Community-Engaged Seminar on Mental Health and Belonging

(1 Credit Hour) · Undergraduate

Relationships are critical to our wellbeing as people. Today, however, adolescents and adults report increased levels of loneliness—a concerning statistic given that loneliness is a risk factor for both physical and mental illnesses. This course considers the impact of relationships on mental health through neuroscientific and theological perspectives, offering an integrative framework through which students will examine the potential of relationships to both wound and heal. As a community-engaged seminar, the course provides students with opportunities to encounter community members who live with serious mental illness. Throughout the term, students will share in dialogue with the members and staff of the Clubhouse of St. Joseph County—a program that promotes the recovery of adults living with mental illness by providing a welcoming community, meaningful work, and supported employment. In-class seminar discussions will address the cultural, personal, and environmental factors that exacerbate experiences of loneliness among those with serious mental illness. The class will culminate with students’ identification of means to strengthen supportive relationships, particularly among those with mental illness, following the principles of solidarity and the common good.