Wellness Programs

The community health organizers (CHO) are a peer education group dedicated to making Smith College a community that values individual and community health. We promote our core values around health equity and social justice through community education. We dedicate ourselves to providing accurate health information, fostering open and safer environments, debunking myths around health and well-being, diversifying the wellness dialogue, and combating ableism, fatphobia, systemic racism, and gender politics in our wellness work. The group’s mission is to promote healthful and whole lifestyles for all members of the Smith community by providing community education and support so that everyone in their own identities and bodies can feel their best, advocate for their own needs and thrive in and out of the classroom. We facilitate interactive workshops, dialogues and programs on diverse topics from sexual health/sexuality, alcohol and other drugs, to dealing with and managing our mental health through school, among others.

CHO Trainees

Our Trainee CHO program is the training program to become a community health organizer. A selected “junior” CHO must apply to the program and shadow the CHO team for six months to learn the ropes. We loosely follow the medical school training model of “See One, Do One, Teach One”—a junior CHO watches for a few weeks by offering support to CHOs for their programming, then they facilitate with a mentor for a few more weeks until they graduate into the Teach One as a full-fledged CHO the following fall.

Five “junior” or trainee CHOs will be selected to work closely with the current CHO members and the director of wellness each spring semester. They will be expected to continue to serve as CHOs, post their semester of training the following school year. Applications are typically due in the fall semester.

If you are interested in applying to be a CHO, email wellness@smith.edu.

Programming

The Community Health Organizers have a variety of peer-lead health education programming they are happy to share with houses, organizations, sports teams, and other groups on campus. The CHOs have training on topics which include healthy relationships, stress, sleep and more.

For a full list of CHO programming or to ask about having a CHO present for your group, email wellness@smith.edu.

Ongoing Workshops

Wellness Services typically runs 2–4 events a month. We cover themes on a variety of topics, including sexual well-being, alcohol and drug harm reduction, stress management, mental health, healthy relationships to food and body image, health relationships, and more. We have some events that we do every year (like Pet-a-Pet Day) and some events are developed specifically for certain groups or situations that come up. To see our current events, check out our calendar or our Instagram.

Free Menstrual Cups

The community health organizers are able to provide students with free menstrual cups and a brief training on safe use and hygiene. These appointments are typically available mid-September through early December and again February through April. This is made possible by a grant from DivaCup.

Gender Affirming Garment Library

The Smith College gender affirming garment library provides education around safe chest binding and a discreet environment to try on a binder before buying one. We have a wide array of sizes and colors. If finances are a barrier, we’re happy to help you apply for funding. If you need assistance finding the right fit, a staff member is available to provide support.

Harm Reduction Bags

Harm reduction bags are curated supplies that students can request to support their well-being around different needs. They are customizable and can include supplies for things like alternatives to self-harm, opioid harm reduction, safer sex supplies, COVID safety supplies, and more. These bags can be requested anonymously and are created by CHOs.

Individual Support

Wellness open hours are a chance to connect with a staff member to discuss concerns that might be on your mind. This can be a great opportunity to get support around time management, stress management, incorporating self-care into your life, friend challenges, and other topics that impact your day to day life. Our staff members are also able to provide support in connecting with ongoing therapy if you would like more ongoing support in this area.

Student Advisory Board

The Schacht Advisory Board will be a group of students that meets regularly with Schacht Center leadership to collaboratively discuss the needs of the student body around health and well-being. These conversations will result in a direct impact on how the Schacht Center functions, with the goal of continual improvement in the care we provide. Applications open each year in the fall.