Cebu Normal University (CNU) educators conducted a webinar series to promote psychosocial awareness and to alleviate the University stakeholders in light of the current health crisis brought by Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19).

A webinar on Psychosocial Support Sessions for College Faculty was held on August 19, 2020. The same webinar was also given to CNU Integrated Laboratory School (ILS) mentors and parents on August 26, 2020. 

The speakers of the webinar are the experts in the field of children, adolescent, and adult behavior from the CNU Psychology Department.

Psychological first aid, coping mechanism, therapeutic communication, and support resiliency were among the topics discussed in the webinar. 

“The pandemic has had an effect on one’s well-being, so the Psychology Department is taking an initiative to give faculty, ILS mentors and parents a holistic psychosocial webinar,” CNU Psychology Department Faculty and CNU ILS/College of Nursing Guidance Counselor Bernadette Bigcas said.

She said that the purpose of the webinar was to educate the participants on the basic principles of psychosocial support and mental health concepts. She also said the webinar aims to reinforce participants’ well-being, dignity, and resiliency.

Dr. Chery Bercede, College of Teacher Education (CTE) Guidance Counselor and teaching faculty also said that the webinar aims to build support to CNU stakeholders to cope with adversity, promote well-being, prevent distress and suffering, and for the stakeholders to be able to function in this time called ‘new normal’.

The webinar was proposed by Dr. Emmanuel Hernani, CNU Psychology Department Faculty, and a Board Member of the Psychological Association of the Philippines (PAP). He said that he has been invited to numerous speaking engagements in different schools and institutions and has thought of conducting the webinar in CNU as well.

Together with Bigcas, Bercede, and Hernani as speakers of the webinar are Dr. Gwendelina Villarante, Office of Student Affairs (OSA) Dean and Guidance and Counseling Chair; Dr. Eva Marie Gacasan, Psychology Department Chair; and Dr. Ma. Rosita Ampoyas-Hernani, Kinesthetics Department Chair, and Quality Assurance Officer.

Hernani said that the Psychosocial Support Session provided a holistic approach that included intervention and prevention for teachers, children, and adults.

He expressed how grateful the Normalite community should be to have experts and resources to share their knowledge.

He said that the same webinar is being planned for the administrative personnel under the Mental Health in the Workplace program of the University. An outreach program in the form of the said webinar is also planned for teachers and students outside the University to aid them during this health crisis. (JDF)