Have you ever wondered as a college student if you have someone who understands your mental health struggles and advocates for you?
Under the shade of a tree behind Sproul Hall, Joy Liu, director of the ASUC Mental Health Commission’s external department, sits with me for an interview. For as long as she can remember, she has wanted to have a legacy of mental health advocacy. She volunteered with the commission throughout high school and then, starting in 2020, she became involved with the commission. Liu explains that working for the student government helps expand her reach in the long term.Â
Liu highlights that the commission is run by students for students. And they are dedicated to advocating for mental health through workshops, campaigns on social networks, and interacting with the University Health Services, eTang, CAPS (Counseling and Psychological Services), and other administrative services. In simple terms: they are our voice.
She smiles, “We like to do serious work, but we are not super serious people.” Since the commission works directly with students and the adults behind student resources, they like to be accessible and provide a safe place for students to talk about serious topics without feeling pressured.
Her work at the commission is very special and close to her heart. As she mentions, “[Growing up] I had a difficult relationship with mental health because of some things that happened in high school. And now, being a leader and advocate for other students’ mental health has [pushed me] to take more care of my mental health while helping others.”Â
As director of the external department, Liu facilitates relations between the commission and the quality assurances. She reviews student mental health and utilization data, manages associates and affinity meetings for different minority groups in Cal, interviews faculty allies that students nominate, and oversees projects to spread the word about mental health resources on campus.
Her mission is clear and noble—and mental health advocacy does not stop with working with the commission. From STEM students to Social Studies students, Joy always finds joy (pun intended) in talking to people about taking care of their mental health and prioritizing it.
Liu emphasizes that mental health in Berkeley can be tough. I personally find it challenging to prioritize, as our culture on campus seems to support the idea that if you’re not struggling and busy, you’re not doing college well. However, Liu says that “there are so many people involved; once you identify what issue you’re dealing with, it’s easier to identify the best resource for you.”Â
Nevertheless, while her work is very rewarding, sometimes it can be a bit complex. “The work is very bureaucratic. An example is when we tried to get standardized mental health training for all faculty, the departments told us to talk to the colleges, but they directed us back to the departments,” she says. Although it is sometimes difficult to find the right person to talk to, they are committed to getting the job done for the well-being of students.
When asked about her impact on the student’s community, she humbly responds that “promoting mental health is valuable and being able to inspire other students to not only talk about it but to step up and apply to advocate [with the commission] is very rewarding.”Â
Liu’s goal is to have a positive impact on the student population by improving awareness of the resources students currently have. Also, she has high aspirations to improve the administrative side by planning to work for the student community in the future.
Before concluding the interview, she gives some advice that has helped her as a student: “[We should] try to be as engaged as possible. Attend office hours [with GSI or professors] so you can build that line of support even if you don’t need it now because when you do need it, it might be difficult to reach out.”
Also, learn about the resources students have on campus. For example, CAPS removed the three-session limit in favor of students having extended access to mental care sooner rather than later in life.Â
It is important to remember that you are the first advocate for your mental health, and asking for help, especially when there are many people willing to help you with resources that work for your specific circumstance, is the best decision you can make in the short and long term.
If you, or someone you know, is experiencing mental health issues, please visit https://mentalhealth.berkeley.edu/how-are-you/ to find the best resource according to your needs.
For more information about the commission and mental health resources, please visit https://mentalhealth.berkeley.edu/.