Helping Adults Gain Complementary Skills

Mental and Physical Well-Being

Although there is generally not much time spent on the topic, mental and physical well-being is essential for your students.  How are they going to be successful on the job, if they are not mentally and physically well? An individual who has physical problems will often have excessive absences from work.  If that is the case, job retention could be a serious issue.  In your role as a VPI instructor, your students will often come to you with their personal concerns.  Let's face it, they have developed a connection to you.  Your role as a VPI instructor is multi-faceted, so your students don't see you as just the person who teaches them reading, writing and mathematics.  In many ways, you assume the role of counselor and mentor.  In this role, you have a golden opportunity to address subjects that deal with the mental and physical well-being of your students. Remember, there is a direct connection between an individual's mental and physical well-being and his/her ability to obtain and maintain employment.

One thing that you may wish to do is keep some brochures and other resource materials in your room that students can access whenever they need it. Information from agencies such as the local mental health association, Healthy Mothers/Health Babies, the local health department, etc. could prove very useful for your students.  Remember that list of community service organizations that you reviewed at the beginning of this web-based training?That list contains a number of resources that deal with mental and physical health.  Review the list and identify specific agencies or organizations from which you would like to have materials.  Call them and ask for pamphlets, brochures, hours of operation, types of services rendered, as well as contact information such as phone numbers and addresses.  Keep these on hand for students who may need to avail themselves of services.