Kognito is a new program available free of charge for students at risk or who want to know how to help a friend dealing with sensitive issues.
According to Vice President of Academic Affairs Dr. JoAnna Schilling, “The training can help students feel less alone if they are struggling in their classes or in their lives and to provide resources for where to go for help.”
She added, “I personally think it is a wonderful program that provides great information in an engaging way.”
Schilling explained how the program came to be, “The program was provided to the community colleges in 2013 by the California Community Colleges Chancellors Office.”
Dr. Hillary Mennella, associate dean of Student Health and Wellness, oversees the Kognito Program.
She explained that Health Services is used to seeing students that are at risk for depression, anxiety, drug abuse, homelessness, suicide and domestic violence on a weekly basis and Kognito is an extra resource for students.
Mennella added that her role is to introduce the campus to the Kogniito program,”Dr. Contreras and I went out in fall and spring to faculty and staff meetings explaining what Kognito is and how this interactive program can help identify students at risk.”
Mennella explained that there are specific modules for Veterans, LGBTQ, and depression.
She gave an example of how Kognito works, “You get scenarios and the program gives you feed back, if you guess wrong, if you’re right, and it progresses. It is a virtual based environment that engages in a series of game based exercises including role playing conversation.”
Academic Counselor Felipe Salazar of the Veterans Resource Center says they tell students about the program including the Together Strong app.
Salazar said, “It is a tool for coping with stress, suicide prevention and much more.”
Salazar also said there is a mental health therapist available Wednesdays 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. for the veterans.
The hours of the Veterans Resource Center are as follows: Monday 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., Tuesday and Wednesday 8 a.m. to 7 p.m., Thursday 8 a.m. to 5:30 p.m.
Kognito is online and a free student account can be created.
On the campus web site, there is a description that explains how Kognito helps students, veterans, faculty and staff.
The description states that this may be a helpful tool you can refer a friend you may know who is struggling academically or experiencing emotional distress.
It explains that the program is already in use at over 270 colleges and universities.
There is also a description for how Kognito can help veterans, “In this 30 minute course, you will learn how to manage a class discussion around a veteran-sensitive topic, what resources are available on-campus for student veterans, and how to help a student veteran who is struggling in class.”
The hours for the Student Health Center are as follows: Monday and Tuesday 8 a.m. to 7 p.m., Wednesday and Thursday 8 a.m. to 4 p.m., Friday 8 a.m. to 12 p.m.
