Written by LeAnn Contapay

Monterey Peninsula College's (MPC) Student Health Services is committed to fostering health and well-being among its diverse student population. Located in the Student Services Building Room 101 at 980 Fremont Street, Monterey, CA, Student Health Services offers high-quality, integrative health care and education delivered in a culturally competent and compassionate manner.

The health of the mind, body, and spirit is integral to personal and academic success. Student Health Services acknowledges this notion and provides services to support students’ physical and mental health, and overall well-being. They also focus on prevention with health promotion, developing and implementing innovative health campaigns, programs, and events to provide awareness, skills, and support to help students develop healthy habits that last a lifetime.

Student Health Services provides medical services that include care for injuries and illnesses, basic first aid, over-the-counter medications, evidence-based guidance and symptomatic treatment by the on-site registered nurse, insurance information, and certain testing for program requirements. Additionally, they prioritize preventing the spread of infectious diseases by doing case management and surveillance work for the campus, providing resources to immunization clinics and testing sites, maintaining partnerships with the local health department and community hospital, and policy and procedure writing for the campus; all creating a safe and healthy learning environment for their students.

Reproductive health, sexual health, and survivor support are other services provided for their students. Students have access to male and female condoms, dental dams, pregnancy tests, and menstrual care products. Resources are available for STI testing, treatment, emergency contraception, and birth control medications. In addition, Student Health Services provides confidential support and care and advocacy options for survivors of sexual assault, domestic violence, and stalking.

Valuing diversity, equity, and inclusion, Student Health provides  culturally sensitive services to better serve their student population, including the Chicanx/Latinx community. They offer service referrals when necessary and serve as a resource for advocacy. Furthermore, the staff is dedicated to promoting mental health awareness and reducing the stigma around mental health across the campus, offering psychological services where mental health clinicians are present on-site to provide personal counseling, couples therapy, workshops, psychoeducation, and weekly support groups. These ongoing support groups are in place to help students suffering from grief and loss, post-traumatic stress disorder, substance use, parenting stressors, and anxiety. Participating in these groups is an excellent  way for students to connect with their fellow peers, learn new tools and skills, and contribute to their own personal growth.

These psychological services are provided by social workers, professional clinical counselors, and marriage and family therapists. As a Hispanic Serving Institution (HSI), Student Health Services provides counseling services in dual languages (English and Spanish). Providing psychological services and campus resources not only addresses mental health and wellness but also helps foster academic success. MPC is committed to providing an educational environment for all students that emphasizes inclusiveness and equity-minded principles. This commitment is demonstrated by the campus resources and supportive programs and services that empower students to achieve their educational goals.

Student Health Services also focuses on a community health approach to care through  outreach efforts aimed at promoting a more holistic way of caring for oneself. Having partnerships with the Community Hospital of the Monterey Peninsula and Cal State Monterey Bay has contributed to a long list of successes in the community and has allowed for, most recently, the Blue Zones Project of Monterey County to bring more awareness to the campus and provide easier access to a healthier way of life. With this joint commitment to  promoting the Blue Zones’ principles, Student Health Services hopes for the community to learn and take action in caring for their whole self physically, mentally, spiritually, etc. All these efforts lead to a more purposeful, productive, happier, and healthier life.

Wellness Wednesdays is another initiative that has been  launched, aimed at nurturing the mind and body to stay happy and healthy. Instead of random activities, the goal is to help students develop healthy habits such as grounding practices to self-soothe and center oneself if anxious or stressed. It involves translating evidence-based practices shown to be effective through high-quality research to meaningfully improve student outcomes. At Student Health Services, they are committed to providing evidence-based practices to better serve the student.

Through partnerships and campus allies, Student Health Services practices a holistic, multicultural, and solution-focused approach to help students develop self-agency while empowering a sense of belonging.

Student Health knows the importance of providing a platform for students of all backgrounds to have a voice. They work alongside the leads of the Asian Student Association, Umoja, Black Student Union, Dreamers in Action, and other clubs and programs to encourage the utilization of their services where they have safe spaces for everyone to feel heard and included.

As an HSI, MPC Student Health Services is committed to supporting undocumented students and those from mixed-status households by connecting them to campus support programs or community services. The overarching goal is to support the MPC community by providing caring, personalized services that enable students to reach their highest potential. Student Health fosters a supportive and inclusive campus culture, essential to the growth of all students regardless of their immigration status. They know the importance of advocacy for educational equity and fostering an inclusive campus environment to promote the advancement of all underserved students in higher education.

When students pay the health fee at the beginning of the semester, they have access to all these services listed above and more without any extra cost. Student Health Services does more than just provide band-aids; they work to serve the needs of the whole student: mind, body, and soul. 

About the author: 

LeAnn Contapay is a College Nurse and Student Health Services Coordinator from the Community Hospital of the Monterey Peninsula. She is also the Preceptor and Task Supervisor for Cal State Monterey Bay’s Nursing and Social Work programs’ field placements. LeAnn was born and raised in Monterey County, where she earned an Emergency Medical Technician certification from Hartnell College, an Associate Degree in Nursing at MPC’s Maurine Church Coburn School of Nursing, and a Bachelor of Science degree in Nursing from California State University Monterey Bay along with a Public Health Nursing and Emergency Nursing Pediatric certification. 

Prior to her nursing career, LeAnn worked for the Pebble Beach Company and the McCall Motorworks for over a decade, coordinating world renowned events on the Peninsula, including the AT&T Pro-Am, Pebble Beach Invitational, and the McCall Motorworks Revival.