The mission of this operation is to bring more awareness to mental health, reduce stigma, and increase awareness about ways to care for oneself. Our goal is to promote a more holistic approach to health. Operation Self-Care was started at UH College of Pharmacy in early 2018 and has already had very successful events! See what we’ve been up to!
2020 - 2021 Academic School Year
November 18, 2020 - APhA-ASP Diabetes and New Diagnosis Anxiety Seminar
In this seminar, we had 2 speakers. An ambulatory care clinical pharmacist and a psychologist with a specialty in endocrinology. The speakers talked about the barriers that are present when making a therapeutic care plan for DM patients. As future pharmacists we need to take into account the barriers the patient has in choosing the appropriate therapy. The psychologists talked about how DM and Diabetic distress leads to chronic stress leading to suboptimal outcomes.
November 17, 2020 - APhA-ASP Nutritional Health Seminar
In the seminar, a registered dietician, who works at a psychiatric wellness clinic came to speak about the relationship nutrition has on individuals health and mental health. The speaker talked about how specific nutrients can boost our mood and help with anxiety and depression. Additionally, the speaker touched on how deficiencies of certain nutrients can lead to negative outcomes in Anxiety and depression. Nutrition is a powerful tool that us as pharmacists need to understand.
November 13, 2020 - World Kindness Day Social Media Post
Amid the COVID-19 pandemic, it is crucial to be kind to one another. We never know what silent struggles an individual could be going through. For World Kindness Day, APhA -ASP Operation Self Care challenged everyone to do a simple act of kindness to a love one or the community.
October 28, 2020 - APhA’s-ASP Burn Out Seminar
Operation Self Care hosted the Burn Out Seminar, where Dr. Soliman came to talk to us about the prevalence of social media. The speaker further talked about how social media can further worsen burn out. Additionally, the speaker spoke about her experience with burnout as a pharmacy student and career, and shared coping mechanisms. The speaker mentioned how it’s important to take breaks without feeling guilty, because its healthy for our mental health.
October 27, 2020 - Breast Cancer Management Seminar
In the seminar we had two special speakers, a clinical oncology pharmacist and a oncology social worker. The pharmacist talked about the importance of breast cancer screenings, and self examinations (breasts) . He continued to talk about common pharmacological medications used for the treatment of breast cancer, and the common side effects these individuals go through with cancer treatment. The social worker talked about how cancer can take an emotional toll on the individual’s whole life. (75)
October 15, 2020 - National Pregnancy and Infant Remembrance Day
Perinatal loss is an unexpected, life changing event. It can cause severe distress including depression, anxiety, post-traumatic stress disorder and suicidal ideations. We need to raise awareness of the commonality of stillbirths in the population. The grief that these families experience are rarely acknowledged. By promoting awareness of pregnancy and infant loss , families can receive more support and improve preventative efforts which can help reduce the risks of infant loss.
October 14, 2020 - National Stop Bullying Day
Bullying can happen to anybody in any form whether verbally, physically, emotionally, social, or cyber. 20% of students are bullied and it can lead to many negative effects on their lives. Bullying can lead to depression, low self esteem, anxiety, and sleep difficulties. Operation Self Care hopes to raise awareness in the community and advocate for bullying prevention.
October 11, 2020 - National Coming Out Day Social Media Post
Not all individuals experience a peaceful coming out story. Many LGBTQ+ individuals face discrimination based on their sexual orientation and gender identity by close friends and family members. Personal, Family and social acceptance of sexual orientation and gender identity affects individuals mental health and personal safety of LGBT individuals. It’s important to break the stigma surrounding the LGBTQ+ community to show love and acceptance to all no matter who you love.
October 10, 2020 - National Mental Health Day Social Media Posts
October 10th is National World Mental Health Day! Did you know that 44 million US adults suffer from mental illnesses and only a small portion reach out to get help? Negative Stigma surrounding mental health still continues to be a big barrier for many individuals. We hope that this social media campaign can reach the community , and as a community we can all work together to break the stigma surrounding Mental Health.
September 7 - 11, 2020 - National Suicide Prevention Awareness Week Social Media Posts
In honor of Suicide Prevention Awareness Week , Operation Self Care created flyers to educate the public about signs and symptoms of suicidal patients, phrases we should refrain from using, and available resources for individuals who are struggling. At the end of the day, we wanted to shine a light of how prevalent suicide is in the population, especially during social distancing during the COVID-19 pandemic.
September 9, 2020 - Talk Saves Lives Seminar
In the Talk Saves Lives Seminar, Dr. Ned Strauss, a psychiatrist , came to talk about the unheard suicide pandemic. He touched on warning signs to be aware off, how to start a conversation, and how it can leave a lasting scar on families and close friends. Additionally, a student shared her own personal struggle with suicide.
September 2, 2020 - Psychiatric Seminar
Dr. Bryan Sackey , a psychopharmacologist, came to speak about the different areas of pharmacy a clinical psychiatric pharmacist can work for and the skills necessary for this field. He also talked about how common mental illnesses are in the community, and the mental stigma surrounding mental illnesses. He advocated for us to help break the stigma. By breaking the stigma more people will be more willing to ask for help in many conservative cultures.
2019 - 2020 Academic School Year
April 18, 2020 - COVID-19 Self Care Awareness and Financial Distress
COVID -19 Pandemic has impacted everyone in the community. Amid these challenging times, operation self care wanted to create a social media flyer with tips to take care of your mental health and also some financial tips to help the public finance throughout the loss of income. In the flyer we also added resources the public can contact for food, unemployment, and rental assistance.
February 24 - March 1, 2020 - NEDA Awareness Week Social Media Posts
Operation Self Care posted educational flyers on Facebook and Instagram this week to raise awareness of Eating Disorders throughout the community. In these posts we wanted to shine a light of how common eating disorders are in children, teenagers, adults and the elderly. In these flyers we included statistics on the commonality, Signs and Symptoms to look out for, and resources the public can reach out for more information or help.
February 8, 2020 - SCCP Healthy Heart Health Fair
Operation Self Care Participated in SCCP's Healthy Heart Health Fair along with SNPhA. We educated on suicide prevention and mental health disorders to help reduce the stigma around mental health in different cultures.
January 22, 2020 - Mental Health Fair
Operation Self Care participated in the first ever UH College of Pharmacy Mental Health Fair. This is called, "Shine A Light."
October 26, 2020 - Mexican Consulate Health Fair
Operation Self Care collaborated with MAPSA to provide education over the importance of mental health and resources available in the Houston area. Additionally, this event served as an attempt to help reduce the stigma surrounding mental illnesses in the hispanic community.
October 3, 2019 - Pharmacy Extravaganza
Operation Self-Care chairs provided education to college students about the importance of self care, locating mental health resources, and when to get help.
September 30, 2019 - Round Table
Each year, APhA-ASP hosts a roundtable event in order to share with incoming pharmacy students the impact our patient care initiatives have in the community. During that time, each operation recruits committee members to volunteer for future events.
September 21, 2019 - World Alzheimer's Day Facebook Post
Operation Self Care partnered with IPSF to create a post to raise awareness of Alzheimer's disease through introducing the general mechanism, possible prevention tactics, common alert symptoms, and treatment options.
September 12, 2019 - Fresh Check Day
Now in its third year, Fresh Check Day by UH Wellness continues its tradition of bringing UH resources from Counseling and Psychological Services to UH Recreational Services. In this way, UH students, staff, and faculty are able to inquire about the help there is on campus and to know where to refer UH individuals too.
September 10, 2019 - Talk Saves Lives Workshop
American Foundation for Suicide Prevention hosts workshops to inform people about suicide in general, risk factors, prevention techniques, and empowering individuals to start a conversation.
September 8 - 13, 2019 - Suicide Prevention Week Social Media Posts
In honor of Suicide Prevention week, Operation Self Care shared infographics and posts from the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention.
August 29, 2019 - P1 Mental Health Informational
Operation Self Care tabled about the importance of mental health, especially as they begin this rigorous program.
August 3, 2019 - Mayor's Back to School Festival
Operation Self-Care was given an inflatable brain used for education purposes. Children and parents were educated on the different parts of the brain as well as mental health information. Resources were provided to parents regarding psychiatric services available in the Houston area. In addition, we educated children on healthy practices for dealing with stress, frustration, and overwhelming emotions.