{"id":212,"date":"2025-06-13T15:59:47","date_gmt":"2025-06-13T15:59:47","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/offices.vassar.edu\/dean-of-student-living-and-wellness\/?page_id=212"},"modified":"2025-06-13T17:36:24","modified_gmt":"2025-06-13T17:36:24","slug":"collaborative-health-and-advocacy","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/offices.vassar.edu\/dean-of-student-living-and-wellness\/collaborative-health-and-advocacy\/","title":{"rendered":"Collaborative Health and Advocacy"},"content":{"rendered":"<!-- Inserted by Dropdownizer plugin. Forces video embeds contained in dropdowns to have a size --><style>.dropdownizer__dropdown iframe { width: 100% !important; height: 100% !important; }<\/style>\n<p class=\"has-intro-font-size\">Greetings and welcome to Vassar! We are delighted to have you join our community, and we hope that your experience will be fulfilling. Our Collaborative Health and Advocacy Team is committed to helping students navigate their wellness needs so that they can thrive.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">The Team<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-columns bio-grid is-layout-flex wp-container-core-columns-is-layout-9d6595d7 wp-block-columns-is-layout-flex\">\n<div class=\"wp-block-column is-layout-flow wp-block-column-is-layout-flow\">\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"756\" height=\"994\" src=\"https:\/\/offices.vassar.edu\/dean-of-student-living-and-wellness\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/33\/2025\/06\/erika-lee.jpg\" alt=\"A photo portrait of Erika Lee, a person with long brown hair.\" class=\"wp-image-216\" srcset=\"https:\/\/offices.vassar.edu\/dean-of-student-living-and-wellness\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/33\/2025\/06\/erika-lee.jpg 756w, https:\/\/offices.vassar.edu\/dean-of-student-living-and-wellness\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/33\/2025\/06\/erika-lee-228x300.jpg 228w, https:\/\/offices.vassar.edu\/dean-of-student-living-and-wellness\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/33\/2025\/06\/erika-lee-114x150.jpg 114w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 756px) 100vw, 756px\" \/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Erika Lee<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-xsmall-font-size\">Care, Coordination, Advocacy, Resources Education (CARE)<br><a href=\"mailto:care@vassar.edu\">care@vassar.edu<\/a><\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-column is-layout-flow wp-block-column-is-layout-flow\">\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"756\" height=\"994\" src=\"https:\/\/offices.vassar.edu\/dean-of-student-living-and-wellness\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/33\/2025\/06\/wendy-freedman.jpg\" alt=\"A photo portrait of Wendy Freedman, a person with long brown hair. They are smiling at the camera.\" class=\"wp-image-220\" srcset=\"https:\/\/offices.vassar.edu\/dean-of-student-living-and-wellness\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/33\/2025\/06\/wendy-freedman.jpg 756w, https:\/\/offices.vassar.edu\/dean-of-student-living-and-wellness\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/33\/2025\/06\/wendy-freedman-228x300.jpg 228w, https:\/\/offices.vassar.edu\/dean-of-student-living-and-wellness\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/33\/2025\/06\/wendy-freedman-114x150.jpg 114w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 756px) 100vw, 756px\" \/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Wendy Freedman<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-normal-font-size\">Counseling Service<br><a href=\"mailto:counseling@vassar.edu\">counseling@vassar.edu<\/a><\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-column is-layout-flow wp-block-column-is-layout-flow\">\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"756\" height=\"994\" src=\"https:\/\/offices.vassar.edu\/dean-of-student-living-and-wellness\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/33\/2025\/06\/margot-schinella.jpg\" alt=\"A photo portrait of Margot Schinella, a person with long blond hair and a necklace. They are smiling at the camera.\" class=\"wp-image-218\" srcset=\"https:\/\/offices.vassar.edu\/dean-of-student-living-and-wellness\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/33\/2025\/06\/margot-schinella.jpg 756w, https:\/\/offices.vassar.edu\/dean-of-student-living-and-wellness\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/33\/2025\/06\/margot-schinella-228x300.jpg 228w, https:\/\/offices.vassar.edu\/dean-of-student-living-and-wellness\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/33\/2025\/06\/margot-schinella-114x150.jpg 114w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 756px) 100vw, 756px\" \/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Margot Schinella<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>Health Service<br><a href=\"mailto:health@vassar.edu\">health@vassar.edu<\/a><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-columns bio-grid is-layout-flex wp-container-core-columns-is-layout-9d6595d7 wp-block-columns-is-layout-flex\">\n<div class=\"wp-block-column is-layout-flow wp-block-column-is-layout-flow\">\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"756\" height=\"994\" src=\"https:\/\/offices.vassar.edu\/dean-of-student-living-and-wellness\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/33\/2025\/06\/andrea-pesavento.jpg\" alt=\"A photo portrait of Andrea Pesavento, a person with glasses, long blond hair, and a black T-shirt that reads &quot;Vassar&quot;. They are standing outside and smiling at the camera.\" class=\"wp-image-215\" srcset=\"https:\/\/offices.vassar.edu\/dean-of-student-living-and-wellness\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/33\/2025\/06\/andrea-pesavento.jpg 756w, https:\/\/offices.vassar.edu\/dean-of-student-living-and-wellness\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/33\/2025\/06\/andrea-pesavento-228x300.jpg 228w, https:\/\/offices.vassar.edu\/dean-of-student-living-and-wellness\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/33\/2025\/06\/andrea-pesavento-114x150.jpg 114w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 756px) 100vw, 756px\" \/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Andrea Pesavento<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>Health Promotion and Education<br><a href=\"mailto:hpe@vassar.edu\">hpe@vassar.edu<\/a><\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-column is-layout-flow wp-block-column-is-layout-flow\">\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"756\" height=\"994\" src=\"https:\/\/offices.vassar.edu\/dean-of-student-living-and-wellness\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/33\/2025\/06\/rachel-gellert.jpg\" alt=\"A photo portrait of Rachel Gellert, a person with long brown hair and a blue denim shirt. They are smiling at the camera.\" class=\"wp-image-219\" srcset=\"https:\/\/offices.vassar.edu\/dean-of-student-living-and-wellness\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/33\/2025\/06\/rachel-gellert.jpg 756w, https:\/\/offices.vassar.edu\/dean-of-student-living-and-wellness\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/33\/2025\/06\/rachel-gellert-228x300.jpg 228w, https:\/\/offices.vassar.edu\/dean-of-student-living-and-wellness\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/33\/2025\/06\/rachel-gellert-114x150.jpg 114w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 756px) 100vw, 756px\" \/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Rachel Gellert<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>Support Advocacy and Violence Prevention<br><a href=\"mailto:savp@vassar.edu\">savp@vassar.edu<\/a><\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-column is-layout-flow wp-block-column-is-layout-flow\">\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"756\" height=\"994\" src=\"https:\/\/offices.vassar.edu\/dean-of-student-living-and-wellness\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/33\/2025\/06\/luis-inoa.jpg\" alt=\"A photo portrait of Luis Jiminez Inoa, a person with an orange hat, glasses, a gray beard, and a green shirt. They are smiling at the camera.\" class=\"wp-image-217\" srcset=\"https:\/\/offices.vassar.edu\/dean-of-student-living-and-wellness\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/33\/2025\/06\/luis-inoa.jpg 756w, https:\/\/offices.vassar.edu\/dean-of-student-living-and-wellness\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/33\/2025\/06\/luis-inoa-228x300.jpg 228w, https:\/\/offices.vassar.edu\/dean-of-student-living-and-wellness\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/33\/2025\/06\/luis-inoa-114x150.jpg 114w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 756px) 100vw, 756px\" \/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Luis Jiminez Inoa<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>Student Living and Wellness<br><a href=\"mailto:deanslw@vassar.edu\">deanslw@vassar.edu<\/a><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n<p>As part of this effort, we strongly encourage every incoming student to work with their family over the summer to develop a wellness plan and identify the supports they will need for a healthy transition to college. Reflect on your current self-care practices and consider whether you will need continued support from health professionals while at Vassar. For students who have overcome physical or emotional health challenges, we encourage you to acknowledge your resilience and strengths. As you create a care plan, please consider the following questions:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>If you would benefit from continued support from health professionals, are the services you need available on the Vassar campus, or do you need to access them off-campus?<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>If you are not on the Vassar student health insurance plan, have you verified that your plan covers health and mental health appointments with local providers who accept your insurance?<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>If you are taking medication, have you determined the pharmacy you will use and whether you need to find a new provider? Have you requested a 90-day supply of medication if appropriate?<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Do you have a complete list of your prescription medications and doses?<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Do you have a copy of your insurance card\u2019s front and back?<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Does your health insurance plan require a referral to access a specialist?<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Which Vassar Wellness Resources below would you utilize? What other resources do you need?<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p>The wellness resources below are available to all students free of charge with the exception of some medication and supplies that may be provided by the Health Service. For information about medical billing and fees, visit <a href=\"https:\/\/go.vassar.edu\/medbilling\" data-type=\"link\" data-id=\"https:\/\/vassar.wd1.myworkdayjobs.com\/en-US\/Vassar-External\/job\/Head-Women-s-Volleyball-Coach_R00030463\">go.vassar.edu\/medbilling<\/a>. If you are on a Pell Grant, you are eligible to access Vassar\u2019s Wellness Fund for additional support in covering the cost of medical expenses. Contact Erika Lee at <a href=\"mailto:erikalee@vassar.edu\">erikalee@vassar.edu<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-columns is-layout-flex wp-container-core-columns-is-layout-9d6595d7 wp-block-columns-is-layout-flex\">\n<div class=\"wp-block-column is-layout-flow wp-block-column-is-layout-flow\">\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list list-clean has-normal-font-size\">\n<li><strong><a href=\"https:\/\/offices.vassar.edu\/health-service\/\" data-type=\"link\" data-id=\"https:\/\/offices.vassar.edu\/health-service\/\">The Health Service<\/a><\/strong> provides routine primary medical care and treatment of acute illnesses and injuries to Vassar students. For specialized health care, we encourage you to find community specialists who can provide ongoing medical treatment. The Health Service can assist with referrals as needed. <br><strong>Contact us<\/strong> at <a href=\"tel:+18454375800\">(845) 437-5800<\/a>, or <a href=\"mailto:health@vassar.edu\">health@vassar.edu<\/a>.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li class=\"has-normal-font-size\"><strong><a href=\"https:\/\/offices.vassar.edu\/counseling-service\/\" data-type=\"link\" data-id=\"https:\/\/offices.vassar.edu\/counseling-service\/\">The Counseling Service<\/a><\/strong> provides short-term individual and group counseling and medication management. If you have mental health concerns requiring longer term or more specialized care, we encourage you to find practitioners who can provide ongoing care during college. <br><strong>Contact us<\/strong> at <a href=\"tel:+18454375700\">(845) 437-5700<\/a> or <a href=\"mailto:counseling@vassar.edu\">counseling@vassar.edu<\/a>. <a href=\"https:\/\/vassar.thrivingcampus.com\/\">Find therapists who work with students near Vassar<\/a>.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong><a href=\"https:\/\/offices.vassar.edu\/care\/\">Care Coordination, Advocacy, Resources, and Education (CARE)<\/a><\/strong> helps students connect to resources both on campus and off. If you are experiencing barriers setting up a local care team or need assistance navigating insurance, contact us at <a href=\"tel:+18454377740\">(845) 437-7740<\/a> or <a href=\"mailto:care@vassar.edu\">care@vassar.edu<\/a>.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong><a href=\"https:\/\/offices.vassar.edu\/health-promotion-and-education\/\" data-type=\"link\" data-id=\"https:\/\/offices.vassar.edu\/health-promotion-and-education\/\">The Office of Health Promotion and Education (HPE)<\/a><\/strong> offers wellness-related programming on topics like sleep, alcohol and other substances, sexual health, emotional health, and harm reduction. <br><strong>Contact us<\/strong> at <a href=\"tel:+18454377769\">(845) 437-7769<\/a> or <a href=\"mailto:hpe@vassar.edu\">hpe@vassar.edu<\/a>.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-column is-layout-flow wp-block-column-is-layout-flow\">\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list list-clean\">\n<li><strong><a href=\"https:\/\/offices.vassar.edu\/savp\/\">The Support Advocacy and Violence Prevention (SAVP) Office<\/a><\/strong> provides individualized support to survivors of sexual violence or intimate partner violence, past or present, as well as those supporting a survivor. <br><strong>Contact us<\/strong> at <a href=\"tel:+18454377863\">(845) 437-7863<\/a> or <a href=\"mailto:savp@vassar.edu\">savp@vassar.edu<\/a>.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong><a href=\"https:\/\/go.vassar.edu\/MEST\" data-type=\"link\" data-id=\"https:\/\/go.vassar.edu\/MEST\">Mindful Eating Support Team (MEST)<\/a><\/strong> supports students navigating food, weight, and body image concerns. The team coordinates a multidisciplinary team on-campus and off-campus specialists as needed.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong><a href=\"https:\/\/offices.vassar.edu\/dean-of-student-living-and-wellness\/student-support-network\/\">The Student Support Network (SSN)<\/a><\/strong> coordinated by the Dean of Student Living and Wellness helps students navigate academic and personal challenges, distressing experiences, and crises.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong><a href=\"https:\/\/offices.vassar.edu\/accessibility-and-educational-opportunity\/\">The Office for Accessibility and Educational Opportunity (AEO)<\/a><\/strong> supports students with learning differences, psychological disorders, chronic medical conditions, mobility or orthopedic impairments, sensory loss, and substance abuse\/recovery needs. This includes accommodations for academics, residential life, meal plans, college-sponsored co-curricular activities, and campus jobs. <strong>Contact us<\/strong> at <a href=\"tel:+18454377584\">(845) 437-7584<\/a> or <a href=\"mailto:aeo@vassar.edu\">aeo@vassar.edu<\/a>.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n<style>\n\n\n.wp-block-columns.bio-grid .wp-block-image {\n    margin: 0 0 0.3rem 0;\n}\n\n.bio-grid h3.wp-block-heading {\n    margin: 0;\n    font-size: 1.2rem;\n}\n\n.bio-grid p {\n    font-size: 1.1rem;\n}\n\n\n.wp-block-columns:has(> .wp-block-column:nth-child(3)):not(:has(> .wp-block-column:nth-child(4))) {\n  grid-template-columns: 1fr 1fr 1fr;\n}\n\n\n\n.list-clean {\n    list-style: none;\n    padding: 0;\n}\n\n.list-clean li {\n    margin-bottom: 2rem;\n}\n\n<\/style>\n\n\n\n<p><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Greetings and welcome to Vassar! We are delighted to have you join our community, and we hope that your experience will be fulfilling. Our Collaborative Health and Advocacy Team is committed to helping students navigate their wellness needs so that they can thrive. The Team Erika Lee Care, Coordination, Advocacy, Resources Education (CARE)care@vassar.edu Wendy Freedman [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":236,"parent":0,"menu_order":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","template":"","meta":{"footnotes":""},"class_list":["post-212","page","type-page","status-publish","has-post-thumbnail","hentry"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/offices.vassar.edu\/dean-of-student-living-and-wellness\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/212","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/offices.vassar.edu\/dean-of-student-living-and-wellness\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/offices.vassar.edu\/dean-of-student-living-and-wellness\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/page"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/offices.vassar.edu\/dean-of-student-living-and-wellness\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/offices.vassar.edu\/dean-of-student-living-and-wellness\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=212"}],"version-history":[{"count":37,"href":"https:\/\/offices.vassar.edu\/dean-of-student-living-and-wellness\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/212\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":259,"href":"https:\/\/offices.vassar.edu\/dean-of-student-living-and-wellness\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/212\/revisions\/259"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/offices.vassar.edu\/dean-of-student-living-and-wellness\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/236"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/offices.vassar.edu\/dean-of-student-living-and-wellness\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=212"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}