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Peer Leader: Student Wellness Advocate (SWA)

Carleton College
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ABOUT THE PEER LEADER PROGRAM:
The Peer Leader Program serves to synthesize the work of these 11 offices into one developmental experience for students’ current and prospective aspirations. These roles not only allow students the platform to work with staff to create programming, resources, and peer support for the campus community but also offer students opportunities to think critically about and commit diligently to their own development and skill attainment. 

Job Summary: Within the Office of Health Promotion (OHP), Student Wellness Advocates (SWAs) utilize evidence-based public health approaches to support the well-being of Carleton students via educational programming, creation of resources, and connection to services. While this role focuses on public health responsibilities broadly, you will also participate in one specific priority area based on your preferences, with the options of 1) sleep, 2) mental health, 3) sexual violence prevention, 4) sexual health and well-being, and 5) alcohol, cannabis, and other drug prevention.

Job Duties and Responsibilities:

  • Regularly staff the Office of Health Promotion, answering student questions and facilitating access to resources and referrals to other campus offices
  • Work within the large group as a whole, priority areas (listed above), and project teams to create educational messaging, events, and resources for students on campus
    • Educational messaging examples include SWA Stalls, Kahoots, and bulletin boards.
    • Project team examples include event planning and communications.
  • Work independently on health education and resource creation tasks
  • Meet regularly with your supervisor to discuss your work and receive guidance and support
  • Facilitate educational programming and presentations

Specific Tasks associated with each Priority Area:

  • Sleep: This role will focus on facilitating one-on-one peer sleep coaching, developing messaging around supportive sleep habits and sleep norms, collaborating on ways to support students struggling with their own sleep experiences, and encouraging referrals to/from SHAC.
  • Mental health: This role will focus on creating mental health resources, promoting those resources, and providing feedback for mental health programming. Specific training opportunities will include Mental Health First Aid and potentially Mindfulness 101, based on interest and availability.
  • Sexual violence prevention: This role will have a more specific focus on educating students on topics related to sexual violence prevention and education, healthy relationships, and consent. It will focus on facilitation, public speaking (which includes presenting CARLtalks Consent), and program creation.
  • Sexual health and well-being: This role will have a more specific focus on educating students on topics related to physical aspects of sexual health (pleasurable and less risky sexual practices, STI and pregnancy prevention, and specific birth control methods). This role will focus on providing sexual health resources on campus, promoting those resources, and coordinating and facilitating the Sexploration Week of sexual health events.
  • Alcohol, cannabis, and other drug prevention: This role will focus on creating alcohol and other drug prevention messaging, promoting that messaging, and providing feedback and edits for the Cues social norms program.

Skills Gained:

  • Knowledge of public health approaches for the promotion of mental health, sleep, sexual health, alcohol and other drug prevention, and sexual violence prevention
  • Use of data and evidence to identify and address health and well-being needs
  • Evaluation and revision skills
  • Experience in communication and collaboration
  • Opportunities to practice facilitation skills
  • Practice creating health-related resources (including social media and SWA Stalls)
  • Additional professional development and learning opportunities

Job Commitments: 

  • 8 - 10 hours per week. All hours worked are paid hours.
  • Nights and weekends may be required for certain programs or training.
  • Attend all SWA-specific and Peer Leader trainings and meetings including (but not limited to):
    • Weekly SWA Staff meetings, each Monday from 4:30-6:30 pm during the academic term
    • Spring Orientation (May 15th in the evening)
    • Fall Training (required to return to campus early, one week before NSW begins)
    • Winter Conference, the first Saturday after Week One of the Winter Term

Required Application Materials:

  • Resume
  • Cover letter

Application Procedure:

  1. Upload your resume and cover letter via Handshake
  2. Complete the additional peer leader survey which will be emailed to you after you apply on March 28
  3. Select candidates will be invited to interview with the Office of Health Promotion staff

The applicant’s cover letter must answer all of the following questions:

1.) Why do you want to be a SWA, and what responsibilities of the position interest you most?

2.) What is your first preferred priority area, and why are you interested in it? 

NOTE - Please select from the following priority areas: sleep, mental health, sexual violence prevention, sexual health and well-being, and alcohol, cannabis, and other drug prevention.

  • What is your second preferred priority area, and why are you interested in it?

3.) What are the factors that you believe impact a Carleton student’s well-being?

  • As a SWA, how would you address these factors to promote well-being?

4.) What else would you like to tell us about yourself that would be beneficial for us to know?

Important Dates 

Questions? Contact the Associate Director of Health Promotion, Cassandra Worner (cworner@carleton.edu).

Application Resources

We recommend applicants make an appointment or visit SCA drop-in hours to review application materials before submitting. Appointments can be made with an SCA or a career coach via Handshake.

Carleton is committed to providing access, equal opportunity, and reasonable accommodation for individuals with disabilities in employment, its services, programs, and activities. To request reasonable accommodation regarding this position, email OAR@carleton.edu, contact Sam Thayer (sthayer@carleton.edu, phone number: 507-222-4464) or Elijah Genheimer (egenheimer@carleton.edu, phone number: 507-222-4500).