Wellness and Resilience Course:

 STEPS-U 

How to teach a wellness and resilience course for credit in an undergraduate program.

University Students Can Be Taught Positive Mental Health Skills & Coping Strategies BEFORE Student Services & Crisis Management Interventions Are Needed.


The WRC Instructors Course is held in a hybrid format annually. There will be up to 2 hours of pre-recorded video content followed by 2 hours of “live” virtual instruction daily. The live portion of the training will take place via Zoom from 1pm-3pm EDT daily.

Why Take This Course?

With the demand of undergraduate student mental health needs vastly outstripping the supply, higher education institutions need rethink and expand their approach in supporting student mental health needs.  Teaching evidence-based strategies for mental health needs, emotion regulation skills, and coping strategies to all students is one such novel approach to address the large demand of student mental health concerns.

Learning Objectives

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    Understand the development of and rationale for the Wellness and Resilience Course (WRC) for universities

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    Understand the structure and different components that comprise the WRC.

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    Understand the sequence of the WRC curriculum and how it can be adapted to fit my setting.

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    Understand the concept of dialectics and the skill of dialectical thinking

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    Understand and teach the key concepts of the distress tolerance skills

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    Understand and teach the key concepts behind cognitive restructuring.

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    Understand and teach the key concepts behind choosing gratitude.

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    Understand and teach the key concepts of the emotion regulation skills.

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    Understand and teach the key concepts of the interpersonal effectiveness skills.

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    Understand the concepts and practices associated with integrating anti-racist principles into WRC teaching.

Register Today

Join us and learn how to teach the “Wellness and Resilience for College and Beyond” course developed at the University of Washington and taught all over the country. Participants will receive the content necessary for implementing this course at higher institutions including slides, readings, homework assignments, and grading strategies. In addition, participants will have access to course developers to discuss unique university structural issues, implementation, and instructional concerns. The training is virtual, with a combination of videos and daily discussions regarding implementation strategies. This is one class which you will enjoy teaching and students will enjoy taking!

What Students Are Saying

  • “I NEEDED to learn the distress tolerance skills - I have too many crisis moments, and now I understand that it's because I don't allow myself to feel the 60-90 second emotions, I push them away! Then, when they all come back up, it's all at the same time and I can't cope. That's where TIPP comes in, and to prevent needing that, I can use the Ride the Wave skill.”

  • “In the past, I would have turned straight to alcohol or drugs after seeing my score on the test, knowing how negatively it would affect me. I took this class unaware of what I was going to learn, and especially in this time of my life when depression and anxiety is a huge obstacle for me. I learned so much valuable information from this class that will not only help me now, but for the rest of my life. I must say, this is a one-of-a-kind opportunity to practice my skills!”

  • “Really teaches you how to make it through college and not let your negative thoughts and emotions get to you. I think this is a course all freshman should take.”

  • “I think this is a course all freshman should take. Everything learned in this class is applicable to a freshman student in college and even beyond.”

Meet the Instructors

  • Dr. James J. Mazza is a licensed psychologist and the co-author of the DBT STEPS-A social emotional learning curriculum for middle and high school students. He is also the co-author of the DBT STEPS-E social emotional learning curriculum for elementary (K-5) students (est. publication June 2024), and the developer of the Wellness and Resilience for College and Beyond course taught at the University of Washington to undergraduate students. Jim received his masters and Ph.D. in school psychology from the University of Wisconsin – Madison. He is a professor in the College of Education at the University of Washington - Seattle where he has been teaching and conducting research in the field of adolescent mental health for over 28 years. He was a past president of the American Association of Suicidology and continues to focus on the development of coping strategies and skills to reduce self-harming, self-medicating, and suicidal behavior.

  • Jaclyn Lally, PhD, NCSP is a graduate of the University of Washington’s School Psychology program where she currently works as the internship coordinator. Jaclyn is a co-creator and instructor for Education 215: Wellness and Resilience in College and Beyond, a DBT-STEPS-A based course for undergraduates at UW. In addition, Jaclyn works with a team of graduate students researching the effectiveness of the Wellness and Resilience course. A proud school psychologist, Jaclyn is dedicated to translating social-emotional learning practices from K-12 settings for use in higher education. Her focus is promoting resilience skill-building and mental wellness for students in preparation for their careers. Jaclyn is currently launching Ed 216: Thriving on the Path to Happiness. Outside of work, Jaclyn enjoys spending time enjoying the Pacific Northwest outdoors with her husband, son, and two dogs.