The Industrial University of Santander, through its Socorro Campus, held the “First Mental Health in Focus Event: Prevention and Comprehensive Support for the Community of Socorro,” an academic and social initiative that brought together professionals, students, and the general community for two days to discuss the importance of emotional well-being.
Conferences, workshops, and roundtable discussions were part of the agenda, which addressed topics such as emotion management, stress and anxiety management, resilience, effective communication, emotional support, and psychological first aid. The purpose was to create a space for reflection and learning that contributes to strengthening the community’s capacity to face mental health challenges.
The campus coordinator, engineer Julio Alfonso Martínez Molina, emphasized that these types of spaces are essential for young people to organize their life plans and address situations that compromise their emotional well-being. He also highlighted the importance of working together with the UIS Bucaramanga Listening Center to create an extension in Socorro that provides support and guidance to students in the province.
Speaking on behalf of the students, Jairo Steven Prince Amorocho, representative to the University Welfare Committee, pointed out that the meeting sought to generate a social impact by reminding the community that it is not alone: “It was an idea that came from many people with whom we have formed a support network to accompany and provide tools to those who need them.”
The event also featured the participation of the Manuela Beltrán Regional Hospital, through its Collective Intervention Plan. Its psychologist, Blanca Jiménez Valencia, emphasized that these processes allow young people to acquire tools to make sound decisions and move forward with their life projects. She also reminded attendees of the availability of the mental health helpline 3244523806, which is open to the entire community.
This meeting was made possible thanks to the joint work of UIS Student Welfare, Student Representation on the Welfare Committee, the UIS Listening Center, the Municipal Health Secretariat, and Student Welfare at the Socorro Campus. The closing remarks were given by Professor Gonzalo Alberto Patiño Benavides, director of IPRED, who emphasized the importance of strengthening the community through comprehensive mental health care.
This alliance consolidates an institutional and social commitment to mental health, contributing to comprehensive training, prevention, and emotional support, which are fundamental pillars for the well-being of the university and Socorro communities.
