By Randy Ballard
Associate Director of Athletic, Sports Medicine
Director of Integrated Performance

Welcome to the new site for Open Doors! This is the first step in rebranding our Fighting Illini mental health and performance services. Open Doors has been an idea of ours for several years, and now with the impact of COVID-19 and our student athletes scattered across the world, it is more important than ever to provide one central place where you can find resources regarding mental health. This site is still in its infancy but will continue to grow and develop. Currently, you will find resources and information on various mental health challenges like anxiety, depression and substance abuse. Each page highlights the common signs and symptoms and hopefully shares some helpful resources. Open Doors will also equip you with strategies for how to talk to and support friends, teammates, or family members who may be struggling. This site makes it even easier to request an appointment with our staff with the click of a few buttons.

As we build the site out, we will begin to list events on Open Doors as well. We plan to host discussions on various topics from Dealing with Identity Outside of Sport to How to Handle a Bad Roommate Situation to Coping with Injury. You will also begin to see more blog posts pop up written by both members of our mental health team and by you, our student athletes.

It is my hope that Open Doors will continue to serve as a way for all our student athletes and staff to learn more about mental health and help de-stigmatize the subject.  Furthermore, I think it's important as a department and as a society, that we seek to move from just focusing on de-stigmatizing mental health to building an ecosystem and ecology of help seeking.  At a minimum, one in four people will be affected by a mental health disorder at some point in their lifetime. If you are struggling with something, you are not alone. It is okay not to be okay and please, ask for help.  If you know someone who is struggling, help be that guiding light and encourage them to talk to someone who could help. Help them open the door to the help they need. 

If you have ideas for this website, for programming, for a blog, or whatever it may be, please don't hesitate to reach out to Jim, Autumn, or I.  We don't want this just to be a staff led initiative, we want this to be a department-led initiative, and that involves you.  Let us hear your voice and share your ideas. 

Finally, please know this isn't about mental health awareness month or pandemic.  Our goal to support you and your mental health didn't start with an awareness campaign or with an infectious disease.  Our desire to support and serve student-athletes has been on-going and will continue long after this situation is over.  Please know how much we care about you, the student-athletes.  We hope you are doing well, please let us know if you need anything.  Remember that even though we currently may not be able to communicate the way we used to; our Doors are still Open. If you need anything, our coaches, our athletic trainers, and our mental health team are here for you. Do not be afraid to ask.