Here at Elgin Community College, there are people to talk to, whether it be general stress or you’re just feeling off, Mary Grimm and Vincent Cascio are here to help. Grimm and Cascio are ECC’s on-campus wellness professionals, and their offices are located in B120.

Cascio encourages students to take that step and reach out no matter how big or small they feel their problem is.

“We’re here to do our absolute best to help [students] succeed,” Cascio said. “People think they need to have a significant problem to come talk to us, but that’s not true.”

The Wellness Center takes a holistic perspective, offering students a very private and confidential experience. The top three types of cases students come to them with are anxiety, depression, and trauma. Some students don’t even realize they are dealing with one of these, which may have proven long-term risk if left undetected.

When they started these services three years ago, they began a support group that combined anxiety and depression. It became apparent that their discussions kept lacking the anxiety side, so the groups were split in two. According to Cascio, this decision was made by students, as they explained to Grimm and Cascio that they “wanted in-depth talk on anxiety and how it affects their life.” This spring will be their fourth run with the anxiety group, which is just one of the several groups they run.

Support groups typically have eight to ten participants that meet weekly for one-hour sessions lasting 4 to 6 weeks.
If you are interested in seeing either Grimm or Cascio in the Wellness Center it is asked that you first make an appointment with them to discuss what is the best path to take and whether the issue is something they can resolve.
Their office hours are 8 a.m. to 7 p.m. Mondays through Thursdays, and 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Friday.