About ScarletWell
About ScarletWell
ScarletWell is a novel public health and prevention-focused program promoting the holistic well-being of Rutgers–New Brunswick's 72,000+ students, faculty, and staff as part of the university's Academic Master Plan. The program's inaugural 2024-25 year is slated to bring a diverse array of wellness-related programming, peer support services, wellness project grant funding, and more to Rutgers–New Brunswick.
In 2023, a specialized ScarletWell Task Force was charged with taking stock of Rutgers–New Brunswick’s collective wellness initiatives, benchmarking them to peer institutions across the country, recognizing strengths and gaps, and creating recommendations for stronger coordination and enhancements of wellness-related offerings across the university's four campuses.
The Task Force's work led to the creation of a Rutgers Wellness Office, including the appointment of a Chief Wellness Officer (CWO) and Director of ScarletWell, tasked with making Rutgers–New Brunswick a national model for other academic institutions seeking to prioritize health & wellness among their students, faculty, and staff.
The Rutgers–New Brunswick Wellness Office works directly with the Provost and Chancellor to coordinate wellness resources across campus, bring innovative evidence-based wellness practices and ensure that holistic health and wellness is prioritized as Rutgers–New Brunswick charts the future and implements its pioneering Academic Master Plan.
Moving forward, ScarletWell aims to be a pioneering exemplar of university-wide wellness programming that is inclusive, holistic, and multidisciplinary.
ScarletWell Team
Joshua Langberg, PhD
Joshua Langberg, PhD (he/him) is Rutgers–New Brunswick's inaugural Chief Wellness Officer (CWO), a clinical psychologist & professor of psychology at the Rutgers Graduate School of Applied and Professional Psychology (GSAPP), and Director of the Center for Youth Social Emotional Wellness (CYSEW).
Peggy Swarbrick, PhD
Peggy Swarbrick, PhD (she/her) is Director of ScarletWell, a research professor in the Applied Department of the Rutgers Graduate School of Applied and Professional Psychology (GSAPP), and Associate Director of the Center of Alcohol and Substance Use Studies.
Research Publications
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Swarbrick, Margaret, Ayyala, M. S., Chen, P.-H., & Brazeau, C. M. L. R. (2024). Cultivating Connections: An Interprofessional Peer Support Model. Psychiatric Services, 0(0). https://doi.org/10.1176/appi.ps.20240104
- Peer support models have existed for decades in behavioral health care and are being developed for health care professionals to help address high rates of burnout and stress in the health care environment. Such models typically involve individuals from the same profession. With the concurrent increase of interprofessional integrated behavioral health care models, interprofessional peer support seems a viable model. This Open Forum describes how a peer support program for physicians and faculty scientists evolved to include a broader range of health care professionals, providing a framework for interprofessional peer support programs for the behavioral health care workforce.
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Richardson, Devon, Aranda, Frances, Cook, Judith A., & Swarbrick, Margaret. (2024). "How Individuals with Mental Health Challenges Coped During the COVID-19 Pandemic." Clinical Nursing Research, 10547738241273294. Advance online publication.
- Using results from a cross-sectional, online survey administered during April and May 2020, qualitative methods were used to examine how individuals with symptoms of depression and anxiety were coping with COVID-19. Data came from 48 participants who reported current symptoms of anxiety assessed by the Generalized Anxiety Disorder-2 Scale and/or depression assessed by the Patient Health Questionnaire-2. Respondents demonstrated resilience in navigating disruptions brought on by COVID-19 and reported a range of healthy coping strategies. Three themes were identified in characterizing successful coping strategies, including utilizing social support systems, practicing self-care, and adjusting one’s mindset to deal with challenging experiences. When designing programs, policies, and clinical approaches to support people with mental health conditions, it is essential to focus on strengths. The coping strategies shared by the individuals in this study demonstrate and build on their resilience.
Wellness Connection Grants
Interpersonal connection is a critical component of wellness. ScarletWell is committed to empowering students to create events and spaces at Rutgers–New Brunswick that foster lasting communities of connection. We are proud to award our first round of Wellness Connection Grants ranging from $200–$1,500 to support student-directed wellness activities in Winter/Spring 2025.
Learn more about the grant recipients below, and explore wellness events and activities on our new Rutgers Wellness Calendar.
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- Basketball as a Tool to Promote Wellness
Student Lead and Wellness Champion: Alexander Gamble; Faculty Sponsor: Pete Economou (Graduate School of Applied and Professional Psychology)
Pick-up basketball games to promote movement and reduce stress. - Rhythm and Recovery: Dance for Mental Health
Student Lead and Wellness Champions: Jacqueline Finley, Ava Mortillaro, and Zina Ogunnaya; Faculty Sponsor: Jeff Friedman (Graduate School of Applied and Professional Psychology; Mason Gross School of the Arts)
Movement sessions to foster individual creativity and promote interpersonal relationships. - Dance Therapy: Growth in 8 Dimensions
Student Lead and Wellness Champion: Zina Ogunnaya; Faculty Sponsor: Stacy Trukowski (Graduate School of Applied and Professional Psychology; Recreation; Student Affairs)
Dance workshops that integrate the 8 Dimensions of Wellness model to enhance wellbeing. - Birds of a Feather: Building Community through Bird Watching
Student Lead and Wellness Champion: Jade Tollis; Faculty Sponsor: Richard Lathrop (School of Environmental and Biological Sciences)
Bird Feeding Station renovation and bird-watching walks to connect and enjoy the outdoors. - Planting a Healthy Mindset!
Student Lead and Wellness Champion: Juliette Loftus; Faculty Sponsors: Nrupali Patel and Gary Altman (School of Environmental and Biological Sciences)
Therapeutic horticulture sessions for creativity, emotional, and social wellness. - Scarlet Sing and Sway
Student Lead and Wellness Champion: Aruna Krishnan; Faculty Sponsor: Sharon Glazer (Graduate School of Applied and Professional Psychology)
Karaoke nights to enhance student life and build a stronger, inclusive community through music and social interaction. - Un-mess Your Stress
Student Lead and Wellness Champion: Tsu-Yi Chien (Joy); Faculty Sponsor: Richard Dool (School of Communication and Information)
Events series to promote holistic health through creative, interactive activities. - Rutgers Social Run Club
Student Lead and Wellness Champion: Ishan Gupta; Faculty Sponsor: Shelia Tabanli (Rutgers Business School)
Social running club to enhance community building, inclusivity, and fitness for all levels. - Nourishing Wellness: Engaging Rutgers Students in Holistic Health
Student Lead and Wellness Champion: Carys Neill; Faculty Sponsor: Peggy Policastro (School of Environmental and Biological Sciences)
Interactive wellness booths to empower students to prioritize their wellness and strengthen community connections. - Wellness through Clay
Student Lead and Wellness Champion: Vivian Glenn; Faculty Sponsor: Sheila Tabanli (School of Arts and Sciences)
Pottery workshops to benefit physical wellbeing through handwork, alleviate stress, and bolster self-expression. - Introduction to Zen
Student Lead and Wellness Champion: Hyun Sunwoo; Faculty Sponsor: Hee Chung Chun (School of Communication and Information; Department of Asian Languages and Cultures, School of Arts and Sciences)
Workshops on the benefits of meditation and mindfulness for mental health and well-being. - Better Me with BME
Student Lead and Wellness Champion: Rebecca Risman; Faculty Sponsor: Kristen Labazzo (School of Engineering)
Campus walks to encourage incorporation of movement into daily life and enjoyment of the outdoors. - Visible
Student Lead and Wellness Champions: Trina Baptista and Charley Wang; Faculty Sponsor: Don Schaffner (School of Environmental and Biological Sciences)
Mini-event series focused on underrepresented groups in food science to provide information, connections, and community. - Grow with the Flow
Student Lead and Wellness Champion: Priya Gohil; Faculty Sponsor: Sheila Tabanli (Rutgers Business School)
Spirited activities that promote shared creativity and opportunities for new knowledge to promote sustainable, inclusive, and community-focused environments. - CAPS Open House to Promote Wellness and Connection
Student Lead and Wellness Champion: Sahithya Suryanarayanan; Faculty Sponsor: Jennifer Jones-Damis (Counseling, Alcohol and Other Drug Assistance Program and Psychiatric Services (CAPS))
Mental Health Open House Day to destigmatize mental health and connect to free resources. - Cooking Confidence: Mastering Grocery Shopping and Meal Preparation on a Budget
Student Lead and Wellness Champion: Naomi Zafir; Faculty Sponsor: Alexandra Ceribelli (School of Arts and Sciences; Harvest at Institute for Food, Nutrition and Health)
Interactive seminars to teach students how to grocery shop for wellness.
- Basketball as a Tool to Promote Wellness
Inaugural and Grant-Supported Initiatives
OSHE Grant
In 2023, the ScarletWell Task Force submitted and received a 1.6 million dollar grant from the Office of the Secretary of Higher Education (OSHE) to significantly increase mental health and wellness services here at Rutgers. The grant was led by Dr. Noa’a Shimoni, Associate Vice President for Student Health and Wellness and Associate Vice Chancellor for Student Affairs, Student Health and Wellness at Rutgers-New Brunswick, in collaboration with Dr. Francesca Maresca, Assistant Vice Chancellor for Health and Wellness, Dr. Jennifer Jones-Damis, Director of CAPS, and the ScarletWell leadership team. The figure below displays the new services available to Rutgers students and provides links to access them.
- Therapy
- Offset copays for therapy sessions with community providers
- Enhance availability of ADHD evaluations and build skills
- Increase therapy options
- Programming
- Provide wellness programming using the 8 dimensions of wellness as a framework, including physical, art, cooking, and other activities
- ScarletWell Connection Grants
- Supports
- Embed peer facilitators in New Student Orientation
- Embed peer supporters in mindfulness programming
- Togetherall: digital peer support platform with 24/7 clinical oversight
- Infrastructure
- Transition to an EHR with full integration of medical and mental health care
- Build an infrastructure to collect meaningful data to inform programming, services, and share with stakeholders
- Trainings for Staff and Students
- Develop graduate student prep course on mental health
- Design a faculty development series on how to identify and work with students with mental health issues
- Provide mental health and continuing education workshops for staff
- Provide faculty and staff mental health trainings through a multicultural lens
Opportunities to Connect
ScarletWell offers a comprehensive menu of wellness trainings and workshops for faculty, staff, students, and the community. Trainings are free for Rutgers–New Brunswick faculty, students, and staff and available for a fee to the broader New Jersey community. Training format and length is flexible and designed to meet the needs of participants. Trainings are available virtually and in-person and range from virtual 30 minute topic overviews to in-depth 6 hour workshops with hands-on activities and practice.
Below we provide an overview of the trainings ScarletWell provides. If there is something you are looking for that you don’t see on the list, please reach out. For example, ScarletWell faculty and staff are available to guide units/participants through contemplative practices such as meditation.
If you want to request a training, please email Peggy Swarbrick.
Available Trainings & Workshops
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Description: This session provides an overview of wellness and its connection to mental health. Participants will learn about the eight dimensions of wellness and how they interrelate to influence mental health. The session will highlight the importance of maintaining balance in these areas and provide practical strategies for integrating wellness practices into daily life. Attendees will also explore common mental health challenges and the impact of stress on mental health. This workshop aims to raise awareness, reduce stigma, and encourage proactive approaches to mental health.
Key Takeaways:
- Understanding the eight dimensions of wellness.
- Recognizing the signs and impact of mental health issues.
- Strategies for incorporating wellness practices into everyday routines.
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Description: This interactive workshop focuses on the development of personalized self-care plans to promote good mental health. Participants will engage in activities to identify their self-care needs and explore various self-care techniques. The session will cover self-care, emphasizing the importance of regular self-assessment and adaptation of self-care strategies. Attendees will leave with a concrete wellness self-care plan tailored to their individual needs and circumstances.
Key Takeaways:
- Identification of personal self-care needs within the 8 dimensions
- Exploration of diverse self-care strategies
- Development of a personalized wellness self-care plan
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Description: Effective communication is crucial for fostering a supportive learning environment. This workshop equips educators and academic staff with the skills to communicate supportively with learners, enhancing their academic and personal success. Participants will learn techniques for active listening and providing constructive feedback. The session will also address strategies for recognizing and responding to students' mental health needs and building strong, supportive relationships.
Key Takeaways:
- Techniques for active listening and effective communication.
- Strategies for providing constructive feedback.
- Methods for creating an inclusive and supportive learning environment.
- Approaches to recognizing and addressing students' mental health needs.
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Description: This session aims to equip participants with the skills and knowledge to become effective mental health and wellness champions. Attendees will learn how to identify potential champions, develop leadership qualities, and create sustainable initiatives that promote mental health and wellness. The session will cover strategies for organizing and maintaining a network of champions who can advocate for and implement wellness programs.
Key Takeaways:
- Identifying and recruiting mental health and wellness champions.
- Developing leadership qualities in wellness champions.
- Strategies for organizing and sustaining a network of champions.
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Description: Creating and sustaining a positive working culture is essential for the well-being of employees and the overall success of an organization. This workshop provides practical wellness tips and strategies to foster a supportive and healthy work environment. Participants will learn about the importance of workplace wellness, techniques for reducing stress, and ways to promote work-life balance. The session will also cover how to encourage open communication, recognize and celebrate achievements, and create a culture of mutual respect and support.
Key Takeaways:
- Importance of workplace wellness and its impact on productivity
- Techniques for reducing stress and promoting work-life balance
- Strategies for fostering open communication and mutual respect
- Ways to recognize and celebrate achievements to boost morale
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Description: This workshop introduces college students to the fundamentals of peer support, highlighting the importance of building supportive relationships among peers to enhance mental health and well-being. Participants will learn about the key principles of peer support, including empathy, active listening, and mutual respect. The session will cover practical skills for providing effective support to peers, recognizing signs of distress, and referring peers to resources. Students will also explore ways to maintain their own wellness while supporting others.
Key Takeaways:
- Grasp the basic principles and benefits of peer support for wellness
- Learn techniques for fostering empathy, active listening, and mutual respect among peers.
- Recognize when and how to share mental health and wellness self-care resources
- Discover ways to maintain personal wellness while supporting others
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Description: This workshop equips college faculty and staff with the essential skills to provide peer support within their professional community. Participants will learn about the role of peer support in promoting a healthy and collaborative work environment. The session will cover key concepts such as creating a culture of trust, offering emotional support, and facilitating open communication. Faculty and staff will also learn practical strategies for identifying colleagues in need of support and guiding them to appropriate resources, while ensuring their own well-being.
Key Takeaways:
- Understand the significance of peer support in fostering a positive work environment for faculty and staff
- Learn how to build a culture of trust and support within the academic community.
- Gain skills in offering effective emotional support and facilitating open communication among colleagues
- Recognize when and how to guide colleagues to mental health and wellness self-care resources
- Explore strategies for maintaining personal wellness while providing peer support
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Description: Our days are hectic. Attention to self-care and simple daily practices can build resilience and increase a person’s overall wellness. This session will introduce the practice of taking time for yourself and, specifically, taking a few moments to “pause.” The overall purpose of the session is to focus on the present moment taking time to pause to learn how to become aware of thoughts and breath.
Key Takeaways:
- Define the value of pausing and unplugging
- Consider how to take a few minutes daily to unplug and practice the pause
- List benefits of taking time to pause during the day
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Description: This session addresses taking time for yourself, specifically breathing, moving, and nourishing your body and mind. The overall purpose of the session is to focus on the present moment and become aware of thoughts and your breath, to move mindfully, and to think about how to nourish the mind and body to improve mood, decrease anxiety, and lessen the feelings of stress.
Key Takeaways:
- Apply pause to focus awareness on breathing to relax and calm the mind and body
- Practice gentle stretches and movements to release tension and refocus
- Nourish your mind and body
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Description: The session focuses on the importance of sleep and rest and how to use the strategies presented throughout the self-care series to help you fall asleep and stay asleep. Participants will explore using what they have learned about pausing, breathing, moving, and nourishing the body and mind to relax into a restful sleep.
Key Takeaways:
- Explain how and why sleep is essential for overall health and wellness
- Describe common sleep issues and consider impact of sleep deprivation
- Identify self-care strategies for improving and maintaining healthy sleep routines
- Consider wellness self-care practices that can help create and/or restore a restful sleep
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Description: In this session, you will explore ways to create wellness plans that sustain the benefits of the wellness self-care practices of the series. You will be re-oriented to the pause, breathe, move, and nourish practices to re-experience the benefits as you work toward establishing self-care daily plans.
Key Takeaways:
- Describe the benefits of pause, breathe, move, and nourish practices
- Define wellness strengths in 8 dimensions
- Define strategies for focusing on self-care practices as part of a daily wellness plan
- Create a wellness self-care plan
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Description: Every unit throughout the university has its own culture, based on its values, traditions, communication patterns, and policies. This interactive session will introduce concepts, tools, and leadership strategies to evaluate and improve your wellness culture.
Key Takeaways:
- Describe how to create a workplace culture of wellness and why it is important
- List ways a wellness culture can support job satisfaction and success
- Apply leadership strategies and resources to facilitate and foster a wellness culture
- Identify tools and strategies for staff to promote self-care and wellness in the workplace
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Description: This consultation session is designed to help faculty and student leaders develop and implement strategies to create a culture that supports mental health and wellness. Participants will receive guidance on identifying the needs of their communities, designing effective wellness strategies, and promoting mental health awareness. The session will include best practices for engaging stakeholders, fostering a supportive environment, and integrating wellness into the fabric of the institution. Leaders will also learn how to evaluate the effectiveness of their initiatives and make necessary adjustments to ensure sustainability.
Key Takeaways:
- Identifying the mental health and wellness needs of faculty and students.
- Designing and implementing effective wellness programs.
- Best practices for engaging stakeholders and fostering a supportive environment.
- Methods for evaluating and sustaining wellness initiatives.
Wellness Inventory
The Wellness Inventory Tool gives you a way of thinking about what you are doing, and how you are feeling in general. When you read each item, think about the things you have been doing for your personal wellness during the past 30 days.
Start Your Journey
Journey to Wellness Guide
This Journey to Wellness Guide will help you find new ideas to use to begin or continue on your personal journey, no matter where you are in your life. If you have ever experienced chronic stress, addiction, trauma, or another life challenge, you will find examples here that have helped many to pursue and continue a journey to wellness.
Access the Guide Download the Guide
Creating a Healthy Life
Download SAMSHA's step-by-step guide to wellness.
Self-Care
Begin your wellness journey by downloading the below self-care activities.
Wellness Resources
ScarletWell has compiled lists of helpful resources to support your wellness and well-being in each of the eight dimensions of wellness; physical, intellectual, emotional, financial, social, spiritual, occupational, and environmental.
Mental Health Services
Counseling, Alcohol and Other Drug Assistance Program & Psychiatric Services (CAPS) supports students through individual and group counseling, crisis intervention, medication management, and community referrals.
Center for Psychological Services offers the Rutgers community confidential mental health services in a state-of-the-art outpatient training center with 11 clinics as part of the Graduate School of Applied and Professional Psychology.
Find Health & Wellness Resources for Post-Doctoral Research Fellows
Medical Services
Rutgers Student Health takes a comprehensive approach to health and wellness, offering medical services that include preventative, routine, and immediate medical care as well as writing/filling prescriptions. If you are experiencing a medical emergency, dial 911 or call Rutgers University Police Department (RUPD) at 848-932-7211. Rutgers Student Health is not an emergency medical center.
Explore the Wellness Calendar
The Wellness Calendar is your connection to events and activities hosted by our vibrant Rutgers community of students, staff, and faculty. With something for everyone, the Wellness Calendar supports the 8 Dimensions that keep us well. Submit an event
Scarlet Arts Rx
The Rutgers–New Brunswick Chancellor’s Office is supporting Scarlet Arts Rx, a collaborative arts and well-being program developed and run by Mason Gross School of The Arts (MGSA) and the Graduate School of Applied and Professional Psychology (GSAPP). The program is designed to expand students access to arts activities and events and promote student awareness of the association between the arts and wellness. Students will cultivate the habit of using the arts as a tool to manage stress. Research consistently shows that participation in the arts (e.g., music, dance, theater, visual arts, and observing art in nature) is associated with lower levels of stress, anxiety, and depression. Arts activities can also have a positive impact on sense of joy, empathy, belonging, self-confidence, and achievement.
Rutgers–New Brunswick students who participate in Scarlet Arts RX receive:
- Free, reserved MGSA box office tickets to on-campus music, theater, and dance performances, as long as supplies last.
- Recommendations for arts events and activities across campus.
- Access to special arts resources developed for Scarlet Arts Rx.
- Opportunities to connect with Rutgers students, staff, and faculty.
- Students who attend an arts activity and complete a feedback form are entered into a monthly drawing for a chance to win a $50 gift card and other prizes.
Who is eligible?
- All Rutgers–New Brunswick students (undergraduate, graduate, part-time, full-time, etc.)
How can I sign-up?
You can “self-refer” and sign up on your own, or someone can refer you (e.g., a clinician, resident advisor, or faculty).
- Sign up today to receive campuswide arts activity recommendations and start earning rewards.
- View more information
- If you have any questions, please contact Peichi Waite at pw337@mgsa.rutgers.edu.
Do I have to complete the activities recommended to me or can I search for and complete other activities?
- You are welcome to identify activities that appeal to you on your own.
- You can search for activities at Rutgers such as art, craft, music, dance, or yoga.
- You can also visit the MGSA calendar to look for events (some are ticketed, and others are not)
Scarlet Arts Rx looks forward to making your experience at Rutgers–New Brunswick a healthier and happier one!
Arts and Well-being Collaborative Events
We collaborate widely with Rutgers–New Brunswick student organizations and university departments to offer free arts and well-being activities. Many students have benefitted from this service. Please email Peichi Waite at pw337@mgsa.rutgers.edu if interested.
Arts and Well-being Walking Map
Scarlet Arts Rx has also created an arts and well-being walking map of the Rutgers–New Brunswick campus and surrounding communities. Plan to visit some of these scenic and inspirational art and nature spots, either on your own or with peers.
Peer Support
Peer support involves mutual assistance and sharing of knowledge, experiences, and emotional support among individuals with similar roles or life experiences. Peer support relies on reciprocity, empathy, and shared understanding, fostering a sense of community and reducing feelings of isolation.
Benefits of Peer Support:
- Fosters a sense of belonging and community, reducing feelings of isolation, and promoting a collaborative work-academic environment.
- Helps people to cope with the emotional demands of their roles by providing a safe space to share feelings, reduce stress, and preventing burnout.
- Receive empathy and understanding from peers who face similar challenges, fostering a supportive community.
- Builds resilience by normalizing stress responses and providing strategies for managing stress.
- Links to mental health and wellness resources.
ScarletWell staff is available to help faculty, students, or staff working in similar positions to come together and form Peer Support Groups and become trained Peer Supporters through training and technical support to create Peer Support groups that promote connection and enhance overall wellness.
Peer Support Training: Attend a 3-hour training to learn effective peer support skills, including active listening, empathy, wellness self-care, and confidentiality.
Meetings and Activities: After the training, attend 9 mentoring sessions to build and refine skills. These meetings offer opportunities to share experiences, provide one another support, and gain access to self-care, mental health, and wellness resources. ScarletWell staff initially facilitates the sessions and mentors trained peer supporters to facilitate support groups themselves as often as they wish.
People who complete the training and mentoring sessions become eligible for a Peer Support Micro credential.
To learn more about starting a Peer Support group contact Peggy Swarbrick at swarbrma@rutgers.edu.