News

Tess Carichner, a current Ph.D. student in the U-M School of Nursing, became involved in the Eisenberg Family Depression Center’s Peer-to-Peer Depression Awareness Program (P2P) during her freshman year at Saline High School in 2017. Her personal and academic interests involved the health care of individuals with disabilities, and she was interested in learning more about mental health.

The P2P program is based on the idea that mental health issues often start during the teenage years, and teens are more likely to talk to each other about their mental health than to adults. The program aims to reduce stigma, raise awareness, encourage asking for help, and promote early detection of depression, anxiety, and related issues by training teams of student volunteers and staff mentors to address these issues with teens.

“I've always had an interest in accessibility and health equity, but I wanted to become more well-rounded in my understanding of mental health and well-being,” she says. “P2P was a great way to do that, and to meet other people who were passionate about learning how to help yourself and help others.”

During her time in high school with P2P, Tess educated peers, became more familiar with mental health resources at her school, and even coordinated a large suicide hotline mural project. She says that the P2P experience helped her gain long-term, valuable skills that can be used to help others.

Continuing her advocacy in college

After high school, Tess was accepted to the University of Michigan, where she began to pursue a career in nursing. 

“What I learned in P2P was extremely applicable to my work in nursing school. Especially at my most recent clinical rotation at the Veterans Hospital. Veteran mental health and suicidality are really big issues. I even gained experience responding to really serious events related to suicide, and I feel like having been exposed to it in a controlled, educational way when I was younger made those experiences much less traumatic. I felt like I was able to take more action to help and be more comfortable, instead of just being shocked at what was happening.”

Tess has remained involved in the Center’s mental health programming throughout her time at U-M, serving on the Center's College Student Advisory Board, contributing to improvements to the Campus Mind Works website and programming, and promoting and attending the Mental Health on College Campuses Conference (MHCC).

“With my experience and interest in disability, one of the things that I did with Campus Mind Works was write a guide on how to request accommodations as a college student. Many people who had accommodation in high school either don't file for them in college, don't know how, or are hesitant to complete the process again. I think that we lose a lot of smart students who can contribute great things and have great potential, but have trouble being successful because they aren't properly supported in college,” says Tess. 

The guide outlines the specific details individuals may need to provide in an accommodation request, such as proof of diagnosis. Another important feature of the guide outlines skills for self-advocacy. 

“When you are a student in higher education who has a disability, whether it be physical, mental health, or neurodevelopmental, people don't expect you to be there. So, when you mention your disability or your accommodation needs, they might not understand why they are important and vital to your success. You do have to be able to communicate with clarity and confidence and know that this is something you deserve,” says Tess.

Taking the stage at MHCC

In 2025, Tess was invited to present at MHCC. The annual conference brings together higher education and mental health professionals and students from across the nation to discuss recent research and advances in understanding mental illnesses among college students. 

Her session centered on an anthology she created, featuring essays, visual art, poems, and other works by 20 students with disabilities at the University of Michigan. The diverse collection of work describes the experiences of disabled students related to accessibility, digital media, and technology. “I wanted to make the anthology so that when students look up disability at the University of Michigan, they can find out what it’s like to be disabled at the University.”

Three of the contributing artists presented their pieces, and Tess presented on disability culture at the University, underscoring the importance of representation. “What I wanted people to take away from the presentation was how to engage with disabled students in a way that is accessible to them, and to consider all aspects of accessibility," says Tess.

Going from a P2P student to leading a session at MHCC felt like a full-circle moment, she says.

“I looked out into the audience, and I saw the CAPS embedded counselor from the School of Nursing, I saw a doctor from the VA that I've worked with before, and I also saw a bunch of people whom I've never seen in my life! I felt proud because I had helped promote this conference in the past, and the next year I was a panelist. And this year, I led a 75-minute session! So, it did feel kind of full circle in a way, because the investment that I made in high school with P2P has come back around, and now here I am, in a career, in a position to share research about inclusion and mental health.”