UPNVJ Public Relations — Veteran National Development University Jakarta (UPNVJ) held its 2026 Guidance and Counseling Training on June 17–19, 2026, at Teduh Simatupang, South Jakarta. Featuring speakers from the Pulih Foundation, this activity equipped UPNVJ's permanent lecturers with basic counseling knowledge and skills to enable them to provide initial support to students facing academic, social, financial, and psychological challenges.
This training is UPNVJ's step toward building a campus environment that supports mental health and emotional well-being. Lecturers are not intended to replace psychologists or psychiatrists, but are prepared to serve as first-line advocates, able to listen empathetically, recognize signs of psychological problems, and connect students with professionals when needed.
This program, organized by the Student Affairs and Cooperation Division of the Academic, Student Affairs, and Cooperation Bureau (AKK) of UPNVJ, also aims to establish a responsive and empathetic team of counselors in each faculty. The presence of counselors is expected to make mentoring services more accessible to students and expedite the handling of situations requiring special attention.

During the training, participants gain an understanding of the basic principles of counseling, active listening skills, empathetic communication, early detection of psychological problems, and Psychological First Aid (PFA). They also learn about the limits of non-professional counselors' authority to ensure each case is handled appropriately, ethically, and responsibly.
In addition to enhancing faculty capacity, this activity aims to establish an integrated referral system for handling psychological crises within UPNVJ. Through this system, counselors can identify students' needs and determine follow-up, ranging from basic support to referrals to psychologists, psychiatrists, hospitals, or professional service institutions.

This training is a follow-up to the strengthening of UPNVJ's guidance and counseling services throughout 2026. In January 2026, UPNVJ planned to restructure the university-level Guidance and Counseling Team, provide service space, and collaborate with professional institutions to handle moderate to severe psychological cases.
This commitment was further strengthened through a collaboration between UPNVJ and the Pulih Foundation on March 12, 2026. The collaboration includes providing psychological counseling services and mental health support for students, lecturers, and educational staff. The meeting was attended by the founder of the Pulih Foundation, Dr. Livia Istania, and the Vice Rector for Student Affairs, Cooperation, and Information Systems of UPNVJ, Dr. dr. Ria Maria Theresa, Sp.KJ., MH.

According to Ria, "Through this training, UPNVJ strives to ensure that students do not face their problems alone. The presence of counselors in each faculty is expected to build a more caring, safe, and responsive campus culture, while maintaining confidentiality, dignity, and students' rights to receive appropriate support services," she explained.

This program also strengthens UPNVJ's policy of providing an educational process that focuses not only on academic achievement but also on students' psychological preparedness and quality of life. Strengthening the counselor team and referral system is a crucial part of building a healthy, inclusive campus that supports students' academic and personal development.