Walnut Creek, Calif., 30 May 2018 – NAFSA 2018 Annual Conference and Expo — Philadelphia, Pa. and Walnut Creek, Calif. — May 30, 2018 — Relation Insurance Services’ Senior Vice President for Client Relations, James Yankech, PhD, will be co-presenting at this year’s Annual NAFSA Conference & Expo in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania with Eating Recovery Center’s (ERC) National Collegiate Outreach Director, Casey Tallent, PhD, and Yu Yun Liu, PhD, a clinical counselor for the University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign. The session “Eating Disorders and Co-Occurring Concerns in International and Diverse Students” is the result of a working relationship between ERC and Relation Insurance Services that focuses on addressing the importance of eating disorders and other mental health issues on college campuses. Together, ERC and Relation have found that one demographic that may be particularly vulnerable is that of international and diverse students.

“Elements such as language barriers, a general lack of understanding regarding mental health, unawareness of access to health facilities, assumption of acculturative stress passing, as well as the fear of losing their student visa, may all contribute to eating disorders being missed in this particular student population,” said Casey Tallent, PhD, National Collegiate Outreach Director, Eating Recovery Center. “We work diligently to help colleges and universities identify signs and symptoms of eating disorders and co-occurring concerns and be able to develop policies and guidelines to support all students with these issues, including the often underserved international student population.”

“Teaming up with ERC gives Relation the opportunity to better educate our clients on how to support international and diverse students with eating disorders,” said James Yankech, PhD, Senior Vice President for Client Relations, Relation Insurance Services. “Considerations such as campus services, telehealth options, and insurance policies are critical for these students’ well-being.”
The session, “Eating Disorders and Co-Occurring Concerns in International and Diverse Students,” will address the following: 1) how schools can understand mental health concerns facing international students including eating disorders; 2) identifying the signs and symptoms of eating disorders and co-occurring concerns; and 3) developing the right policies and guidelines to support students with eating disorders and co-occurring concerns. The speakers will present case studies, along with viable solutions, as part of the presentation.

The NAFSA 2018 Annual Conference & Expo, “Diverse Voices, Shared Commitment.” will take place May 27-June 1, 2018, in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania at the Pennsylvania Convention Center. The event unites nearly 10,000 attendees each year from more than 3,500 institutions and organizations from more than 100 countries. Relation and ERC will present during the Global Partner Session on May 31 from 9:00 A.M. to 10:15 A.M. at the Pennsylvania Convention Center, Room 112B. For registration and for more information on the session, please follow this link.

About Relation Insurance Services

Relation Insurance Services, formerly Ascension Insurance, is a premier insurance broker that offers superior risk-management and benefits-consulting services through its family of brands across the U.S. It is ranked by Insurance Journal within the top 45 largest agencies in the country by revenue and has nearly 500 employees in more than 30 locations nationwide. Relation is a privately held corporation; alongside its private-equity partners, Parthenon Capital and Century Capital Management, the company expects to continue its strong growth trajectory through additional acquisitions and organic growth. Visit relationinsurance.com for more information.