Effective University Mental Health Programs: Strategies for Campus Well-being

1. Six Model University-Based Mental HealthPrograms: What Will Work for Your Campus? Angela Andrade Disabilities Specialist Special Assistant to the Student Mental Health Committee UC Santa Barbara Andrade-a@sa.ucsb.edu

2. Workshop Overview • Model Programs • Small Group Discussions • Large Group Discussion • Small Group Discussions • Campus Needs • SMH Recommendations • Program Critiques

3. Six Model Programs • Columbia: Residence Halls-Based Counseling • Georgetown: Postvention Program • University of Illinois: Mandatory Suicide Assessment • University of Washington: Suicide Prevention Program • New York University: Mental Health Prevention Program • Syracuse University: Gatekeeper Training Program

4. Six Model Programs • Columbia: Residence Halls-Based Counseling • Georgetown: Postvention Program • University of Illinois: Mandatory Suicide Assessment • University of Washington: Suicide Prevention Program • New York University: Mental Health Prevention Program • Syracuse University: Gatekeeper Training Program

5. Residence Halls-Based Counseling

6. Residence Halls-Based Counseling • Six University Counselors--Two Residence Halls • Why? • Daily contact with students • Increased visibility of psychological services • Lowered barriers to care • Help-seeking behavior destigmatized

7. Residence Halls-Based Counseling • Role of Counselors • Drop in--no appointment necessary • 10 pm, 4 nights/week • Fully integrated into Residential Life • Resource for Residential Life staff, informal and increased access

8. Residence Halls-Based Counseling • Outcomes • 2004-5: 311 drop-ins; 119 new students • Ambivalent students sought counseling • Challenges in tracking students • Expanded to more halls

9. Postvention Program

10. Postvention Program • Model for post-crisis response • Why? • Begin healing process • Address broad impact on students • Coordinated campus response, led by an experienced team • Ever-improving model • Flexibility based on student need

11. Postvention Program • Community Support Meetings (CSMs) • Held where students are • Provide structure and consistency • Get students talking about events • Suggestions and support for survivors • Campus and Community resources

12. Postvention Program • CSM Team (Approx. 20) • Membership from across campus • Available on short notice • Assessment after each CSM • Monthly trainings

13. Postvention Program • Outcomes • Students feel taken care of • Administrators like having a protocol • Response leaders feel prepared

14. Mandatory Suicide Assessment Program

15. Mandatory Suicide Assessment Program • Requires 4 counseling sessions after a reported suicidal threat or attempt in order for the student to stay in school • Based on: • The premise that most students who attempt have not seen a counselor • The finding that for most completed suicides there was a public threat or previous attempt

16. Mandatory Suicide Assessment Program • From 1984 to 2006, 2000 students participated in mandatory counseling • One student declined counseling • No student in the program committed suicide while at UI

17. Mandatory Suicide Assessment Program • While the national suicide rate remained stable . . . • Suicide rates at UI from 1984-2003 did the following: • Declined 100% for females • Declined 44% for males • Declined 78% for undergraduates • Increased 62% for graduate students

18. Mandatory Suicide Assessment Program • Annual Program Costs • $10,000 Administration (Suicide Team) • $40,000 Assessment • $1.35 per enrolled student

19. Suicide Prevention Program

20. Suicide Prevention Program • Third year of pilot • Mandatory 4 sessions for reported suicidal gesture or threat • Mandatory reporters--SA and Res Life • Suicide team evaluates report • Senior staff member in Student Affairs office meets with student

21. Suicide Prevention Program • All students have accepted offer for counseling • Approx 10% were already in counseling • Estimated 20-30% continue with counseling • Most reports come from Res Life staff • Catches young people at risk for impulsive suicide, but may be missing graduate students and older students

22. NYU Mental Health Prevention Program

23. Jed Foundation’s Prescription for Prevention • Mental Health Service to: • Train providers • Refer cases • Institute procedures • Enhance accessibility • Do prevention & outreach • Means Restriction to: • Limit access to • potentially lethal means • Screening to: • ID high-risk students • Provide (determine) • campus landscape • Work proactively • Crisis Management to: • Establish policies/ • programs that respond to • suicidal/ high-risk behavior • Respond w/ comprehensive • postvention • Create interface between • disciplinary process/MHS • Life Skills Development to: • Improve students’ • management of rigors of • college life • Equip students with tools • to recognize and manage • stressors • Promote Mental Health Awareness & Well-Being & Prevent Suicide • Communication • Policies • Risk Surveillance • Leadership • Social Network • Promotion to: • Reduce isolation; • encourage belonging • Encourage development of • groups within larger • campus community • Education Programs to: • Train gatekeepers and • students to • Identify signs of • distress • Take steps for help • Train confidentiality/legal • Social Marketing to: • Stimulate cultural change to • de-stigmatize, remove • barriers, encourage help- • seeking behavior • Target high-risk & general pop

24. NYU Mental Health Prevention Program • Social marketing • Increased access to MH professionals • Crisis response

25. NYU Mental Health Prevention Program • Social Marketing • Interactive emails on MH issues-- GoalQuest • All newly enrolled students attend reality program highlighting MH issues • Produced by NYU actors/writers

26. NYU Mental Health Prevention Program • Increased Access to MH Professionals • Email access to a wellness social worker • 24-hour hotline staffed by NYU social workers by day and MH professionals from Protocol on nights and weekends • Walk-in hours during evenings and weekends

27. NYU Mental Health Prevention Program • Crisis Response • In-house mobile crisis team • Clinical social worker 24-hours/day • Face-to-face evaluations • Transportation to hospital if necessary

28. Gatekeeper Training Program

29. Gatekeeper Program • “Campus Connect,” original curriculum • Suicide prevention grant from Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration • Basic suicide statistics, facts, and warning signs

30. Gatekeeper Program • Importance of relationship with student • Prepare responders for the emotional intensity of a student crisis • Focus on listening and empathy • Experiential exercises (e.g., photo exercise)

31. Gatekeeper Program • Assessment of acquired skills to deal with a student in crisis • Pre- workshop: equivalent to first-year undergrad psychology major • Post-workshop: close to a master’s -level counselor • Value of experiential exercises

32. Six Model Programs • Columbia: Residence Halls-Based Counseling • Georgetown: Postvention Program • University of Illinois: Mandatory Suicide Assessment • University of Washington: Suicide Prevention Program • New York University: Mental Health Prevention Program (Jed Foundation) • Syracuse University: Gatekeeper Training Program

33. Creating Healthier Campus Communities:A Tiered Model for Improving Student Mental Health Tier 1 Critical Mental Health and Crisis Response Services Tier 2 Targeted Interventions Tier 3 Creating Healthy Learning Environments: A Comprehensive Approach to Prevention

34. Questions?Small-Group Breakout