Nearly half of college students nationwide say they experience depression and 38 percent have been diagnosed with anxiety. Over 80 percent say mental health difficulties have hurt their academic performance, while fully a third of college students have self-injured and a quarter have seriously considered suicide.
Student mental health and well-being are major concerns on college campuses everywhere. That’s why the Be Well initiative is a cornerstone of the current strategic plan at the College of Saint Benedict and Saint John’s University – part of a larger effort to shape a transformative student experience.
“We need to ensure our students have the support they need to thrive academically, socially and emotionally,” said Pam Bacon, Ph.D., associate provost and dean of the faculty at CSB and SJU. “By integrating comprehensive mental health resources, training and systemic changes, Be Well will enhance student resilience and emotional well-being, promote retention and ultimately improve graduation rates.”
To reach those goals, CSB and SJU recently announced a four-year partnership with JED Campus – a nationwide initiative of The Jed Foundation (JED) designed to help schools evaluate and strengthen their mental health, substance misuse and suicide prevention programs.
Currently, nearly 500 campuses are engaged in the JED Campus program, reaching more than six million students in 44 states, and the District of Columbia.
“The college years are the age when many mental health issues first manifest, and it can be a time of significant stress and pressure,” said John MacPhee, chief executive officer of JED. “JED Campus helps schools by working with them to evaluate what their college or university is doing to support student emotional health and well-being and find practical ways to augment these efforts in a comprehensive way.”
“We have long recognized the importance of student mental health and have implemented various supports like expanded counseling services, a team of professionals to support students who are struggling, enhanced student accessibility services support and proactive wellness programming,” said Jody Terhaar, dean of students at CSB.
Recently though, those existing resources have been stretched. Over the past five years, counseling appointments at CSB and SJU have nearly doubled. Campus data shows an increasing number of students struggling with emotional distress, difficulty managing responsibilities and mental health-related academic disruptions.
“We have strong systems in place,” Bacon said. “But there are key areas where we can enhance our impact. JED is the national leader in supporting college student mental health. As a JED Campus, we will take a data-driven, strategic look at both what we’re already doing and where we have the greatest opportunities for improvement.”
The JED Campus program provides schools with a framework for supporting student mental health, as well as assessment tools, feedback reports, a strategic plan and ongoing support from the JED Higher Education team.
The first steps for CSB and SJU with JED Campus will be establishing an interdisciplinary, campus-wide team to assess, support and implement program, policy and system improvements and completing a confidential self-assessment survey on the colleges’ mental health promotion, substance use and suicide prevention efforts. Once that assessment is complete, JED subject matter experts will provide a comprehensive feedback report identifying successes and opportunities for enhancements.
“This partnership is much more than just an advisory role – it’s a transformative, structured collaboration,” Bacon explained. “JED will guide us through a four-year strategic process that includes comprehensive data collection, campuswide assessments and targeted action plans. They will help us implement best practices across multiple areas, including life skills development, crisis management, faculty and staff training and student engagement.”
Terhaar sees big potential for student development across both campuses.
“The communication and coordination we develop over these four years will reshape how we approach student well-being for the future,” she said. “We’re going to ensure every student at CSB and SJU has the support, skills and resources they need to thrive.”