Wednesday, April 30, 2025
4/30/2025
Mental Health on Campus: An Essential Component for Success in Higher Education and Beyond - An Essential Component for Success in Higher Education and Beyond is our plan to implement Mental Health First Aid (MHFA) training at colleges and universities in the Chicago area. The population of focus will be students enrolled in higher education in the Chicago area. College and university students have unique stresses and risk factors related to the demands of school: balancing academic, social, and employment responsibilities while being independent and away from family, friends, and other supports — often for the first time. More than 75% of mental illnesses develop before age 24, making colleges ideal locations for early identification (National Alliance on Mental Illness). Mental Health First Aid training will help reduce the stigma surrounding mental illness in young adults and improve mental health literacy on college campuses. Ten project staff members from the Naomi Ruth Cohen Institute at The Chicago School for Professional Psychology will get certified as MHFA instructors in the Higher Education curriculum. These instructors will then deliver trainings at city and community colleges, four-year universities, and graduate schools throughout the Chicago area. We will recruit specific student personnel to complete the training who regularly interact with their peers in a school settings. We will also recruit other relevant personnel like faculty, academic advisors, or coaches. These training participants will learn to identify mental health concerns in students and refer them to treatment or self-help.
HHS’ Tracking Accountability in Government Grants System (TAGGS) website provides access to detailed descriptions of grants, loans, aggregated direct payments and other types of financial assistance awarded by the HHS Operating Divisions (OPDIVs) and the Office of the Secretary Staff Divisions (STAFFDIVs).