Azusa Pacific University (APU) serves just over 9,000 undergraduate, graduate, and doctoral students annually. This project will enhance campus mental health infrastructure for a centralized system of data collection and outcome tracking, and create a more integrated and aligned protocol for screening, training, and linkages. APU will employ the National Standards for Culturally and Linguistically Appropriate Services (CLAS) to ensure the needs of vulnerable student populations are addressed throughout project planning and implementation. Approximately 3,000 individuals will be served annually.
Goal one is to increase APU capacity, awareness and skillset to identify, prevent, and respond to high risk behaviors that contribute to self-harm or substance abuse. Objective 1: Train 100% of all new faculty and staff on Safety in the Curricular Setting, and the emotional and psychological impact of virtual learning by September 29, 2022, and every year thereafter. Objective 2: Project staff, in collaboration with the Registrar Office, will use the EVERFI mental well-being curriculum to train 100% of APU incoming freshmen on resilience, self-care, and campus resource awareness, by December 15, 2023. Objective 3: Train 100% of APU students, faculty and staff on university protocol for identifying, preventing and responding to the high risk behaviors associated with self-harm or substance abuse by September 29, 2024. Objective 4: Project staff, in collaboration with the Provost Office, will distribute a minimum of 6 campus-wide wellness messages by September 29, 2024.
Goal two is to increase APU capacity for capturing and responding to high risk behaviors across campus by implementing aligned service integration and data collection systems. Objective 1: Project staff will train 100% of therapists at the University Counseling and Community Counseling Centers on conducting culturally sensitive psychosocial, substance use, and suicide risk assessments, by September 29, 2022, and every year thereafter. Objective 2: Project directors, in partnership with Campus Safety and Student Wellness, will develop and implement a centralized and accessible database system to capture student at-risk behavior and outcomes by September 29 2024.