Monday, March 10, 2025
3/10/2025
"You Belong Here: Strengthening Mental Health & Well-Being at Widener University" will strengthen the University's infrastructure to support a comprehensive suicide prevention program for its 3,166 full-time undergraduate and graduate students on its Chester, PA campus. These services will include outreach and public education for students with mental health, suicide, and alcohol use disorders and provide information on accessing services to manage such challenges. The program will also provide tiered training on identifying and making service referrals for students with mental health and substance use problems. Extra attention will be given to first-year, first-generation (FY/FG) students who have shown particular need on Widener's campus in recent years. Students will be heavily engaged in Widener's programming, including using undergraduates as mental health ambassadors to conduct outreach and basic education and students from Widener's MSW and PsyD graduate programs to provide psychoeducational programming and screening students for mental health and substance use problems. The following goals and objectives have been established for the program. Goal 1: Develop a comprehensive, coordinated, community approach to service delivery and programming. Objectives: (1.1) Hire a qualified project coordinator (PC) to oversee of Widener's GLS program. (1.2) A coordinating committee of internal and external stakeholders (the Mental Health Community Advisory Committee [MHCAC]) will be developed. (1.3) MHCAC members will be better informed on resources and best practices for serving students' mental health and substance use disorder needs. (1.4): MHCAC and the PC will deliver (1) updated protocols on crisis response, postvention, and lethal means and (2) clear referral mechanisms for students to access community services. Goal 2: Develop and deliver programming that considers and addresses the needs of first-year, first-generation (FY/FG) students. Objectives: (2.1) At least one mental health/substance use disorder public education activity per month will focus specifically on FY/FG students. (2.2) At least 45 (90%) student orientation leaders will be trained by peer educators in challenges facing FY/FG students. (2.3): At least two social media messages will be delivered each month to encourage help-seeking behavior specifically focused on FY/FG students (2.4) At least 50 students per semester will participate in voluntary mental health and substance use screening. Goal 3: Develop a multi-tiered educational program for Widener faculty, staff, and students on identifying and responding to students' mental health and substance use disorder challenges. Objectives: (3.1) Intensive Question, Persuade, Refer (QPR) training, including train-the-trainer preparation, will be provided for two faculty or staff members each year. (3.2) On-campus QPR will be provided for five additional faculty each semester in Years 2 and 3 for a total of 20. (3.3) Training will be provided to 60 student leaders per semester on identifying and providing appropriate assistance for students facing mental health challenges. Goal 4: Institutionalize student engagement in mental health and substance abuse educational efforts through activities funded through this grant. Objectives: (4.1) Coordinate with the Breathe Board, the Student-Athlete Advisory Committee, and Active Minds to support them in their public education and advocacy efforts. (4.2) Fifty undergraduate student mental health ambassadors (MHAs) will be trained to assist in public education. (4.3) Twenty peer educators (graduate students from Widener’s MSW and PsyD programs) provide trainings, conduct screenings, and offer public education for undergraduates. (4.4) MHAs will facilitate public education efforts. Including outreach, public education, training, and screening, at least 2,000 students per semester will be served for a total of 6,000 throughout the grant period.
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).