Funding from the California State University Mental Health Partnership will help HSU’s Counseling & Psychological Services (CAPS) support and augment mental health services for students.
“We believe the impact from the grant will be significant,” explains CAPS Director Jennifer Sanford.
In addition to restructuring and improving the counseling facilities, CAPS will hire additional part-time clinicians to support the expansion of services throughout the duration of the grant. By 2021, CAPS hopes to add up to 36 student appointments per day to better serve HSU students.
While $25,000 of the grant is earmarked for an “innovative pilot project” for high-risk student services, some of the additional funds will support professional development to better service the campus community on suicide prevention, substance use, and eating disorders.
“With the pilot project funding, we plan to develop a comprehensive treatment program for our high-risk students who have been historically underserved in our county,” explains Sanford.
In years past, high-risk students with chronic mental health challenges have had to move out of the area to meet their healthcare needs. With the additional funding, CAPS will be better equipped to support high-risk students to succeed in their personal and academic lives through evidence-based practices of individual and group therapy.
“We also hope to impact HSU students beyond our clinical services by running anti-stigma campaigns across campus, marketing social and self-care activities, and providing tips for dealing with typical mental health challenges such as homesickness, stress, and anxiety,” explains Sanford.
In the effort to engage students across campus in positive mental healthcare, CAPS will also provide funding to support the launch of a student chapter of Active Minds. A national nonprofit organization, Active Minds works to change the conversation about mental health by fighting against stigma and advocating for mental health across college campuses. Active Minds currently impacts 7.3 million students nationwide through campus programs, training, and campaigns.
Overall, Sanford believes that the grant will greatly improve the health and wellbeing of HSU students. “We believe our expanded services will foster enhanced life satisfaction, improved relationships, and higher success rates in academic and career endeavors across the HSU student body.”