The Texas A&M University System Partners with Jed Foundation to Support Student Mental Health
BRYAN-COLLEGE STATION, Texas — The Texas A&M University System has partnered with the Jed Foundation to improve mental health, substance misuse and suicide prevention programs at all 11 universities in the system.
“About 75 percent of our students have indicated that they have great challenges in dealing with mental health as they go through college and trying to achieve the dream they have of obtaining a degree or moving on,” said Dr. James Hallmark, vice chancellor for academic affairs at The A&M System. “We are interested in our students’ success and think this partnership will help us better help them with their top three concerns which are anxiety, personal stress, and depression.”
By joining JED Campus, each university in The Texas A&M University System demonstrates a commitment to the emotional well-being of its students. JED Campuses embark on a multi-year strategic collaboration that not only assesses and enhances the work that is already being done but also helps create positive, lasting, systemic change in the campus community. The 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.
One campus, Texas A&M University-Commerce, has already successfully completed JED Campus program.
“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 believe that the implementation of a campus-wide approach to mental health will lead to safer, healthier communities, and likely greater student retention.”
Each campus’ membership in JED Campus begins with establishing an interdisciplinary, campus-wide team to assess, support and implement program, policy, and system improvements and completing a confidential, self-assessment survey on its mental health promotion, substance use, and suicide prevention efforts.
Upon completion of the assessment, JED subject matter experts provide schools with a comprehensive feedback report identifying successes and opportunities for enhancements. Over the course of four years, each campus in The Texas A&M University System will collaborate with JED to help implement enhancements. All self-assessment responses and feedback reports are confidential.
For more information about JED Campus, visit https://jedfoundation.org/our-work/higher-ed/
About The Texas A&M University System
The Texas A&M University System is one of the largest systems of higher education in the nation, with a budget of $7.3 billion. Through a statewide network of 11 universities, a comprehensive health science center, eight state agencies, and the Texas A&M-RELLIS campus, the Texas A&M System educates more than 157,000 students and makes more than 21 million additional educational contacts through service and outreach programs each year. System-wide, research and development expenditures exceed $1 billion and help drive the state’s economy.
Contact: Laylan Copelin
Vice Chancellor of Marketing and Communications
(979) 458-6425
(512) 289-2782 cell
lcopelin@tamus.edu