The University of Houston-Downtown (UHD) announced it recently joined JED Campus to assess and enhance services for mental health, substance misuse, and suicide prevention efforts over four years.

JED Campus is a nationwide initiative of the Jed Foundation, designed to provide schools with a multi-year collaboration for supporting student mental health, as well as assessment tools, feedback reports, a strategic plan, and ongoing support from the JED Higher Education team, according to a press release. There are currently over 400 campuses engaged in the 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 survey everything their college or university is doing to support their students’ emotional health 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.”

Joining JED Campus is the latest in UHD’s series of improvements in mental health care and services for its students, faculty, and staff, including restructuring its Counseling Services, the school says. In 2022, UHD received a grant from the Trellis Foundation to provide students with wraparound services to support their mental health. Last year, UHD offered more than 3,500 counseling sessions, and its Student Counseling Services and Office of Disability Services collaborated to train more than 150 faculty and staff members, including campus police, in Mental Health First Aid.

“Mental health struggles are non-discriminatory, affecting individuals of all ages and walks of life, on and off our campus,” said UHD President Loren J. Blanchard. “We are, therefore, vigilant in our efforts to de-stigmatize mental illness, increase access to care, and support ongoing learning. By joining JED campus, we at the University of Houston-Downtown are strengthening our mental health care efforts and working to ensure sustainability.”

UHD’s membership in JED Campus is led by Dr. Lisa Joyner, Vice President for Student Success and Student Life, and Dr. Toi Durham, Associate Professor and Director, Bachelor of Science in Nursing.

For more information about JED Campus, visit https://jedfoundation.org/our-work/higher-ed/.

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