College of Western Idaho (CWI) has announced it has joined JED Campus in support of student well-being and mental health. The program is a nationwide initiative of The Jed Foundation (JED) designed to help schools evaluate and strengthen their mental health, substance misuse, and suicide prevention programs and systems to ensure that schools have the strongest possible mental health safety nets.
By joining JED Campus, CWI 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.
“We are excited to be working with The Jed Foundation to shine a light on such important issues, and we look forward to engaging the whole campus in supporting the mental health and success of all CWI students,” said Dean of Students, Chad Trisler.
“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.”
CWI’s 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, CWI will collaborate with JED to help implement enhancements. All self-assessment responses and feedback reports are confidential.
