The Trellis Foundation’s Mental Health and Wellbeing Learning Community is making a lasting impact on postsecondary mental health in Texas, thanks in large part to its groundbreaking three-part structure:
- Each cohort member receives grant funding to grow their unique mental health programming and support.
- Grantees then receive individualized technical assistance tailored to their needs from national and statewide partners, including the Meadows Mental Health Policy Institute, The Steve Fund, The Jed Foundation, and Active Minds.
- Finally, grantees participate in a two-year collaborative learning community focused on best practices in postsecondary mental health, including a thoughtful curriculum of workshops and intentional opportunities to connect across institutions.
Throughout the grant period, the Trellis Foundation, the Meadows Institute, and the grantees will disseminate learnings from the field to provide guidance and updates to other post-secondary institutions looking to implement similar strategies and programming in Texas and across the nation.
As the lead technical assistance provider and learning community convener, the Meadows Institute team will work closely with grantees to provide existing mental health resources and disseminate new key takeaways from the work as it develops. The Meadows Institute has convened learning communities across Texas on various topics related to mental health as part of its efforts to provide independent, nonpartisan, data-driven, and trusted policy and program guidance. The Institute’s partnership with the Trellis Foundation and the cohort grantees is part of its larger efforts to create equitable systems that allow all Texans to obtain effective, efficient behavioral health care when and where they need it.
The cohort will be further supported by national technical assistance providers and leaders in postsecondary mental health, including:
- The Jed Foundation, a nonprofit organization that works to protect emotional health and prevent suicide for our nation’s teens and young adults through their nationally recognized programming;
- Active Minds, a nonprofit organization that supports mental health awareness and education for young adults in more than 1,000 high schools, colleges, communities, and workplaces across the country;
- The Steve Fund, a nonprofit organization working to ensure that every student of color nationwide is fully supported by programs, services, and institutional cultures that value and promote their mental health and well-being.
Trellis Foundation Learning Community Members
- Alamo Colleges District
- Amarillo College & Panhandle Partnership
- Angelo State University
- Austin Community College & HHEMS Partnership
- Paul Quinn College
- Sam Houston State University
- San Jacinto College District
- Victoria College
- University of Houston Downtown
- University of Texas at Rio Grande Valley
Project Updates
August 1, 2023
Learning Community Brief 1 of 4: Navigating the Mental Health Personnel Shortage
In the first of four briefs highlighting this community’s work, we discuss how members have navigated the mental health personnel shortage and highlights targeted strategies counseling and student services staff can use to continue providing quality services amidst the shortage.
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April 11, 2024
Learning Community Brief 2 of 4: Supporting Postsecondary Mental Health and Wellbeing Through Partnership: Three Key Themes
In the second of four briefs highlighting this community’s work, we discuss how members have strategically leveraged partnerships to provide quality mental health and wellbeing supports.
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April 11, 2024
Learning Community Brief 3 of 4: Key Learnings from the Trellis Foundation Postsecondary Mental Health and Wellbeing Learning Community
In the third of four briefs highlighting this community’s work, we examine key learnings gleaned from each member’s efforts to implement mental health and wellbeing supports. Each takeaway is accompanied by a snapshot of the learning in action, demonstrating how institutions applied these learnings to their own unique settings.
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May 1, 2023
Key Takeaways from the Learning Community’s 2022 In-Person Convening
The Trellis Foundation Postsecondary Mental Health and Wellbeing Learning Community convened in February 2022 to share lessons and innovations from the field. This recap outlines key themes that emerged during the event: resources, relationships, and vulnerability.
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July 29, 2022
Trellis Foundation Announces 2022 Postsecondary Mental Health and Wellbeing Learning Community
The Trellis Foundation selects ten statewide higher education institutions to join a two-year learning community facilitated by the Meadows Institute and supported by national partners Active Minds, The Steve Fund, and The Jed Foundation.
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Participant Login
Trellis Foundation Learning Community members can access workshop sign-ups and additional resources through our secure members-only page:
Members Portal
Please find descriptions and sign-up information for upcoming Trellis Foundation Postsecondary Mental Health & Wellbeing Learning Community activities below, as well as resources from the Trellis Foundation, Meadows Institute, and our national partners, The Jed Foundation, The Steve Fund, and Active Minds.
In attempting to address mental health concerns, we acknowledge the interconnectedness of students’ basic needs and mental health and well-being and the role that mental health plays in ensuring students get to and through college.
– Kristin Boyer, Executive Director of the Trellis Foundation
