Trellis Foundation Postsecondary Mental Health & Wellbeing Learning Community
This first-of-its-kind, two-year collaborative for innovative institutions of higher education in Texas is reshaping how they support student and staff mental health. Made possible by the Trellis Foundation, the Learning Community aims to improve student outcomes and increase understanding of mental health and well-being needs within participating institutions.
41%
college students over 18 experienced moderate to severe depression in 2021*
56%
college students do not know where to go if they need immediate mental health services**
Project Details
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
Learning Community Brief 1 of 3: Navigating the Mental Health Personnel Shortage
In the first of three 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.
Learning Community Brief 2 of 3: Supporting Postsecondary Mental Health and Wellbeing Through Partnership: Three Key Themes
In the second of three briefs highlighting this community’s work, we discuss how members have strategically leveraged partnerships to provide quality mental health and wellbeing supports.
Learning Community Brief 3 of 3: Key Learnings from the Trellis Foundation Postsecondary Mental Health and Wellbeing Learning Community
In the final brief in this series highlighting the 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.
The 2024 Trellis Foundation Higher Education Policy Summit featured this work as part of a larger conversation on Exploring Mental Health and Wellbeing as a Student Success Strategy. Key takeaways emphasized strategies that stakeholders can adopt at the national, state, and institutional levels.
Key Takeaways from the Learning Community’s 2023 In-Person Convening
The Trellis Foundation Postsecondary Mental Health and Wellbeing Learning Community convened in February 2023 to share lessons and innovations from the field. This recap outlines key themes that emerged during the event: resources, relationships, and vulnerability.
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.
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
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