How 24 Texas colleges transformed their systems for supporting student mental health and academic success
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As Cohort 2 of the Meadows Institute and Texas Success Center’s Minding College Minds program reaches completion, new opportunities to bring mental health and wellbeing supports to college campuses arise
August 6, 2026 – Student mental health remains a growing concern for colleges across the country. A recent study from the Healthy Minds Network indicated that among faculty and staff, 47% reported having one-on-one conversations with students about mental health in the past year, and 81% agree that student mental health problems are significantly worse now compared to when they began their careers. Some researchers estimate that up to 50% of college students will experience at least one mental health issue during their time at university.
In 2024, the Meadows Institute sought to address this growing need by launching the first-ever Minding College Minds® Learning Community for Texas community colleges, offered in partnership with the Texas Success Center. Through the program, the Meadows Institute worked alongside thirteen inaugural community colleges to develop a comprehensive postsecondary mental health action plan tailored to their specific campus needs.
Colleges that complete the year-long program will understand how to build a comprehensive mental health and wellbeing system using the Meadows Institute’s Minding College Minds Framework for Postsecondary Mental Health®. The learning community sparks innovation as members share resources, best practices, and creative solutions. Along the way, each college’s multidisciplinary team develops an action plan for supporting student mental health and success that is unique to their institution’s community and context.
The first cohort of colleges completed the learning community in June 2025, and as of August 2026, a second cohort of colleges has successfully implemented this framework on their campuses in ways that reflect the unique needs of their institution. Initiatives include campuswide faculty and staff training on recognizing and responding to signs of distress and improving how colleges respond to crises on campus.
These Minding College Minds institutions include:
- Vernon College
- Western Texas College
- El Paso Community College
- Dallas College
- Grayson College
- North Central Texas College
- Northeast Texas Community College
- Paris Junior College
- Tarrant County College District
- Hill College
- Temple College
- Austin Community College District
- Central Texas College
- Alamo Colleges
- Del Mar College
- Galveston College
- Houston Community College
- Lee College
- San Jacinto College
- Victoria College
- Trinity Valley Community College
- Kilgore College
- Laredo College
- South Texas College
Through both cohorts, over half a million students will benefit from systems that support their mental health, well-being, and academic success. As the Meadows Institute prepares for the second phase of the Minding College Minds initiative, we remain committed to supporting college students across the state and nation through comprehensive mental health approaches.
This initiative would not be possible without the generous support of the Texas Pioneer Foundation, Trellis Foundation, Greater Texas Foundation, Ascendium Education Philanthropy, and ECMC Foundation.
To learn more about Minding College Minds, visit https://mmhpi.org/mindingcollegeminds.
To get in touch with our team, please reach out to mindingcollegeminds@mmhpi.org.