Learning Community Member Portal
Please find descriptions and sign-up information for upcoming Trellis Foundation Postsecondary Mental Health & Wellbeing Learning Community activities and useful resources below.
A Special Thanks
To funder and Learning Community convener
Implementing a Framework to Support Students who are Parents (JED)
In 2021, JED co-authored a framework with Ascend at the Aspen Institute to improve the mental health of students who are parents. This was the first study to specifically focus on the mental health needs of parenting students, who make up nearly 20% of all students and are most likely to be women and students of color. In this session, JED will review the research findings from the study, the framework recommendations, and promising practices from campuses implementing new programming and support resources for students who are parents.
Time: 10am-12pm CST on March 20, 2024 (Virtual)
Target Audience: Any faculty or staff, particularly those that want to improve support services for students who are parents/caregiving students
Participant Cap: N/A
Attendees will receive a calendar hold for the workshop from Leilani Lamb at the Meadows Institute within seven days of registration.
Register OnlineProud & Thriving: JED’s Framework for Supporting LGBTQ+ Student Mental Health (JED)
The Proud & Thriving Framework was designed to equip high school, college, and university administrators and other key stakeholders with the data and resources they need to strengthen systems of support for LGBTQ+ students. Join this session to learn highlights from our research findings and our set of recommendations developed for colleges and universities to serve as a guide for creating affirming and supportive campus environments for LGBTQ+ students and their allies with the goal of leading to better mental health outcomes. We will also discuss promising practices of how the Proud & Thriving Framework has been implemented on campuses since it was released in 2021.
Time: 10am-12pm CST on January 17, 2024 (Virtual)
Target Audience: Any faculty or staff, particularly those that want to improve support services for LGBTQ+ students
Participant Cap: N/A
Attendees will receive a calendar hold for the workshop from Leilani Lamb at the Meadows Institute within seven days of registration.
Register OnlineUsing Data and Results to Motivate, Guide, and Focus Action Around Mental Health (Active Minds)
In order to make changes around mental health on campus, we need the data to inform our goals and support our claims. Join Active Minds’ research and evaluation team to learn best practices around gathering mental health data on your campus, presenting the data to key stakeholders, and using the data to make strategic changes that will improve the mental health of your students.
Time: 2pm CST on November 8, 2023 (Virtual)
Target Audience: Counseling center staff, health promotion staff, research and evaluation student affairs professionals.
Participant Cap: 20 participants per grantee. If your institution(s) have more than 20 participants interested, they will be added to a waitlist opened the week before the workshop on a first-come, first-served basis.
Attendees will receive a calendar hold for the workshop from Leilani Lamb at the Meadows Institute within seven days of registration.
Register OnlineTaking Care of Y(our)selves: Emotional Well-Being in College (Steve Fund, second offering)
This workshop will prepare college students with the knowledge of key issues that may take place during the college transition, including how systemic racism impacts their mental health and emotional well-being. Students will learn a holistic approach to understanding their health and well-being. Students will be able to identify their stressors and explore individual, campus, and community resources and strategies to manage their stress as well as to practice help-seeking behaviors.
Time: 12pm CST on October 17, 2023 (Virtual)
Target Audience: Recommended for first year or transfer college students
Participant Cap: 20 participants per grantee. If your institution(s) have more than 20 participants interested, they will be added to a waitlist opened the week before workshop on a first-come, first-served basis.
Attendees will receive a calendar hold for the workshop from Leilani Lamb at the Meadows Institute within seven days of registration.
Register OnlineValidate, Appreciate, Refer (VAR) Training: Active Minds’ Everyday Tool for Everyday Conversations (Active Minds)
The following Power of Parenting series is co-sponsored by the New York Life Foundation and the National Child Traumatic Stress Network. In partnership with researchers, clinicians, and individuals with lived experience, Dr. Julie Kaplow-Kline-Kline developed these resources to help parents and caregivers support children facing bereavement, including in the context of the pandemic.
Time: 2pm CST on August 9, 2023 (Virtual)
Target Audience: Staff who may be interested include counseling center staff, health promotion staff, student involvement staff, and other student affairs, professionals.
Participant Cap: N/A
Attendees will receive a calendar hold for the workshop from Leilani Lamb at the Meadows Institute within seven days of registration.
Register OnlineChampioning Student Voices through Peer Support, Student-Led Mental Health Initiatives, and More (Active Minds)
Peer support has been found to be a highly effective strategy for creating a mentally healthy campus culture. Currently, we know that 67% of young adults tell a friend or peer they are struggling before telling anyone else. Join Active Minds to learn how to use their model of peer-to-peer programming on your own campus, encouraging students to be the leaders in the movement for a better campus climate around mental health. A landmark longitudinal study conducted by the RAND Corporation demonstrated the power of Active Minds’ unique peer-to-peer approach to increase students’ mental health knowledge, attitudes, and help-seeking behaviors.
Time: 2pm CST on July 19, 2023 (Virtual)
Target Audience: Any campus staff or students. Staff who may be interested include counseling center staff, health promotion staff, student involvement staff, and other student affairs, professionals.
Participant Cap: N/A
Attendees will receive a calendar hold for the workshop from Leilani Lamb at the Meadows Institute within seven days of registration.
Register OnlineDeveloping a Postvention Protocol to Respond to a Campus Suicide (Jed Foundation)
JED is one of the co-authors of the Higher Education Mental Health Alliance’s Postvention: A Guide for Response to Suicide on College Campuses. In this session, JED will review best practices in developing and implementing postvention protocols to prepare for any suicide or sudden death that impacts the campus community.
Time: 10am-12pm CST on April 12, 2023 (Virtual)
Target Audience: Administrators, faculty, and staff involved in crisis management or response
Participant Cap: N/A
Attendees will receive a calendar hold for the workshop from Leilani Lamb at the Meadows Institute within seven days of registration.
Building Capacity as Leaders to Address the Mental Health of Students of Color: Diversity, Equity, & Inclusion (Steve Fund)
Students of color returning to campus in the midst of the COVID pandemic and racial upheaval challenge staff and faculty to revisit their commitment to creating a supportive campus environment. Participants will gain an understanding of the Equity in Mental Health Framework, an inclusive framework that can be used to assess, intervene, and evaluate efforts toward creating more equitable institutions. They will be able to describe elements of Trauma Informed Leadership, and Principles of Sustainable Leadership to develop practices and the action steps needed in their organization.
Time: 12pm CST on November 15, 2022 (Virtual)
Target Audience: Faculty/Staff
Participant Cap: 20 participants per grantee. If your institution(s) have more than 20 participants interested, they will be added to a waitlist opened the week before workshop on a first come, first served basis.
Attendees will receive a calendar hold for the workshop from Leilani Lamb at the Meadows Institute within seven days of registration.
Taking Care of Y(our)selves: Emotional Well-Being in College (Steve Fund)
This workshop will prepare college students with the knowledge of key issues that may take place during the college transition, including how systemic racism impacts their mental health and emotional well-being. Students will learn a holistic approach to understanding their health and well-being. Students will be able to identify their stressors and explore individual, campus, and community resources and strategies to manage their stress as well as to practice help-seeking behaviors.
Time: 12pm CST on February 15, 2023 (Virtual)
Target Audience: Faculty/Staff
Participant Cap: 20 participants per grantee. If your institution(s) have more than 20 participants interested, they will be added to a waitlist opened the week before workshop on a first-come, first-served basis.
Attendees will receive a calendar hold for the workshop from Leilani Lamb at the Meadows Institute within seven days of registration.
Inclusive and Equitable Institutional Policies for Mental Health (Active Minds)
Over the last decade, there has been a rise in mental health issues among youth and young adults. This rise has been even more pronounced among Black, Indigenous, and/or people of color (BIPOC) and LGBTQ+ young adults. BIPOC youth are more likely to be impacted by the pandemic and longstanding racial discrimination. Similarly, LGBTQ+ youth are more likely to experience discrimination, a lack of social support, and limited access to appropriate health care, all of which impact mental health. Experts predict that mental health challenges will continue to rise. Join Active Minds to learn how to evaluate if your institution’s policies around mental health are inclusive of diverse student groups and how to encourage and support students to lead inclusive and equitable mental health policy change efforts on your campus.
Time: 2pm CST on January 25, 2023 (Virtual)
Target Audience: Any campus staff (specifically counseling center staff, health promotion staff, diversity and inclusion office staff, and student affairs staff). Students are welcome as well.
Participant Cap: N/A
Attendees will receive a calendar hold for the workshop from Leilani Lamb at the Meadows Institute within seven days of registration.
Prioritizing the Mental Health and Emotional Well-Being of Students of Color in Policies, Practices, and Programming (Steve Fund)
Organizations and programs have been created to address the racial inequalities in the educational system and support students of color in the transition from high school to college and to ensure college success. This session will equip professional staff at these organizations and programs with the knowledge, resources, and strategies to identify and promote the mental health and emotional well-being of students of color across the organization’s policies, practices, and programming.
Time: 12pm CST on March 22, 2023 (Virtual)
Target Audience: Recommended for faculty and staff
Participant Cap: 20 participants per grantee. If your institution(s) have more than 20 participants interested, they will be added to a waitlist opened the week before workshop on a first-come, first-served basis.
Attendees will receive a calendar hold for the workshop from Leilani Lamb at the Meadows Institute within seven days of registration.
Register OnlineMember Resources
Resources from the Trellis Foundation, the Meadows Mental Health Policy Institute, and our national partners, The Jed Foundation, The Steve Fund, and Active Minds are added below as they are available.
Curriculum & Calendar
This handout includes an outline and calendar for the 18-month universal learning community curriculum.
Lessons from Black Colleges on Mental Health and Wellbeing
This guide from Active Minds and UNCF Institute for Capacity Building provides practical approaches for historically black colleges and universities (HBCUs) to support student belonging and mental health.
Establishing Healthy Campuses During Challenging Times
Active Minds compiled key findings from the five colleges and universities that received a Healthy Campus Award in 2022.
Six Considerations for Student Mental Health in Higher Education
This brief outlines six key areas related to student mental health that deserve more attention, and it offers leaders insights and guidance on how to best support the higher education ecosystem.
STEPS and SEATS Frameworks for Student Mobilization for Mental Health
Putting students front and center through student-led solutions is key to creating a culture and climate that supports mental health. Active Minds provides the SEATS and STEP frameworks to improve student mental health engagement. These frameworks offer structure to offering students a SEAT at the table and encouraging students to STEP up to lead the conversation on campus.
Critical Considerations Before Contracting with a Teletherapy Vendor
To meet the rising demand for mental health services on college campuses many colleges are turning to teletherapy. ACE (American Council on Education) offers a roadmap for campus leaders considering teletherapy providers and looking for ways to meet student demand for mental health supports.
What Works for Improving Mental Health in Higher Education?
There is a lack of clarity around what strategies are most effective at addressing mental health on college campuses. This brief from ACE (American Council on Education), in collaboration with The Hope Center and The Healthy Minds Network, provides key takeaways and recommendations to higher education leaders interested in making evidence-based investments in student mental health.
Education for Mental Health Toolkit
This toolkit was developed for academic staff, academic managers, university leaders and all those involved in the development and delivery of curriculum within higher education. It provides guidance and resources on curriculum design that includes mental health and wellbeing , and includes various case studies for embedding mental health in many degree programs and campus settings.
College Student Mental Health Action Toolkit on Mental Health Data & Statistics
This toolkit was developed for students by The Health Minds Network in partnership with Active Minds and The Jed Foundation (JED). The toolkit provides students with key data points and resources to help them advocate for policies, systems, and environmental changes that will improve mental health and well-being on their college campus.
Creating Communities of Care: Strategies to Support Faculty/Staff Well-Being
Slides from the Creating Communities of Care: Strategies to Support Faculty/Staff Well-Being presentation by The Jed Foundation during the 9/7 Learning Community kick-off.
Equity in Mental Health Framework
The Equity in Mental Health Framework (EMHF) by The Jed Foundation and The Steve Fund provides a model to guide colleges and universities in developing, implementing, and refining on-campus programs to support the emotional well-being and mental health of students of color.
Equity in Mental Health Framework Toolkit
This toolkit accompanies the Equity in Mental Health Framework (EMHF) by The Jed Foundation and The Steve Fund. The Framework, and corresponding online toolkit, provide recommendations and implementation strategies to support administrators, decision-makers, providers, and students in their campus based efforts to reduce mental illness stigma, increase support and proactive responsiveness, improve campus climate, and provide system-wide opportunities to help all students to thrive.
Supporting Graduate Student Mental Health and Well-being
A growing body of evidence indicates that mental health challenges are common among graduate students. Unfortunately, many barriers exist to effective support and care. A collaboration between the Council of Graduate Schools (CGS) and The Jed Foundation (JED), Supporting Mental Health and Well-being of Graduate Students was designed to address this gap by creating a foundation for evidence-based policies and programs to support graduate student mental health and well-being.
Framework for Developing Institutional Protocols for the Acutely Distressed or Suicidal College Student
In response to the lack of consensus among colleges and universities about what constitutes a comprehensive, campus-wide approach to managing the acutely distressed or suicidal student, The Jed Foundation held a roundtable discussion on November 18, 2005 that included senior college administrators, college counselors and other mental health practitioners, and attorneys specializing in college issues. The product of the roundtable, Framework for Developing Institutional Protocols for the Acutely Distressed or Suicidal College Student (Framework), provides college or university communities, regardless of their size, culture, and resources, with a list of issues to consider when drafting or revising protocols relating to the management of the student in acute distress or at risk for suicide.
Postvention: A Guide for Response to Suicide on College Campuses
This resource by the Higher Education Mental Health Alliance (HEMHA) is intended for use by colleges and universities that are affected by and/or want to be prepared for campus crises and campus deaths. Suicide postvention efforts address the need for predetermined strategies to effectively and sensitively respond to campus deaths after they occur. It is important to note that a good postvention plan can have a positive impact on prevention, as well.
Improving Mental Health of Student Parents: A Framework for Higher Education
In 2020, JED entered into a partnership with Ascend at the Aspen Institute to better understand the mental health needs of parenting students at undergraduate institutions across the country. Parenting students represent over 20% of the total undergraduate student population. The final output of the partnership is a framework and set of recommendations for administrators, faculty, and staff at institutions of higher learning to understand how they can better support the mental and emotional well-being of parenting students.
Proud & Thriving: Framework for Supporting the Mental Health of LGBTQ+ Students
The Proud & Thriving Project was a collaboration between The Jed Foundation (JED), The Consortium of Higher Education LGBT Resource Professionals, and a multi-disciplinary team of subject matter experts to develop a comprehensive framework that schools can utilize to strengthen systems of support for high school, college, and university LGBTQ+ students. The recommendations in this report can serve as a guide for creating affirming and supportive school environments for LGBTQ+ students and their allies.
Investing in Student Mental Health: Opportunities & benefits for College Leadership
This brief uses empirical evidence from college student populations and examples from college presidents to examine how higher education leadership can advocate for and invest in student mental health. To assist campus leaders in researching and advocating for additional investments in student mental health, Healthy Minds at the University of Michigan and Boston University has created a simple calculator for estimating the economic benefits.
Peer Programs in College Student Mental Health
This report from the Mary Christie Institute (MCI) on peer support in college settings uses expert interviews, a review of the literature, a new survey of counseling center directors, and case studies on well-known peer programs, to report on the history of peer support in college, the ways peer support is currently used on campuses, the benefits and drawbacks of common programs, and the student experiences that compel the field to move forward in strengthening this practice.
Oct. 2022 Workshop Slides: Strategic Implementation of Mental Health Training on College Campuses
Slide deck from The Jed Foundation’s October 2022 Trellis Foundation Learning Community workshop on the Strategic Implementation of Mental Health Training on College Campuses.
Oct. 2022 Workshop Resource: RED Folder — Recognize, Respond, Refer
A resource from The Jed Foundation’s October 2022 Trellis Foundation Learning Community workshop on the Strategic Implementation of Mental Health Training on College Campuses.