NORFOLK, Neb. – Northeast Community College has joined a national effort in support of student well-being and mental health. The program is a nationwide initiative of The Jed Foundation (JED) that is 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, Northeast 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 Campus team.
“I’m thrilled Northeast Community College is partnering with the JED Foundation to develop campus-wide systems, programs and policies to support mental health and prevent substance abuse and suicide,” said Stephanie Brundieck, Northeast counselor. “There couldn’t be a better time for this. We join two other colleges in Nebraska and over 200 campuses across the country in creating more intentional efforts around mental health, substance abuse and suicide prevention.”
“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, executive director of JED. “JED Campus helps schools by working with them to survey everything their 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.”
Northeast’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 abuse, and suicide prevention efforts. Upon completion of the assessment, JED Campus clinicians provide schools with a comprehensive feedback report identifying successes and opportunities for enhancements. Over the course of four years, Northeast Community College will collaborate with JED to help implement enhancements. All self-assessment responses and feedback reports are confidential.
For more information about JED Campus, visit jedcampus.org.
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