WV higher education office awards grants that support student mental health programs across state campuses
CHARLESTON, W.Va. – West Virginia’s Higher Education Policy Commission and Community and Technical College System are awarding nearly $60,000 in grants to improve student mental health at colleges and universities across the state. And, to further support institutions and students studying in health and human services fields, the agencies are planning a Mental Health Summit on Nov. 2 for students pursuing degrees in healthcare and behavioral health.
“We know that student wellness is a core component of student achievement,” said Dr. Sarah Armstrong Tucker, West Virginia’s Chancellor of Higher Education. “Through these grants and this training, we hope to better support our campuses and their students in treating mental health care as fundamental to personal and academic success.”
This year’s Campus Mental Health Grants will fund projects including a virtual peer support app, suicide prevention and crisis intervention training for faculty and students, increased availability of mental health and wellness presentations for students, and the creation of wellness and meditation spaces on campuses.
The following institutions received grants ranging from $4,000 to $5,000 for their projects:
- Concord University – CU Go On
- Eastern Community and Technical College – Human Wellbeing
- Fairmont State University – The Falcon Mental Health Awareness Program
- Glenville State College – Glenville State College Counseling Center 2021-2022 Initiative
- New River Community and Technical College – Motivational Interviewing Training and QPR Gatekeeper Trainer Certification
- West Virginia Northern Community College – Stress & Mental Health Awareness via WellConnect
- Pierpont Community & Technical College – Campus-Wide Mental Health Initiative
- Shepherd University – Material Support for Campus Mental Health
- West Virginia State University Research and Development Corp. – Behavior Intervention Team Development and Training
- West Virginia University School of Social Work – Mental Health First Aid Training Project
- West Virginia University/Potomac State College – Catamount Creative Expressions Initiative
- West Virginia University – Institute of Technology – WVU Tech University Hall Affinity Space
Grantees are encouraged to partner with campus and community-based resources including health centers, counseling centers, counseling, psychology, social work or other human services academic departments, regional prevention lead organizations, recovery support, and community mental health agencies to increase the reach of their projects.
There is no cost for health sciences and human services students to attend the upcoming Mental Health Summit. Registration is now open at https://www.eventbrite.com/e/mental-health-summit-for-health-sciences-and-human-services-students-tickets-164995440805.
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