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JED Campus Information

Landmark College has joined the JED Campus program in support of student well-being and mental health.

What is JED Campus?

JED Campus is an initiative of the JED foundation designed to guide schools through a collaborative process of comprehensive systems, program and policy development with customized support to build upon existing student mental health, substance abuse and suicide prevention efforts. JED Campuses embark on a four-year strategic partnership with JED that not only assesses and enhances the work that is already being done, but helps to create positive, systemic change in the campus community.

How does it work?

JED Campus uses a well-developed and collaborative approach to assess and understand Landmark College’s programs, systems and challenges. After completing the initial assessment, the College received feedback and recommendations based on our responses and informed by student data gathered on our campus by the Healthy Minds Study.

JED Campus has worked with the College to develop a strategic plan for implementation over our four years in the program. While executing the strategic plan, the College is provided with ongoing support and technical assistance from a dedicated JED Campus Advisor. JED Campuses also have the opportunity to share information and resources with other schools in the program through the JED Campus Learning Community, which includes webinars, newsletters, and online resource center, and a discussion forum.

To learn more visit www.jedcampus.org.


JED Strategic Plan Approach

  • Strategic planning allows schools to anticipate and evaluate clinical and programming needs, examine how they deploy both personnel and financial resources to address challenges, coordinate efforts across campus, and evaluate programming effectiveness.

  • Supporting life skills education is valuable in teaching healthy ways to cope with the stress of college life. Some of the life skills that are important to a student’s well-being include managing friendships and relationships, problem-solving, decision making, identifying and managing emotions, healthy living, and finding the purpose, meaning, and identity.

  • Research has shown that loneliness and isolation are significant risk factors for mental health problems and/or suicidal behavior. Therefore, supportive social relationships and feeling connected to campus, family, and friends are protective factors that can help lower risk.

  • It is important to take action to identify students at risk for mental health problems and/or suicidal behavior, and also to promote emotional health awareness among those who interact with students the most—“gatekeepers” such as residence hall staff, academic advisors, faculty, and even fellow students—as it is vital for these people to be able to recognize and refer a student who might be in distress.

  • Many students who need help may be reluctant or unsure of how to seek it out. Obstacles to help-seeking include lack of awareness of mental health services, skepticism about the effectiveness of treatment, prejudices associated with mental illness, and uncertainty about costs or insurance coverage. Campuses should engage in a variety of activities designed to increase the likelihood that a student in need will seek help.

  • It is essential to offer accessible, consistent, and high-quality mental health services to students. To make mental health and substance abuse care more comprehensive, it should include strong and flexible services, adequate staffing levels and staff diversity reflective of the student population, flexibility in treatment approaches, and clinic hours that are reflective of student schedules. Since most college clinics are free, the length of treatment is often limited. Therefore, it is important that campus mental health services can assist students in finding off-campus resources that can provide long-term care if needed.

  • The campus should have access to a well-publicized, 24/7 crisis phone and/or chat line either through campus resources or local/national services. There should be a process in place to share information (as legally appropriate) between local ERs and school health and/or counseling services.

  • It has been well established that if the means to self-harm are removed or limited in an environment, it can prevent suicide and even limit accidental deaths. This is called “means restriction.” Limiting students’ access to weapons, poisonous chemicals, rooftops, windows, or other high places are all means restriction activities. Each campus should do an environmental scan for potential access to lethal or dangerous means.

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