As a testament to its commitment to supporting all dimensions of student wellness, the University of Northern Iowa has been awarded a federal grant to build on its already strong foundation of mental health services.

The $306,000 Garrett Lee Smith Suicide Prevention grant will be distributed over the next three years to support the UNI Student Health and Well-Being’s "Enhancing the Culture of Care" project which will expand suicide prevention efforts, enhance substance abuse prevention and intervention and increase mental health awareness and care for students of color on campus.

“This grant is only awarded to universities, colleges and community colleges to help raise awareness of the signs and symptoms of suicide and also to promote the reduction of risk factors that are associated with suicide,” said Shelley O’Connell, assistant vice president and executive director of Student Health and Well-Being.

Some of these risk factors include:

• Social isolation or lack/loss of relationships
• Alcohol and drug use
• Increased anxiety (School, work, financial, social, etc.)
• A history of depression, mental illness and/or trauma
• A lack of access to healthcare/mental health services
• Stigma related to mental health, seeking help, violence, and/or discrimination/marginalization

(Source: Center for Disease Control and Prevention)

O’Connell said the grant money will allow UNI to hire a Health and Well-Being Coordinator who will build a mental health ally network and infrastructure among students, faculty and staff by training them on suicide prevention, substance abuse prevention, and mental health awareness, as well as broadly distribute information regarding mental health and suicide prevention resources to students, faculty, and staff.

Training will be especially important for individuals O’Connell referred to as “key responders,” such as Student Life Division staff, housing department staff — including resident assistants — and any peer educators and mentors on campus.

The grant will also allow UNI to contract with a substance abuse counselor to administer services at no cost to students while also distributing resources to increase awareness of substance use issues among students and staff.

Additionally, O’Connell said Student Wellness Services will partner with the Office of Diversity, Inclusion and Social Justice to develop and implement “culturally competent” programming to support student mental health by launching groups to provide psychological education, encouragement, connection and support to students of color on campus.

With the expansion of mental health and substance abuse prevention training and resources, Angela Meeter, associate director of Student Health and Wellness, said they hope to reach and serve a minimum of 3,000 students and provide suicide prevention, mental health and substance abuse prevention training to 300 or more faculty and/or staff annually for a total of 3,300 people served each year.

The grant, she said, will be key in UNI’s continuing efforts to better support its students' mental health needs, and in training faculty and staff to recognize when students are struggling with mental health and/or substance abuse issues.

“This grant is really important, not only because it will allow us to expand the services we offer, but also because it includes this substance use component,” Meeter said. “Data over the past several years indicates there has been a significant increase in substance use issues among students, and especially amidst the increased stress caused by pandemic. So I am really glad this grant will help us meet that need, and I am also really proud that there is also this focus on multiculturalism and inclusivity.”

UNI currently offers a variety of wellness services including wellness coaching, as well as counseling services and access to psychiatric services. UNI also offers some training for faculty and staff so they can spot indicators that a student may be struggling with mental health issues, which would be expanded thanks to the grant funding.

This is the second time UNI has been awarded Garrett Lee Smith Suicide Prevention grant. The first grant, which came in 2017, was awarded in support of UNI’s “Creating a Culture of Care” project. This second grant will build upon and enhance the framework that was created with the first grant.

“We want students to know that we care and we're here for you,” Meeter said. “We want our students to feel like they belong here, and we are here to support them in any way that we can. I hope this grant helps faculty too, because they are often the first responders when it comes to  student concerns, so we want to make sure our faculty and staff feel prepared to support our students and make sure they know they are not alone.”

Contact:
Shelley O’Connell, Assistant Vice President & Executive Director, Student Health & Well-being, shelley.oconnell@uni.edu, 319-273-7224