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East Tennessee State University is joining the JED Campus Fundamentals program to support student well-being and mental health.

The program is a nationwide initiative of The Jed Foundation (JED) designed to help schools evaluate and strengthen their mental health, substance misuse and suicide prevention programs to ensure that schools have the strongest possible mental health safety nets.

“The mental health and well-being of our students is a top priority. We are grateful to partner with JED to assess and refine our efforts to support our campus community,” said Dr. Michelle Byrd, ETSU dean of students and JED co-lead.

By joining JED Campus Fundamentals, ETSU demonstrates a commitment to the emotional well-being of its students. JED Campuses embark on a collaborative strategic planning process 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 support from the JED Higher Education team.

“The JED Campus Fundamentals process has an excellent reputation for leading to improved, aligned mental health, substance use disorder and suicide prevention services on campus. I am delighted to support this work and jointly lead the effort with Dean Byrd,” said Dr. Robert Pack, ETSU vice provost and JED co-lead.

ETSU’s membership in JED Campus Fundamentals begins with establishing an interdisciplinary, campuswide team to assess, support and implement program, policy and system improvements and completing a confidential, self-assessment survey on its mental health promotion and substance use and suicide prevention efforts.

Upon completion of the assessment, JED subject matter experts provide schools with a comprehensive feedback report identifying successes and opportunities for enhancements. Over the course of 18 months, ETSU will collaborate with JED to help implement enhancements. All self-assessment responses and feedback reports are confidential.

“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, CEO of JED.

“JED Campus helps schools by working with them to evaluate what their college or university is doing to support student emotional health and well-being and find practical ways to augment these efforts in a comprehensive way. We believe that the implementation of a campuswide approach to mental health will lead to safer, healthier communities, and likely greater student retention.”

For more information about the JED Campus Fundamentals program, visit https://jedfoundation.org/our-work/higher-ed/.