With financial aid from the Jed Foundation (JED), the nation’s leading organization dedicated to young adult mental health, the University of Mary Washington will launch a four-year program of assessment and strategic planning to support students with mental health concerns.
The New York-based JED, a nonprofit founded by the parents of a young man who died by suicide, features a key component called JED Campus. JED Campus is a comprehensive public health approach to supporting the emotional well-being and success of college and university students by enhancing mental health and suicide prevention programs on campus.
An interdisciplinary UMW team will work in partnership with JED’s experts in program and policy development with customized support to build upon existing student mental health, substance misuse, and suicide prevention efforts. UMW will also administer the annual Healthy Minds survey to help better understand and support the emotional health of Mary Washington students.
UMW’s Vice President for Student Affairs Juliette Landphair said the grant is a huge boost for Mary Washington’s efforts in supporting students’ mental health and well being. “We are always looking for innovative ways to help our students thrive at UMW,” she said. “In higher education, JED is celebrated for its collaborative spirit and expertise, and we feel very fortunate for this opportunity to grow our resources even further with JED’s guidance.”
She added, “This work will support several tenets of UMW’s strategic vision, primarily the goal of inclusive excellence and adapting students to an age of accelerations.”
UMW joins a select nationwide list of about 250 JED campuses, including the College of William & Mary, George Mason University, VCU, Old Dominion University, and the University of Richmond.
