Strategic Plan
Overview
Thank you for visiting our strategic plan page for JED (VCU). As we work to ensure that we are addressing mental health needs at VCU, we will continuously update our strategic plan below. You will find our below action items marked as (complete, in progress, not started or ongoing). If you have questions or would like to know how we are addressing certain areas of mental health please email us at jed@vcu.edu and we will post your question (anonymously) to our FAQ's page with our response.
Date Started: 11/12/18
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.
Objective 1: Ensure that emotional well-being is a campus wide responsibility
Action Plan:
Implement campus wide educational campaigns that promote shared responsibility for student emotional well-being.
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Ensure the campus community is aware of the JED Campus strategic plan and the work of the task force.
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Identify Resources.
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Develop and implement an assessment plan to evaluate the effectiveness of interventions or services implemented through the JED Campus Action Planning process.
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Develop and implement an Alcohol and Other Drug (AOD) Strategic Plan.
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Research the first year experience. (In Progress) |
Date Started: 11/12/18
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.
Objective 1: Teach students the skills necessary to cope with the stresses of college life, make wise lifestyle choices, and be academically successful.
Action Plan:
Offer or enhance programming and/or groups on (drop down: e.g. communication skills, identifying and regulating emotions/promoting resilience, managing finances, conflict resolution, bystander training programs, relationship skills, sexual harassment/relationship violence, stalking bullying, and/or hazing) (In Progress)
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The Wellness Resource Center has assembled a team to create a Wellness Strategic Plan. This plan will outline offering or enhancing programming. (sleep, exercise, nutrition, etc.) (In Progress)
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Implement campaigns to educate the campus community about the links between physical and emotional health and academic success. (In Progress)
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Date Started: 11/12/18
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.
Objective 1: Teach students the skills necessary to cope with the stresses of college life, make wise lifestyle choices, and be academically successful.
Action Plan:
Develop peer mentoring programming.
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Develop proactive Action Steps to help identify disconnected/isolated students: Students of color, Commuter students, Transfer students, Non-traditionally aged or returning students. (In Progress)
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Develop or enhance programs and activities to promote inclusion of disconnected/isolated students on campus. (In Progress)
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Date Started: 11/12/18
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.
Objective 1: Ensure incoming students with mental health and substance abuse histories are supported in their transition to college.
Objective 2: Provide robust screening opportunities at diverse touchpoints in the student experience.
Objective 3: Train campus community members to identify, reach out to, and refer students who may be struggling.
Action Plan:
Educate families of incoming students regarding mental health and substance use resources and services on campus. (Complete)
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Graduate and Professional Students: Identify which programs/services are available to graduate and professional students and where there are gaps. (In Progress)
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Direct message new incoming students who self-identify with mental health and/or substance use history about services and resources on campus prior to arrival. (In Progress) |
Request all new incoming students to submit a comprehensive medical history form including mental health and substance use history. (Complete) |
Develop proactive Action Steps to help identify disconnected/isolated students. (Complete)
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Implement screening/wellness days focused on substance use and common mental health issues on a regular basis. (Complete)
Undergraduate Students
Graduate Students
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Implement standardized screenings by health service clinicians at all primary care visits for substance use/misuse and common mental health problems. (Complete)
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Develop, expand, or strengthen gatekeeper-training program for relevant campus faculty and staff in identifying, reaching out to, and referring students who may be struggling. (In Progress)
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Train students to identify, reach out to, and refer their friends/peers who may be struggling with mental health or substance issues. (Complete)
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Date Started: 11/12/18
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.
Objective 1: Promote help-seeking behavior through destigmatization efforts and increased access to resource information.
Action Plan:
Ensure that counseling and health center websites are easily accessible for students. (Complete)
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Graduate and Professional Students: Identify which programs/services are available to graduate and professional students and where there are gaps. (Complete)
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Develop proactive Action Steps to help identify disconnected/isolated students. (Complete)
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Cross-reference/link counseling center, health services and health education websites. (Complete) |
Implement screening/wellness days focused on substance use and common mental health issues on a regular basis. (Complete)
Undergraduate Students. (Complete)
Graduate Students. (Complete)
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Implement standardized screenings by health service clinicians at all primary care visits for substance use/misuse and common mental health problems. (Complete)
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Develop, expand, or strengthen the gatekeeper-training program for relevant campus faculty and staff in identifying, reaching out to, and referring students who may be struggling. (Complete)
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Train students to identify, reach out to, and refer their friends/peers who may be struggling with mental health or substance issues. (Complete)
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Date Started: 11/12/18
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.
Objective 1: Ensure leave policies and protocols best support students in distress.
Objective 2: Establish systems, protocols and processes that best coordinate necessary care for students.
Objective 3: Expedite, increase, and ensure access to all necessary clinical care services, including after-hours care.
Objective 4: Ensure substance abuse policies and protocols best support students
Action Plan:
Develop/refine a written medical leave of absence policy that is consistent with JED Campus recommendations. (Complete)
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Develop/refine a written return from leave protocol that is consistent with JED Campus recommendations. (Complete) |
Develop/refine a written return from leave protocol that is consistent with JED campus recommendations. (Complete) |
Ensure that all leave policies are transparent and easily accessible to the campus community. (Complete) |
Establish a central office to administer all leaves. (Complete) |
Establish a system for coordination of care for shared patients between relevant campus service providers. (Complete)
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Train primary health care providers on campus to assess, treat, and refer if needed for basic mental health and substance abuse concerns. (Complete) |
Collect data on student utilization and incidents on campus related to mental health/substance abuse. (Complete) |
Develop or refine MOUs with local services. (Complete) |
Determine local resources & community providers. (Complete)
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Develop/refine a policy on alcohol and other drugs that is consistent with JED Campus recommendations. (Complete) |
Develop/refine protocols for responding to alcohol and drug overdoses that are consistent with JED Campus recommendations. (Complete) |
Publish all alcohol and other drug policies. (Complete) |
Implement messaging campaigns designed to educate students about the risks and dangers of opiate misuse, including the effects with other substances. (In Progress)
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Provide programs at orientation to educate new students about school policies regarding substance use. (Complete) |
Implement strategically timed messaging campaigns to remind students about the risks and consequences of substance use/misuse. (Complete) |
Develop/refine policies and protocols for prescription of opiates, tranquilizers (benzodiazepines and sleep medicines) and stimulants. (Complete) |
Avail emergency Naloxone doses to those at risk for overdose (as permitted by local law). (Ongoing)
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Date Started: 11/12/18
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.
Objective 1: Ensure an adequate and appropriate institutional response to student suicide, death, or other emergency.
Objective 2: Ensure that protocols are established for the reporting of, and follow-up for, emergency situations.
Action Plan:
Develop or refine postvention protocol to be consistent with the HEMHA (Higher Education Mental Health Alliance) guide. (Complete) |
Ensure postvention protocol is easily accessible to relevant campus constituents. (Complete) |
Convene annually to review/refine postvention response with relevant campus constituents. (Complete) |
Promote information about how to report/get help for an emergency for both daytime and after-hours. (Complete)
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Implement a case management system to help assure clinical follow up and continuity of care for student of concern. (Complete) |
Develop/refine a family notification policy to be used in emergency situation. (Complete) |
Date Started: 11/12/18
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 and 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.
Objective 1: Proactively minimize environmental risks for suicide.
Action Plan:
Conduct an annual campus environmental scan to identify and mitigate access to lethal means. (In Progress)
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Implement drug collection/drug return programs for prescription medications on campus. (Complete)
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