News at 4Cs

Cape Cod Community College Joins JED Campus to Support Student Mental Health

Thanks to a new grant obtained via the Tower Foundation, Cape Cod Community College has become the first community college in Massachusetts to partner with the JED Foundation on an initiative to improve mental health services on campus. The JED Campus program is designed to help schools evaluate and strengthen their mental health, substance misuse and suicide prevention programs and systems to ensure that schools have the strongest possible mental health safety nets.

By joining JED Campus, Cape Cod Community College has committed to the development of a multi-year strategic collaboration 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 ongoing support from the JED Campus team.

“Our goal is to provide effective supports to our students, and demonstrate that our commitment to them extends beyond academics. We acknowledge that student wellbeing is critical to success and we want them to feel that sense of genuine care when they are on our campus,” said Lauren Folloni, Director of Advising and Counseling for Cape Cod Community College. “We are excited to build on the good work we are already doing by utilizing the data and feedback available to us as a JED Campus.”

“Taking an institutional approach to supporting the mental health and wellbeing of our students is a critical priority on our campus,” said John Cox, President of Cape Cod Community College. “By building a community where student wellness permeates our work, both in and outside of the classroom, we create an environment where students, faculty, and staff can thrive. We are proud to be the first community college in Massachusetts to partner with the JED Foundation, and we look forward to the partnership.”

4Cs' membership in JED Campus began with establishing an interdisciplinary, campus-wide team to assess, support and implement program, policy, and system improvements and completing a confidential, self-assessment survey on its mental health promotion, substance abuse, and suicide prevention efforts. Upon completion of the assessment, JED Campus provides schools with a comprehensive feedback report identifying successes and opportunities for enhancements.

Over the course of four years, 4Cs will collaborate with JED to help implement enhancements. All self-assessment responses and feedback reports are confidential.

For more information about JED Campus, visit: www.jedcampus.org