OHIO begins next phase of JED Campus student mental health and well-being initiative

Ohio University recently began the next phase of its four-year strategic collaboration with JED Campus, helping the University build on existing programs and services to create positive, lasting systemic change in the areas of mental health and well-being. Through the JED Campus program, OHIO is provided with a framework for supporting student mental health, as well as assessment tools, feedback reports, a strategic plan and ongoing support from the JED Higher Education team.

During Summer 2025, OHIO’s JED campus team formed subcommittees that began meeting to implement the work of the strategic plan. This builds off of the previous work of assessing data based on the Healthy Minds survey from the fall 2024 semester.

Subcommittees include:

Environmental Safety

Co-Chairs: Kathy Fahl (Associate Vice President and Dean of Students) and Chris Owens (Director for Housing Capital and Facilities)

This team is conducting scans of physical spaces and policies. They will be working with a nationally recognized postvention specialist, Dr. Kurt Michael, to recommend strategic changes to strengthen protective factors in campus environments and institutional policies.

Gatekeeper Training

Co-Chairs: Ann Brandon (Associate Director of Prevention and Education) and Maureen Wagner (Assistant Dean for Student Services)

This group is bringing together a diverse group of faculty, staff and students to engage campus in suicide prevention and gatekeeper training, such as Bobcats Who Care and QPR (Question, Persuade, Refer).

To request Bobcats Who Care training, visit https://ohio.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_1B937YaUuIs8VcG.

To request QPR training, visit https://forms.office.com/pages/responsepage.aspx?id=B4Aw83xHcEqIiTRhGBfFWvVzOzoz0MdFgMjc8AkfMCpUMkE2OTZRSVVFVFBEMzZGNE1QVkVDWkNUTSQlQCN0PWcu&route=shorturl

Campaigns

Co-Chairs: Brooke Preston (Director of Creative Strategy) and Stephanie Maccombs-Hunter (Counseling and Psychological Services Assistant Director for Outreach and Consultation)

This subcommittee is promoting help-seeking among the OHIO community, fostering a shared responsibility for student's well-being, and educating on the connection between mental and physical health and academic success.

Program Inventory

Co-Chairs: Ashley Beatty-Smith (Assistant Dean for Retention and Graduation Initiatives) and Michelle Gorman (Campus Community Health Worker)

This team is creating an inventory of life skills and peer support programming on campus.

For programs that might fit either of these categories, please reach out to Hali Burleson at hb427212@ohio.edu.

Regional Higher Education

Co-Chairs: Carissa Anderson (Associate Vice Provost for Regional Higher Education and Partnerships) and Hali Burleson (Senior Project Manager and Planner of JED and Well-Being).

This group is implementing the OHIO JED Strategic Plan on regional campuses and bolstering pre-existing efforts focused on mental health and well-being.

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“We are off to a great start with our subcommittees. It’s amazing to see so many people across campus involved with JED,” said Senior Project Manager and Planner of JED and Well-Being Hali Burleson. “I am seeing campus really embrace the idea that we all have a part to play in supporting students’ mental health and well-being. As we move forward, our subcommittees will continue to strengthen this campus-wide safety net for students using a comprehensive approach to prevention.”

Ohio University joined JED Campus in fall of 2024. 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, as well as their systems to ensure that schools have the strongest possible mental health safety nets. Currently, nearly 500 campuses are engaged in the JED Campus program, reaching more than six million students in 44 states and the District of Columbia.

To learn more about JED Campus and Ohio University’s partnership with the organization, visit: https://www.ohio.edu/well-being/jed-campus.