JED Campus Designation Provides Fisher with Mental Health Resources

In 2019, St. John Fisher College launched a partnership with the Jed Foundation (JED) to engage in its four-year JED Campus program, bolstering resources and support for mental health services across campus.

The JED Foundation is a national nonprofit organization that aims to protect emotional health and prevent suicide among teens and young adults. The organization partners with high schools and colleges to strengthen their mental health, substance misuse, and suicide prevention programs and systems.

As a JED Campus, Fisher works with the JED team to assess the current programs in place at the College that respond to issues of mental health, substance abuse, and suicide prevention. A campus-wide task force, which is currently being developed, will work to gather student data through a Healthy Minds Survey in early spring. Data in hand, the College will then work with a JED campus advisor and the task force members to develop a campus-wide mental health strategic plan.

According to its website, a guiding principle for the organization is that “support for emotional well-being and prevention of suicide and serious substance misuse must be seen as a campus-wide responsibility.” Rebecca Kieffer, director of Fisher’s Health and Wellness Center, said that collaborating with JED offers ideas and materials for programming and educational resources that will elevate the ways in which the College helps students address issues of mental health.

“Our experience with the JED foundation thus far has been excellent,” added Kieffer. “COVID forced some unforeseen delays in this work but we are committed to staying on course with these efforts during this semester and beyond.”