Mental health is a growing concern in the U.S., especially on college campuses. According to a national survey of undergraduates from the American College Health Association in spring 2023, about 76% of students reported experiencing moderate to serious psychological distress. As these issues persist, the need for resources and care is critical.

Temple’s commitment to providing services, education and support for mental wellness has earned it designation as a Certified Suicide Prevention Institution of Higher Education in Pennsylvania. The university is one of just seven four-year colleges and universities in the commonwealth to receive this recognition.

To obtain this designation, a higher education institution must develop and implement a plan providing guidance to students and staff on mental health and suicide prevention resources on and off campus. Specifically, the plan includes components such as contact information for suicide prevention hotlines, crisis intervention services, mental health services and access, multimedia options such as mobile apps, student communication plans consisting of outreach, and post-intervention plans.

At Temple, the Health and Well-being Division leads these efforts to promote not only mental health but also physical and social wellness for all students, faculty and staff. In its holistic approach, the division brings together Student Health Services, Tuttleman Counseling Services, the Wellness Resource Center and Employee Health Services. This structure provides resources and services for a range of care including physical and sexual health, individual and group counseling, crisis support, and peer education, among others.

“Temple cares about its community, and we’re here for them,” said Mark Denys, associate vice provost of health and well-being. “We’re dedicated to letting students know all of the different services available to them and helping educate them on what to look for. It can be hard to know what the resources are when you need them. Knowing where to go to find the information is key. We communicate this information to students in many ways, including our Health and Well-being Division web page, tabling events, text messages, emails, and other in-person and virtual programs.

Recently, the division has launched new or expanded initiatives. Temple now has a website dedicated to suicide prevention. It includes information such as signs of distress, crisis and campus resources and postvention response. Additionally, as part of the Welcome to the Nest program for incoming students, an online learning module for mental health has been created called Nourish to Flourish. This 15-minute session introduces students to mental well-being campus resources and provides self-care information. Every new student is now also screened for depression in Student Health Services.

The division has begun QPR gatekeeper training, an emergency mental health intervention that teaches others how to recognize the warning signs of suicide and question, persuade and refer someone for help. More mental health first aid trainings for faculty and staff are offered as well. The division is also working to increase employee wellness, including launching a new section on TUportal highlighting well-being, offering self-defense workshops in partnership with the Department of Public Safety and providing access to the Welltrack app for self-directed therapy.

Other developments include a new counseling center at the Health Sciences Center and new programs at Tuttleman such as therapeutic yoga and Let’s Talk—informal drop-in consultations with counselors. These sessions are open in the Wellness Resource Center, International Student Affairs, IDEAL and Disabilities Resources and Services.

Temple is entering its third year as a JED Campus, further supporting student well-being and mental health. This national initiative centers on protecting emotional health and preventing suicide in teenagers and young adults in the U.S. JED partners with high schools and colleges to strengthen their mental health, substance misuse, and suicide prevention programs and systems. The four-year collaboration has garnered accomplishments such as completion of a campus assessment of the university’s mental health and well-being programming, creation of a campuswide JED team, distribution of a healthy minds student survey measuring mental health and a campus visit by JED staff.

Ultimately, the Health and Well-being Division strives to provide the best support and care possible. “We want taking care of your mental and emotional health to be second nature, just like getting a flu shot,” said Denys. “There are many ways besides counseling to alleviate stress, anxiety and depression including mindful eating, adequate sleep and exercise. We try to develop these skills in students so that they can use them for the rest of their lives to be the best version of themselves.”

Denys feels proud of the work the university has done so far. “We’re resilient. Our collaboration with Student Affairs and the Dean of Students Office is fantastic, and we have a robust and dedicated counseling center. Not all universities have the staffing we do. For the benchmark out there, we’re where we should be.”

Learn more about Temple’s resources and how to access them.