Harrisburg, PA – The Pennsylvania Department of Education (PDE) today recognized 11 postsecondary institutions across the Commonwealth for their commitment to preventing suicide and promoting mental health resources to learners. Since May, PDE has named 26 institutions of higher education PA CARES campuses for their work to ensure students have access to support and resources to stay safe, healthy, and well.
“Suicide is the second leading cause of death on America’s college campuses, a statistic that is sobering, tragic, and preventable,” said Acting Secretary of Education Dr. Carrie Rowe. “Pennsylvania’s PA CARES campuses are taking a proactive approach, rooted in compassion and humanity, to meaningfully engage with learners and empower them to not just live, but thrive.”
PA CARES, which stands for “Connect, Assess, Respond, Encourage, Support,” recognizes postsecondary institutions that have implemented Act 110 mental health and suicide prevention plans, enabling school staff to engage with the campus community and empowering students to seek help when they need it. This initiative furthers the efforts made by the Shapiro Administration to promote mental health in Pennsylvania’s school communities.
The newly designated colleges and universities include:
- Lebanon Valley College
- University of Pittsburgh
- Point Park College
- Bryn Mawr College
- Alvernia University
- Carnegie Mellon University
- Widener University
- Pennsylvania Highlands Community College
- Geisinger College of Health Sciences
- University of Pennsylvania
- Pennsylvania State University
Those 11 institutions join their peers that were recognized as PA CARES campuses at an event in May in Philadelphia: Northampton Community College, Moravian University, Lafayette College, Thomas Jefferson University, Harrisburg Area Community College, Delaware County Community College, Bucks County Community College, Lehigh Carbon Community College, Manor College, Temple University, Bucknell University, Community College of Beaver County, Pennsylvania College of Technology, Community College of Philadelphia, and Montgomery County Community College.
Since taking office, Governor Josh Shapiro has been committed to supporting mental health in schools across the Commonwealth. The Shapiro Administration delivered $200 million for student mental health supports and school safety and security in Pennsylvania’s K-12 schools – flexible funding administered by the Pennsylvania Commission on Crime & Delinquency to hire mental health counselors, provide other mental health resources to fit the needs of each unique school community, and invest in school safety and security.
Additionally, PDE recently launched PA EmpowerU, a statewide student-success and basic needs initiative is built around 8 keystones that represent the full spectrum of what students need to succeed, including financial stability, housing security, food access, transportation support, mental health and wellness, digital connectivity, safety and belonging, and adult and family support.
To become a PA CARES campus, postsecondary institutions must provide: contact information for national, state and local suicide prevention hotlines; crisis intervention services, including the address, telephone number, or any other contact information of individuals with training and experience in mental health issues who focus on suicide prevention; individuals with training and experience available on campus or remotely for students 24 hours a day, seven days a week; mental health services and access, including the necessary information to access mental health services, including, but not limited to, health promotion and wellness, student health and counseling, crisis services, local mental health providers and mental health clinics; multimedia access, including mental health and suicide warning signs, services available to individuals at no cost and available mental health and suicide prevention resources, which may include mobile applications; student communication plans that consist of outreach plans regarding, at a minimum, mental health services and suicide prevention; and post-intervention plans, including a process to create a strategic plan to communicate effectively with students, staff and parents after the loss of a student to suicide.
Institutions must also post the adopted plan on their website along with applicable free prevention materials or programs; provide all incoming students with the contact information for national, state, and local suicide prevention hotlines and crisis intervention services; transmit to each student by mail or email the contact information for national, state, and local suicide prevention hotlines and crisis intervention services no less than twice per calendar year; review and update the plan at least once annually; and submit a current copy of the plan to PDE by August 1 annually.
If you or someone you know needs help, text, call, or chat with the 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline.