Skip to agency navigation
Skip to main content

Official website

of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania

    The .gov means it's official.

    Local, state, and federal government websites often end in .gov. Commonwealth of Pennsylvania government websites and email systems use "pennsylvania.gov" or "pa.gov" at the end of the address. Before sharing sensitive or personal information, make sure you're on an official state website. 
    PA EmpowerU

    Mental Health Resources for Institutional Leaders

    You are not alone, resources are available around the clock to connect you to someone who can help.

    Mental Health Resources for Students

    Thinking strategically about Mental Health

    • What supports are already on your campus and how can you scale them?
    • What does immediate, supportive care look like for a student or employee in crisis?
      • How can you decrease wait times to zero for those in immediate need?
    • Are you a Jed Campus? If not, how can you become one?
    • Do faculty list resources to the counseling center or mental health app on their syllabi?
    • Are there positions on campus that could or should be created to support students' mental health such as a counselor-in-residence?

    PA Cares Designation

    PA Cares was established by Act 110 of 2018 recognizing that institutions of higher education should have a clear suicide prevention plan on campus with guidelines to ensure resources are pushed out to learners on a regular basis. The Pennsylvania Department of Education designates institutions that meet established criteria and posts the plans to ensure and share best practices.

    PA CARES

    Mental Health Resources for Institutional Leaders

    Engaging State Policymakers to Support College Student Mental Health: A Resource Guide for Campus Leaders (PDF) - This toolkit is designed to equip institutional leaders, staff, and students with the knowledge and resources that are needed to advocate for increased state support and funding for college student mental health. While institutions have varying resources and data for advocacy, the toolkit provides communication guidance, relevant resources, and talking points for engaging with state policymakers.

    Jed Foundation - Jed was created to provide comprehensive mental health supports, information about substance misuse, and prevent suicide for high school and college students. Over 370 colleges with more than 4.8 million students are served by Jed. Jed Campus offers IHEs technical assistance to stand up mental health supports and programming for students. In 2020, the Jed Foundation produced a Jed Campus Impact Report which showed significant evidence of improvements across policy and access for students.

    NAMI (National Alliance on Mental Illness) Keystone Pennsylvania – NAMI Keystone PA is focused on improving the lives of children, adolescents, adults, and families affected by mental illness through recover-focused support, education, and advocacy.

    Mental Health First Aid is a training that can be provided to faculty, staff, and students that helps participants identify, understand, and respond to signs of mental illness and substance abuse disorders.

    Suicide Prevention

    The Higher Education Suicide Prevention Coalition (HESPC) is a collaborative organization aimed at developing and implementing strategies to reduce suicides on campus. There is an annual conference and monthly webinars on relevant campus topics. The organization also offers mini grants for campuses to get started on this important work.

    Special Populations

    The Steve Fund is dedicated to the mental health and emotional well-being of young people of color. Text STEVE to 741741 to access a culturally trained Crisis Text Line counselor.

    VA (Veteran's Affairs) Mental Health Services connects veterans to a variety of resources including posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD), psychological effects of military sexual trauma (MST), depression, grief, anxiety, and other needs.

    Youth Move PA is a statewide youth and young adult advocacy organization dedicated to eliminating stigma surrounding mental health while promoting wellness and recovery for those seeking aid along their journey. Staff consisting of certified peer specialist and other professionals dedicated to mental health and recovery provide supports, guidance, and opportunities to share in wellness opportunities for young adults.

    Reports

    The PA MASLOW K-16 Mental Health Summit (PDF), held in June 2024, addressed rising mental health challenges for students transitioning from K-12 to postsecondary education. The summit brought together traditional, full-time college students, K-12 educators, postsecondary representatives, and community partners for a day-long roundtable focused on understanding mental health support during this transition, identifying barriers, and discussing strategies to improve services and ensure consistent support for traditional students moving from high school to college.