Mini Grant

Marissa Muelken

T. Shafer

October 31, 2016

Mental Health America Screening

Statement of Purpose: The intent of Mental Health America (MHA) Screening to Supports is to understand and learn about yours or others mental health illnesses to ensure you stay mentally healthy. Screening can test for depression, anxiety, bipolar disorder, post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), alcohol and substance use, early psychosis, work health, along with youth-focused and parent focused screens. Along with this, more counselors will be staffed to help college students with anything they are struggling with.

Rationale: Many things are becoming new to students when they first enter college. They are making new friends, getting a new load of school work, and realizing that life on their own is much different than it was living back home. Along with these many new things, students are learning a lot about themselves and growing up too. With that, sometimes a mental shift occurs and they may not even realize they could be living with a mental illness. That is why Mental Health America provides screening in their program, Screening to Supports and also why St. Cloud State University (SCSU) needs it on campus along with counselors to talk with. Screening can take place online or in the clinic setting in which they get immediate results, education, and resources. Of 3,000 screens done through this program, 74 percent score moderate to severe, but of those, 68 percent have never been diagnosed ( Having readily available counselors will also be extremely helpful to those who may find they have been diagnosed with a mental illness. These counselors can also help any other students who may need some guidance. This initiative is important so that everyone has an equal chance at optimal mental health.

Goal:Improve mental health treatment and prevention.

Objectives:

  1. Increase mental health screenings of college students by MHA screening by 20 percent by the start of September 2017.
  2. Bring certified crisis hotline or suicide prevention experts to SCSU to talk to the school about suicide prevention three separate times by September 2018.
  3. Increase the amount of SCSU students that receive help by 10 percent before May 2018.

Target Audience: Everyone is affected by mental illness whether first hand or through someone they know. More teenagers and young adults die from suicide than from all other medical illnesses combined (according to National Data on Campus Suicide and Depression). According to the National Alliance on Mental Illness, NAMI, one in four adults experience mental illness in a given year. That is why my target audience is males and females of any race or locations currently going to college. Not many people seek help, whether they know they have the illness or not, but by increasing screening and the resources available to these individuals, we can help.

Activities: The Counseling and Psychological Services (CAPS) will help promote screening at SCSU. The campus will be used for flyers to promote the new service and the Ritsche auditorium will be used to house any speakers that may come. This program will be implemented into the school and counselors will be available in the new center on campus created for mental health awareness, prevention, and help. Counselors will be hired to staff the center, with enough to accommodate the population at need (on a weekly/biweekly basis).

Expected Outcome:Through MHA screening and a staffed on-campus mental health center, mental illness will be lowered and the population in need will get the attention they deserve. Everyone will take a MHA screen before getting being able to enroll in classes to ensure health among all.