Implementation Guide: Meeting the Escalating Demand for Campus Mental Health Services

Scope of care statements help students, families, and campus partners understand the goals and limitations of campus mental health services. Set upfront expectations about on-campus care and what concerns might require off-campus support.

Baylor University sends a letter to all incoming students detailing services available at their counseling center. The letter also invites students and families to learn more about campus services and off-campus referrals during orientation.

For students with an existing treatment plan, institutions can support their transitions to campus by prompting a conversation about available providers near campus. Students and families can use this worksheet to discuss insurance information and ensure continuity of care.

Use this audit to identify community agencies and local organizations with mental health care options for high-need students or special populations beyond the scope of the campus counseling center.

College and universities can create a database of local providers and what the services they offer. These databases make it easier for students and/or clinicians to find information about available off-campus resources and can streamline the referral process.

Create a wellness action plan like Rutger University’s to provide an overview of a student’s diagnosis, treatment goals, specific interventions, and expected outcomes.

Many campuses struggle with underutilized group therapy programs for a variety of reasons, including topic resonance and scheduling. Use this quick checklist to review your group therapy program’s topics and scheduling practices to ensure that you’re reaching the greatest number of students on campus.

The stepped care model allows institutions to map campus support services and mental health resources to students’ levels of need and risk. In this model, individual therapy is just one care option among a much larger suite of services, often ranging from online self-help to off-campus care.

Behavioral prescriptions personalize mental health care recommendations for individual students. Check out the form George Washington University clinicians use to recommend a range of resources and treatment options to students.

More colleges and universities are turning to apps, websites, and software platforms to support students’ mental health concerns. Use this quick guide to review some of the most commonly used platforms and tools in higher education.

The University of British Columbia (UBC) developed a self-help technologies evaluation protocol to systematically evaluate psychoeducational intervention technologies using a standardized process. Review UBC’s process and then use the included blank rubric to evaluate new technologies that you’re considering for your campus.