More Aware
The Center's Garret Lee Smith Campus Suicide Prevention Project ended on September 30th, 2024. The mental health awareness trainings offered through this grant (i.e., MHFA, QPR, AID) will be limited, or will no longer be available after this date.
Kent State University's College of Public Health received a three-year $306,000 federal grant in 2018 and again in 2021 to be used for suicide prevention and to address other student mental health needs. The Garrett Lee Smith Campus Suicide Prevention Grant funds the More Aware initiative.
The More Aware initiative was a comprehensive, collaborative, innovative, and unified approach to improving student mental health and wellness across the Kent State University (KSU) eight-campus system. The defining features of this initiative included evidence-based gatekeeper trainings, mental health screenings, and peer-led wellness programs and educational campaigns, designed for students, including those most at-risk.
The More Aware initiative focused on five key areas.
1. Infrastructure: The initiative involved collaboration with campus and community stakeholders to support a comprehensive and coordinated infrastructure to expand and enhance mental health services and programming, increase help-seeking behavior, and reduce negative attitudes related to mental illness.
2. Gatekeeper Training: The initiative offered comprehensive gatekeeper options for students, faculty, and staff: A.I.D., Kognito, Mental Health First Aid, QPR, and V-A-R.
3. Mental Health Screening: The initiative involved the promotion of online/in-person mental and substance abuse screenings and the distribution of mental health and substance use educational materials at in-person screenings.
4. Awareness of Mental Health Services: The initiative involved working closely with the Division of Student Affairs, KSU CARES Center, and other campus partners to unify mental health promotional efforts and ensure the print and social media campaign is appropriate for all students. Hear to Help, a campaign that identifies those who have taken a gatekeeper training, is being marketed across campuses and made available to other institutions.
5. Disseminate Educational Materials: U Goods, peer-led programs designed to enhance mental wellness, increase resilience, and improve coping strategies, were held throughout the grant-funded project. U Goods have since been manualized and are available to other institutions. Additionally, peer mentors were used to educate and connect students to resources on mental health and substance use disorders.