Goodwin will assess and enhance mental health, substance use, and suicide prevention efforts in partnership with the Jed Foundation.
On February 1, 2024, Goodwin University announced that it has joined the JED Campus Fundamentals program to support student well-being and mental health. The program is a nationwide initiative of The Jed Foundation (JED) designed to help schools evaluate and strengthen their mental health, substance misuse, and suicide prevention programs and systems to ensure that schools have the strongest possible mental health safety nets.
By joining JED Campus Fundamentals, Goodwin University demonstrates a commitment to the emotional well-being of its students. JED Campuses embark on a collaborative strategic planning process that not only assesses and enhances the work that is already being done but also helps create positive, lasting, systemic change in the campus community. The program provides schools with a framework for supporting student mental health, as well as assessment tools, feedback reports, a strategic plan, and support from the JED Higher Education team.
“Part of our mission at Goodwin University is to provide the support our students need to be able to successful in meeting their goals. The guiding principles of support for emotional well-being and emotional health are shared by everyone, and this partnership will strengthen our commitment to supporting our students and our community,” Kim McGinnis, Ed.D., Goodwin’s Dean of Students.
“The college years are the age when many mental health issues first manifest, and it can be a time of significant stress and pressure,” said John MacPhee, Chief Executive Officer of JED. “JED Campus helps schools by working with them to survey everything their college or university is doing to support their students’ emotional health and find practical ways to augment these efforts in a comprehensive way. We believe that the implementation of a campus-wide approach to mental health will lead to safer, healthier communities, and likely greater student retention.”
Goodwin University’s membership in JED Campus Fundamentals begins with establishing an interdisciplinary, campus-wide team to assess, support, and implement program, policy, and system improvements and completing a confidential, self-assessment survey on its mental health promotion, substance use, and suicide prevention efforts. Upon completion of the assessment, JED subject matter experts provide schools with a comprehensive feedback report identifying successes and opportunities for enhancements. Over the course of 18 months, Goodwin University will collaborate with JED to help implement enhancements. All self-assessment responses and feedback reports are confidential.
For more information about the JED initiative at Goodwin, please contact Bobbie Chakraborty, LMFTA, MS, Counseling Center Case Manager, Goodwin University, 860-913-2089 or BChakraborty@goodwin.edu.
Click for more information about the JED Campus Fundamentals program.
Click for more information about the Jed Foundation.
Goodwin University is a nonprofit institution of higher education and is accredited by the New England Commission of Higher Education (NECHE), formerly known as the New England Association of Schools and Colleges (NEASC). Goodwin University was founded in 1999, with the goal of serving a diverse student population with career-focused degree programs that lead to strong employment outcomes.