Stevens unveiled a Mental Health and Suicide Prevention Plan prior two weeks ago on April 10, 2019. In the email addressed to all students, faculty, and staff, Marybeth Murphy, Vice President for Enrollment Management and Student Affairs, explained “some of the initiatives we have undertaken during the past year to support our students and enhance their well-being.”
The plan, initially presented at the September 2018 Board of Trustees Summit, was created months after several student suicides in the Spring 2018 semester and contains seven key points of focus which are all currently being worked on by Stevens leadership: promote social connectedness, identify students of risk, increase help-seeking behavior, provide mental and substance abuse services, follow crisis management procedures, restrict access to potentially lethal means, and develop life skills.
The chart below shows each key focus and changes/action items in recent semesters associated with them.
| Key Focus | Changes (citing the plan if not otherwise stated) |
| Promote Social Connectedness | The Office of Residence Life split into two departments, Residential and Dining Services (RDS) and Residential Education (ResEd) last Fall.(At the time new) Director of Residential Education Stacy Flowers explained in an interview with The Stute that ResEd’s purpose is to focus on the student’s residential experience and on what happens inside of dormitory halls. With the division of departments, ResEd aims to create a developmental program for residents as well as offer more support to its staff. Additionally, at that point in time, Flowers was looking into developing more learning communities similar to Lore-El and the CARE House. A new specialized involvement fair was implemented by the Office of Undergraduate Student Life at the start of the spring semester in an attempt to spread more awareness about student organizations and “getting involved” on campus. |
| Identify Students at Risk | A faculty-focused module about Mental Health was released on Canvas, Stevens’ learning platform. Furthermore, all new faculty meet the staff from Counseling and Psychological Services (CAPS) and Disability Services to learn about the wellness resources available at Stevens. There are also presentations for faculty and staff about the warning signs of emotional distress and suicidality held at least twice a year. A presidential task force on mental health is being created, and membership consisting of administrators, faculty, and students will be finalized by May 1. |
| Increase Help-Seeking Behavior | The new Wellness Center brings together four key areas of wellbeing: Health Services, Counseling and Psychological Services (CAPS), Disability Services, and Wellness Education. In a Stevens news article titled, “A New Center at Stevens Supports a Comprehensive, Holistic Approach to Student Wellness,” Dean of Students Ken Nilsen stated that the Wellness Center is looking to have “programs and workshops [that] will range from sleep and nutrition to mindfulness and stress reduction.” There are also free depression and anxiety screenings offered throughout the year in order to “raise awareness and encourage students to visit CAPS,” according to Murphy. |
| Provide Mental and Substance Abuse Services | A new Wellness Educator, Gabrielle Guider, was hired by Stevens in Fall 2018. In an interview with The Stute, Guider said her role consists of “acting as a case manager for the CARE team, which helps students in crisis, and also evaluating their needs to encourage personal growth and help their academic progress.” Additionally, she’s in charge of planning and implementing health promotion programs and services including, but not limited to, workshops and presentations for students. Also, a new part-time drug and alcohol specialist was hired in February. |
| Follow Crisis Management Procedures | Stevens has an Emergency Operations Plan (EOP) which is reviewed and approved by the Board of Trustees every year and filed with the State of New Jersey. The EOP “establishes the structure within which an effective response to emergency situations can occur while providing for the safety and well-being of students, faculty, and staff,” explained Sara Klein, Assistant Vice President for Student Affairs, and “is the basis on which all other university emergency management plans are built.” |
| Access to Potentially Lethal Means | Stevens’ Risk and Compliance Steering team have commissioned an environmental scan of Stevens. Results will not be made public due to the sensitive nature of the information. |
| Developing Life Skills | CAPS, the Career Center, ResEd, and the Academic Support Center (ASC), host a variety of programs and workshops year-round on how to adjust to college, manage stress, and plan strategies for success. |
In the past few semesters, students have been very proactive in advocating for improved mental health resources on campus. “Mental health has always been a focal point for the entire SGA,” explained Jason Chlus, President of the Student Government Association. “Students have been using a number of resources on campus to talk about their mental health, ask advice, or simply express a concern. We, the SGA, believe that this can be improved,” he said. “We have been told by many students that CAPS’s hours are not long enough and don’t allow for enough [counseling] time,” said Chlus. And administrators have responded; several of the changes discussed in this plan can be attributed to the SGA, including advocating for a Wellness Educator and co-hosting the traveling exhibit Send Silence Packing, which took place on Palmer Lawn last fall.
Ashley Peck, co-founder and President of the Stevens chapter of Active Minds, helped coordinate Send Silence Packing as well as the inaugural and second Hoboken Out of the Darkness walks. In a November 2018 interview with The Stute about the walk, she expressed that the walk should be a community walk (rather than Stevens only) because “it shows that the entire community supports the cause, and the event is a testament that those that suffer personally or through a loved one are not alone.” Additionally, in response to the plan, she commented via direct message, “This transparency that they are showing has helped calm the nerves of students, but also gives us room to give feedback on what we think the plan should look like. I definitely think this plan is a huge step in the right direction to bettering the mental health of the Stevens Campus.”
Another ongoing initiative of the SGA is a review of the CAPS scheduling system. Elina Tuder, a sophomore Senator explained, “I distributed a survey in November 2018 to get feedback about making appointments for CAPS.” The questions on her form investigated how students were booking appointments, if at all, and if an online scheduling option would increase their willingness to go to CAPS for counseling help. Currently, CAPS is open every day from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. and offers urgent care hours from 2 p.m. to 4 p.m. daily. On this subject, Murphy stated that currently, she is “evaluating the pros and cons” of such a system.
Overall, sometimes it may be challenging to acknowledge or seek help for mental health issues. Murphy explained, “We want to encourage students in distress to seek help. Of course, participation is voluntary, but we are doing everything we can to reach out to students to reduce the stigma of getting help for mental health issues. We need students in distress to feel comfortable acknowledging that they need help and reaching out to CAPS.”
For urgent concerns about your own or another student’s well-being, please contact Campus Police at 201-216-5105 or 201-216-3911. For non-urgent concerns, please contact the Office of Counseling and Psychological Services (CAPS), located in the Student Wellness Center at 201-216-5177 or the CARE Team at care@stevens.edu.
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