Active Minds, a national nonprofit dedicated to supporting mental health awareness and education, has awarded campuses with its Healthy Campus Award for four years. The award recognizes “schools that provide access to quality healthcare” and “give equal priority and investment to mental health,” per the Active Minds website. Last year, Active Minds awarded seven U.S. schools with their award; Stevens is actively pursuing recognition in the 2019 cohort.
Entry for this award is well-timed. In 2018, an Active Minds student chapter was formed at Stevens. The school’s Counseling and Psychological Services (CAPS) office was recently moved into the second floor of the newly-minted Student Wellness Center (née Pond House). Stevens’ new President’s Task Force on Mental Health has convened to discuss on-campus awareness.
Several members of the Task Force were unavailable for comment.
Active Minds student chapter co-founder Ashley Peck understood that “it can be received as [Stevens] being over confident in what they have done so far but I think a lot of things are in the works that the students don’t necessarily see.” She specifically highlighted the CARE team and CAPS walk-in hours as impressive programs Stevens should be proud of.
Jason Chlus, President of the Student Government Association (SGA), said that he, among other student leaders, was asked by the Office of Student Affairs “to write a letter of why we deserve this award.” His certainty wavered, so he asked the SGA Senate for their thoughts at a recent meeting. “I mean as a president I would say I am honored that we are recognized for this award but as an SGA […] we don’t feel we deserve it yet,” he said.
In fact, many SGA Senators were adamantly opposed to Chlus writing such a letter. The minutes show several senators encouraging Chlus to write a letter explaining why Stevens does not presently deserve the award.
Samantha Molla, SGA Senator and President-Elect, was present when Chlus mentioned the letter. She shared Chlus’ sentiments. “The University may have a plan for improving mental health, but […] I don’t believe that enough students have been exposed to what is offered or can readily claim at this moment that Stevens is doing everything possible to keep its students first.”
“I don’t want the efforts on mental health to stop or even slow down [at Stevens].” said Chlus. He encourages Stevens to never stop pushing initiatives which facilitate discussing, treating, and destigmatizing mental health among its students.
The Active Minds 2019 Healthy Campus Award recipients will be notified on January 31 and publicly announced in late February. Stevens is currently drafting its Phase II application, due December 30.
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