Community Colleges To Receive $7M for Mental Health Training
The California Mental Health Services Authority has granted the California community college system $6.9 million over three years to help train faculty and staff on responding to students' mental health conditions, the Santa Clarita Valley Signal reports (Santa Clarita Valley Signal, 10/11).
Background
California's community college system serves about 2.6 million students. Many of the students are returning war veterans who could have conditions such as post-traumatic stress disorder and traumatic brain injury.
According to Jack Scott, chancellor of the California community college system, half of community college students in a 2010 survey reported feeling very sad, very lonely and hopeless, and more than one-third said that they were so depressed that it was difficult to function.
The survey also found that 8% of the respondents had considered suicide and that 3% had attempted suicide.
Funding Details
Funds likely will be used to:
- Connect with community partners;
- Create crisis intervention teams; and
- Help students overcome any stigma associated with seeking services.
About $1 million of the total grant amount will be competitively awarded to 12 colleges to create campus-based projects (Rivera, "L.A. Now," Los Angeles Times, 10/11).
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