The Jed Foundation and United Educators Partner to Increase Support for Student Mental Health at High Schools and Colleges

UE to offer premium discounts to members launching JED Campus or JED High School

NEW YORK & BETHESDA, Md.–(BUSINESS WIRE)– The Jed Foundation (JED), a leading national nonprofit that protects emotional health and prevents suicide for teens and young adults, and United Educators (UE), a reciprocal risk retention group serving nearly 1,600 K-12 schools, colleges, and universities, today announced a new partnership to increase support for student mental health.

This innovative partnership takes a groundbreaking approach to meaningfully addressing the mental health crisis in teens and young adults while also creating safer campus communities and reducing risk for institutions.

“Mental health issues are a top concern for education leaders, and our collaboration with JED provides our members an added incentive to use valuable resources to address this growing concern,” said Sarah Braughler, UE’s incoming Vice President of Risk Management. “This is one of many ways we’re helping educational institutions tackle mental health concerns, including an extensive library of online learning, insights, practical checklists, and other tools.”

JED works directly with high schools, colleges, and universities representing millions of students to create a culture of caring that protects student mental health, reduces substance misuse, and prevents suicide. In partnership with JED, schools put in place systems, programs, and policies that enhance social connectedness and positive school climate, deepen student life skills programming, increase help-seeking behaviors, improve recognition and response to students at risk, promote well-being and access to mental health services, fortify crisis management procedures, and create a safe school environment.

Eligible members can earn an insurance premium credit by conducting specific risk management activities as part of UE’s Risk Management Premium Credit program (RMPC). This year marks the first time a credit is being offered for implementing a comprehensive mental health solution on campuses.

“We are thrilled that United Educators recognizes the importance of purposefully supporting student mental health as part of fostering effective and safe learning environments,” said John MacPhee, JED’s CEO. “Tens of millions of teens and young adults are spending most of their time at their high school, college, or university. By implementing a comprehensive approach to mental health, schools are helping to equip students with the skills to navigate life’s challenges, and they are creating systems and a culture where students who are struggling are more likely seek help, or to be noticed and connected to mental health care. We hope this addition to the RMPC program will encourage new partners to work with JED and strengthen their approaches to supporting their students’ mental well-being.”

One way to earn the insurance premium credit is for eligible UE members to launch one of JED’s three programs:

• JED Campus, a four-year strategic partnership that guides colleges and universities through a collaborative process of comprehensive systems, program, and policy development with customized support to build upon existing efforts to address student mental health, substance misuse, and suicide prevention.
• JED Campus Fundamentals, a shorter, 18-month evidence-based program adapted from JED Campus offers colleges and universities a lighter-touch engagement. Schools have the option to add extra items a la carte or sign on for the four-year program.
• JED High School (ninth through 12^th grade), an 18- to 24-month program created to specifically address the mental health needs and social development of adolescents and teens and is tailored to the high school environment. In partnership with JED, school leaders will assemble an interdisciplinary team to create, assess, and strengthen policies, programs, and systems to support student mental health, reduce substance misuse, and prevent suicide.

For more information on how to apply and earn the UE premium credit, visit Risk Management Premium Credit Program | United Educators (ue.org)