JED Unites School Officials From Across Utah for Day of Mental Health Problem-Solving and Planning

By Lauren Patetta 

The Utah JED Campus Cohort—consisting of 16 public higher-education institutions in the state—gathered in October at Weber State University for its second in-person convening with JED staff. Each year, the JED Campuses in Utah meet for a day to celebrate the progress each school has made and plan for the next phase of programming for youth mental health. 

As the Utah Cohort enters its fourth and final year of the JED Campus program, the group gathered around the theme of Charting Progress and Igniting Futures, with sessions emphasizing accomplishments and highlighting ways to continue advancing student mental health and suicide prevention after the program concludes. 

The event opened with a session for peer-to-peer feedback, during which participants worked together to brainstorm solutions to some of their toughest JED Campus–related challenges. Some key areas where faculty and staff were looking for new ideas and troubleshooting included raising student awareness of available resources, engaging all campus leaders in prioritizing mental health, and strengthening communication and coordination of student mental health support across school departments. 

Seventy participants from the Utah JED Campuses and leadership from the Utah System of Higher Education joined JED staff members Aisha Folkes, Erlinda Delacruz, Mary Kadera, John Dunkle, Rachel Czerny, Nicole Rodriguez-Mullis, and Shannon Rose. After an opening activity, participants engaged in afternoon sessions on a variety of topics, including crisis management, using data to support mental health initiatives, equity and inclusion, and more. 

JED wishes to extend a big thank you to Weber State University for hosting the event, and to the J. Willard and Alice S. Marriott Foundation and the Utah System of Higher Education for their sponsorship and support.