Building Momentum - Collaborative Solutions for State-Level Student Mental Health

Oct 15, 2026

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Building Momentum: Collaborative Solutions for State-Level Student Mental Health outlines a statewide and system-wide approach to improving student mental health and wellness through coordinated policy recommendations. Developed through the SHEEO-JED Student Mental Health and Wellness Learning Community, the paper synthesizes lessons from a Wellness Blueprint convening and presents final collaborative strategies to strengthen institutions’ ability to promote and support student well-being. Funded by The Lumina Foundation, it emphasizes equitable, culturally competent support and practical innovations to foster educational success.

LanguageEnglish

CategoryHealthcare

FormatPDF

Pages26

Reading Time1 h 6 min

AccessFree to download

Introduction

National mental health trends and legislative context

State-level initiatives

Promoting culturally competent and equitable mental health services

Expanding telehealth and technology-enabled solutions

Importance of cross-sector collaborations

Return on investment and data-driven advocacy

Building Momentum: Collaborative Solutions for State-Level Student Mental Health Sakshee Chawla, John Lane, Tom Harnisch, and Zainab Okolo January 2025 The State Higher Education Executive Officers Association (SHEEO) and The Jed Foundation (JED) are grateful to state teams in Arizona, Louisiana, Oregon, Pennsylvania, and Texas for participating in the inaugural SHEEO-JED Student Mental Health and Wellness Learning Community. The learning community states focused on the development and implementation of stateand system-wide policy recommendations that advance student mental health and wellness. Lessons from the in-person Wellness Blueprint convening can be found on the SHEEO website. This paper will highlight final recommendations for collaborative strategies and innovative solutions to bolster institutions’ ability to effectively promote and support student mental health, fostering educational success and overall life fulfillment. The SHEEO-JED Student Mental Health and Wellness Learning Community was generously funded by The Lumina Foundation. DEDICATION: This final paper is dedicated to the memory of Gilberto Becerra Jr., a cherished member of the Texas team in the SHEEO-JED Student Mental Health and Wellness Learning Community. Throughout his remarkable 23-year career, Gilberto left an enduring mark on higher education and the lives of countless students. His unwavering commitment to student advocacy, equity, and success was evident in every role he held, including his impactful tenure as Associate Vice Chancellor for Advocacy, Retention & Completion at the Alamo Colleges District. SUGGESTED CITATION: Chawla, S., Lane, J., Harnisch, T., Okolo, Z. (2024) . Building Momentum: Collaborative Solutions for State-level Student Mental Health. State Higher Education Executive Officers Association (SHEEO) . [sheeo.org/project/student-mental-health](sheeo.org/project/student-mental-health) The State Higher Education Executive Officers Association (SHEEO) serves the chief executives of statewide governing, policy, and coordinating boards of postsecondary education and their staffs. Founded in 1954, SHEEO promotes an environment that values higher education and its role in ensuring the equitable education of all Americans, regardless of race/ethnicity, gender, or socioeconomic factors. Together with its members, SHEEO aims to achieve this vision by equipping state higher education executive officers and their staffs with the tools to effectively advance the value of higher education, promoting public policies and academic practices that enable all Americans to achieve success in the 21st century, and serving as an advocate for state higher education leadership. For more information, visit [sheeo.org](sheeo.org). The Jed Foundation (JED) is a nonprofit that protects emotional health and prevents suicide for our nation’s teens and young adults. We’re partnering with high schools and colleges to strengthen their mental health, substance misuse, and suicide prevention programs and systems. We’re equipping teens and young adults with the skills and knowledge to help themselves and each other. We’re encouraging community awareness, understanding, and action for young adult mental health. For more information, visit [jedfoundation.org](jedfoundation.org). SHEEO BUILDING MOMENTUM: COLLABORATIVE SOLUTIONS FOR STATE-LEVEL STUDENT MENTAL HEALTH © 2025 by the State Higher Education Executive Officers Association (SHEEO) 2 TABLE OF CONTENTS INTRODUCTION ...................................................................................................................................... 5 NATIONAL MENTAL HEALTH TRENDS AND LEGISLATIVE CONTEXT ................................................7 STATE-LEVEL INITIATIVES....................................................................................................................................7 FEDERAL INITIATIVES .................................................

FAQs

What is the purpose of the SHEEO-JED Student Mental Health and Wellness Learning Community?

It supports states in developing and implementing policy recommendations that advance student mental health and wellness across systems.

What kinds of strategies does the paper present?

It highlights collaborative strategies and innovative solutions to help institutions promote and support student mental health effectively.

How does the paper address technology in mental health support?

It covers expanding telehealth, using technology-enabled solutions, and innovations in mental health apps and artificial intelligence, including related challenges and evaluation considerations.

Oct 15, 2026

Upload by Fahsai