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Monmouth University Awarded the JedCampus Seal from the Jed Foundation

West Long Branch, NJ (October 2, 2013) – Today, Monmouth University announced it has been awarded the JedCampus Seal from The Jed Foundation, a leading organization working to promote emotional health and prevent suicide among college and university students. The Seal recognizes schools that exhibit comprehensive mental health promotion and suicide prevention programming on campus. The Seal is part of the Foundation’s JedCampus program, the first nationwide program to facilitate a school’s ability to assess and enhance their mental health support system from a campus-wide perspective. 

Only 30 colleges in the nation received the JedCampus Seal, including Monmouth University, Columbia University, Cornell University, Emory University, New York University, Tulane University, and Yale University.

“The physical and emotional well-being of our students is a priority for Monmouth University,” said President Paul R. Brown. “Thank you to the Jed Foundation for recognizing our outstanding mental health programs, services, and suicide prevention activities that promote resiliency within our community.”

Vice President of Student and Community Services Mary Anne Nagy added: “We continue to look for opportunities to enhance our mental health programs and services on campus. Last year, Monmouth was awarded a competitive grant from the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Administration to assist in our efforts to prevent suicide and enhance mental health services to students in crisis.” Nagy explained that the $301,000 grant will be disbursed over a three-year period and is being administered through the collaborative efforts of the Department of Counseling and Psychological Services and the School of Social Work.

As part of the process to earn the Seal, Monmouth University took a voluntary, online self-assessment reviewing their campus mental health and suicide prevention programming. The Jed Foundation then compared the school’s responses to the recommended practices outlined in The Comprehensive Approach to Mental Health Promotion and Suicide Prevention on College and University Campuses developed by The Jed Foundation and Suicide Prevention Resource Center. As part of this process, Monmouth University received confidential feedback designed to help enhance its programming and resources. The Seal is valid for two years.

“We are thrilled to be able to announce the first schools in the nation to receive the JedCampus Seal. Schools like Monmouth University have shown they employ a comprehensive, community-based approach to mental health care which will result in the identification of and care for more at-risk students,” said John MacPhee, executive director of The Jed Foundation. “We believe that the implementation of a campus-wide approach to mental health promotion will lead to safer, healthier campuses, and possibly greater student retention.”

“To have acquired national recognition truly acknowledges the work that we do and Monmouth’s commitment, not only to academic excellence but also to student wellness,” said Director of Counseling and Psychological Services Dr. Franca Mancini.

The Jed Foundation only publicly recognizes those schools awarded the Seal. Names, survey responses, and feedback reports of those schools that do not receive a Seal are confidential. If the self-assessment survey revealed gaps in programming, colleges and universities were invited to work closely with The Jed Foundation to address them. Those schools can reapply for the JedCampus Seal after one year.

Leading higher education and mental health professional organizations, including the American College Counseling Association, American College Health Association, National Council on Community Behavioral Healthcare, and the National Alliance on Mental Illness, among others, have provided statements of support for the JedCampus initiative.

For more information on JedCampus, visit www.jedcampus.org.