Minds Matter
A page within Minds Matter
Minds Matter: Public Health Approaches to Student Mental Health
Minds Matter is UWL’s 2022-2025 Quality Initiative associated with accreditation through the Higher Learning Commission. The initiative focuses on a public health approach to promoting mental health with a focus on enhancing student success through increased attention to a healthy campus environment.
Minds Matter Major Quality Initiative Proposal - Approved by HLC (2022)
Goals of the Initiative
- To enhance the campus environment to support and improve the overall mental health of students.
- To coordinate and enhance current university activities associated with mental health for students (student orgs, residence life, curriculum, etc.).
- To involve the larger campus community in conversations regarding appropriate expectations in terms of the role of an institution of higher learning and mental health.
- To clarify the role of faculty and staff in responding to student mental health challenges from both a student and faculty/staff perspective.
- To relate the mind/body focus of UWL and current research to the initiative.
A Focus on a Public Health Approach
Comprehensive community-based approaches to campus well-being take a public health approach and provide tiered foci regarding mental health. When addressing prevention, there is an emphasis on proactive approaches. Prevention programs have a focus on preventing disorders from developing by targeting the entire population to reduce risk factors and build protective factors for all students. UWL's work is informed by UW System's Behavioral Health Initiative and Framework for Student Well-being and focuses particularly on Tier 3: Creating Healthy environments in addressing student mental health.