Nazareth supports student, faculty, and staff mental health through new collaborative
As mental health on college campuses continues to be a top priority, Nazareth is among six colleges and universities in New York state that are partnering to bring an innovative program to higher education to better support student, faculty, and staff well-being in times of individual or collective crisis.. Nazareth joins St. John Fisher University, Elmira College, SUNY Brockport, Northeast College of Health Sciences, and Le Moyne College in the pilot initiative to bring the Consortium on Trauma, Illness, & Grief — or TIG — to their institutions.
While campuses support students' mental health and wellness through individual counseling, student engagement, and other initiatives, this is the first inter-institutional model that supports the mental health and wellness of students, faculty, and staff. The TIG in Higher Education initiative, which launched in spring 2022, is a partnership with the Upstate New York College Collaboration and Coordinated Care Services, Inc., the organization that delivers the trauma response training to assist institutions in effectively responding to the challenges facing students and campuses.
“Many factors, including the pandemic and societal unrest, have led to increased mental health concerns among our campus communities,” said Susan Quinn, director of Nazareth’s health and counseling services. She went through the TIG training along with Rachel Hohenwarter, Nazareth’s assistant director of residential life. “Many are dealing with the loss of a loved one, prolonged illness, bias incidents, hate crimes, and other trauma. This has resulted in anxiety and depression being at an all-time high,” said Quinn. “Experiencing trauma can initiate strong emotions and physical reactions that can persist long after the event. Left unaddressed, the negative impacts of stress and trauma can disrupt behavior, emotional wellbeing, academic and professional success, and of course health. Even witnesses and bystanders of traumatic events may be affected.”
Each of the six higher education institutions designated a team of professionals who participated in a 40-hour training series that includes evidence-based crisis response skills. The inaugural group finished training this summer. The TIG approach is based on a trauma-informed response model that teaches the participants how to be aware of trauma, illness, and grief on a larger scale. The modules include grief and loss, trauma, suicide risk and intervention, chronic and acute illness, school violence, TIG implementation, and critical incident stress management. For more information, visit tigconsortium.org.
The TIG curriculum has proven very successful in the K-12 setting. It originated as a collaborative project in 2001 in Monroe County. The founding partners sought to increase school personnel’s ability to support students and staff in times of individual or collective crisis. Now in its 21st year, TIG has only grown in its dedication to preparing staff and institutions to understand, intervene, and support students. TIG mitigates the risk for longer-term difficulties in achievement, engagement, relational, and wellness indicators.
In collaboration with campus leaders, this evidence-based curriculum has now been revised by the CCSI team to meet the specific needs of a collegiate population.
One major goal of the pilot experience includes the formation of a UNYCC working group that is trained in, and adopts, TIG’s strategy of sharing resources to benefit participating institutions beyond what could be achieved individually.
“We all win as we build capacity,” said Suronda Gonzalez, executive director of UNYCC. “And, at the same time, we’ve developed a great partnership with CCSI, and we are continuing to learn from one another.”
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Julie Long | Senior News & PR Officer | jlong2@naz.edu | (585) 389-2456 | (585) 781-8186 (cell)
Nazareth University is an inclusive community of inspired learners, educators, and changemakers who for nearly 100 years have been driven by a bold commitment to action, empathy, equity, and leading innovation for the common good. Impact experiences are at the heart of a Nazareth education, preparing each student to discover within themselves the potential to cultivate positive change in their life's work, in any career field, and in a world that is constantly evolving and infinitely interconnected.
Our broad academic offerings present a range of study options typical of larger universities, yet achieved in our supportive campus culture. Nearly 2,100 undergrad and 600 graduate students enroll in degree and certificate programs and engage in collaborative, transformative learning experiences, preparing for the professions and society of today and tomorrow. In a learning community that purposefully integrates liberal arts and professional programs, Nazareth University graduates are able to launch a lifetime of impactful leadership in communities and workplaces near and far.
