Nazareth University joins JED Campus to support student mental health
Nazareth will assess and enhance mental health, substance misuse, and suicide prevention efforts in partnership with The Jed Foundation.
Nazareth University is joining the JED Campus program in support of student well-being and mental health. The program is a nationwide initiative of The Jed Foundation (JED), a leading nonprofit that protects emotional health and prevents suicide for teens and young adults nationwide. JED Campus is designed to help schools evaluate and strengthen their mental health, substance misuse, and suicide prevention programs and systems to ensure that schools have the strongest possible mental health safety nets. More than 500 higher education institutions across the U.S. are currently engaged in the JED Campus program, reaching more than 6 million students in 44 states and Washington, D.C.
In 2023, Nazareth earned a $300,000 grant from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services’ Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration that helps fund participation in the JED Campus program.
By joining JED Campus, Nazareth demonstrates a commitment to the emotional well-being of its students. JED Campuses embark on a multiyear strategic collaboration that assesses and enhances the work already being done, as well as helping create positive, lasting, systemic change in the campus community. The program provides schools with a framework for supporting student mental health, along with assessment tools, feedback reports, a strategic plan, and ongoing support from the JED Higher Education team.
“Joining efforts with The Jed Foundation underscores Nazareth University’s deep commitment to supporting mental health and well-being for our community,” said Kim Harvey, Nazareth’s associate provost and dean of students. “As we partner with JED Campus, we are striving to enhance our existing resources and create a culture of care that prioritizes student well-being in a comprehensive and sustainable way. This initiative is a significant step in ensuring that all members of our campus community feel supported, connected, and empowered to thrive both academically and personally.”
“We are very excited about this partnership,” said John Rigney, Nazareth’s assistant director for wellness outreach and education. “Becoming a JED Campus will help to ensure that the Nazareth community is doing everything we can by following evidence-based best practices to support students’ well-being.”
“The college years are the age when many mental health issues first manifest, and it can be a time of significant stress and pressure,” said JED Chief Executive Officer John MacPhee. “JED Campus helps schools by working with them to evaluate what their college or university is doing to support student emotional health and well-being and find practical ways to augment these efforts in a comprehensive way. We believe that the implementation of a campuswide approach to mental health will lead to safer, healthier communities and likely greater student retention.”
Nazareth welcomed members of the JED Campus team for a site visit in early October, and one of the team’s members was Naz alumna Maria Hetz Barnes ’12, JED’s director of recruitment for school programs.
“What an honor it was to see the incredible work Naz continues to do to support their students’ mental health,” Hetz Barnes said. “It was a beautiful opportunity and a real full-circle moment that helped me recognize how my past as a Nazareth student influenced my career trajectory to work with higher-education institutions at JED to protect emotional health and prevent suicide for teens and young adults nationwide. Naz was an integral part of my journey into the mental health field, and this partnership with JED will continue to showcase the incredible work the university is achieving in prioritizing the emotional well-being of its student population.”
Nazareth’s membership in JED Campus began when Nazareth established a campuswide interdisciplinary team to support and implement the program and conducted a Health Minds Study survey in spring 2024. Nazareth will collaborate with JED for four years to implement enhancements.
For more information about JED Campus, visit jedfoundation.org/our-work/higher-ed/.
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Julie Long | Chief 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.
