Kaskaskia College Receives Mental Health Grant to Improve Student Wellness

May is Mental Health Awareness Month

Centralia, IL - May is Mental Health Awareness Month, and Kaskaskia College (KC) recently received a $120,000 Mental Health Early Action on Campus Expansion grant from the Illinois Community College Board to expand on crucial wellness services for students. According to the National Education Association, more than 60% of college students meet the criteria for at least one mental health problem, making these services vital on campuses across the country.

KC Vice President of Student Services Amy Zanton said Kaskaskia College already has mental health initiatives set up, and this grant will improve responsiveness and accessibility. The funds will be used to further external partnerships, putting KC students in contact with 24/7 care and creating greater access to licensed counselors. This grant will also help KC establish peer educators to help with mental health first aid across campus.

"These peer educators will conduct face-to-face peer support groups between students," Zanton said. "In this program, Kaskaskia College students will be trained in mental health first aid and formal peer educator training, and then be infused into student activities across campus. We're hoping students with relevant majors like psychology will be interested in this position. They'll plant themselves among the students and be there as a resource for fellow classmates. Sometimes it's hard for a college student to ask for help from a formal counselor, and this will give them an opportunity to receive help from a peer on a more comfortable level."

Along with increased peer and face-to-face counseling, KC will continue its partnership with Family Life Consultants to provide face-to-face counseling for students, thanks to this grant. Zanton said the need for mental health services has been at the forefront at Kaskaskia College for the last several years.

"We have seen an uptick in referrals," Zanton said. "College is a time of transition for a lot of students. There are a lot of changes and stressors that can lead to mental health issues as they go through college. Having these resources accessible and free to students is so important. Otherwise, it can really damage their health and be a barrier to being successful in school. These services have proven to be critical, ensuring success and removing obstacles."

Kaskaskia College continues to expand its mental health initiatives across its main campus and its six additional education center sites throughout the KC District.