KCTCS announces roll out of mental health strategy

The Kentucky Community and Technical College System is set to roll out its first-ever mental health strategy, aimed at supporting the more than 110,000 students attending classes at the system’s 16 campuses.

KCTCS says the Mental Health Strategy initiative is backed by partnerships with the JED Foundation, the Healthy Minds Network, and the Council on Postsecondary Education. The new strategy is the result of technical assistance support and consultation from JED, which assisted KCTCS “in establishing and strengthening a community of care among partner campuses, protecting student mental health, and providing and integrating evidence-based mental health resources, programs, systems, and policies.”

A Healthy Minds Study conducted last school year across the 16 campuses showed that 68 percent of KCTCS students showed signs of depression and 66 percent reported anxiety symptoms, but only 27 percent of students who screened positive for depression or anxiety were receiving therapy.

The system says the new plan is guided by six key focus areas: survey-informed interventions, faculty and staff training, an early-alert guide, mental health communication campaigns, peer wellness programs, and expanded grant and partner-supported services. The new strategy aligns with the Council on Postsecondary Education’s statewide mental health plan.

More information on the plan can be found on the KCTCS website.