The Jed Foundation and The Clinton Foundation Health Matters Initiative today announced that 56 colleges and universities, including the University of Pennsylvania, have joined The Jed & Clinton Health Matters Campus Program (The Campus Program) in support of student well being and mental health. The program is designed to help schools prevent the two leading causes of death in young adults: accidents, including those caused by prescription drug overdoses or alcohol poisoning, and suicide.

The Campus Program, which launched in June, is designed to help colleges and universities assess and enhance mental health, substance abuse and suicide prevention programming.

Participating schools make a four-year commitment to work with The Campus Program to evaluate and identify opportunities to augment these activities on campus. The Campus Program provides schools with a framework for supporting student mental health, as well as assessment tools, feedback reports and ongoing technical assistance from The Campus Program team.

To date, the participating schools are:

Alfred University

Aurora University

Azusa Pacific University

Barnard College

Boston University

Butler University

California Institute of Technology

California State University - Chico

Cameron University

Columbia University

Connecticut College

Cornell University

Davidson College

Fordham University

Georgetown University

Indiana University

Marymount Manhattan College

Massachusetts College of Art and Design

Monmouth University

Montana State University

New York University

Northwestern University

Oklahoma Baptist University

Oklahoma City University

Oklahoma State University Institute of Technology

Pace University

Pennsylvania State University - Altoona

Pennsylvania Highlands Community College

Pomona College

Princeton University

Saint Francis University

School of the Art Institute of Chicago

Southeastern Oklahoma State University

St. Cloud State University

Stevens Institute of Technology

State University College at Geneseo, State University of New York

State University College at Oneonta, State University of New York

The Ohio State University

Three Rivers Community College

Tulane University

University at Albany, State University of New York

University of Arizona

University of California – Los Angeles

University of Central Oklahoma

University of Illinois - Champagne Urbana

University of Pennsylvania

University of Science and Arts of Oklahoma

University of South Carolina

University of West Georgia

Viterbo University

Wake Forest University

Washington University in St. Louis

Western Oklahoma State College

Worcester Polytechnic Institute

Yeshiva University

“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 John MacPhee, executive director of The Jed Foundation. “The Jed and Clinton Health Matters Campus Program helps schools by working with them to survey everything their university is doing to support their students’ emotional health, and find practical ways to augment these efforts in a comprehensive way. We believe that the implementation of a campus-wide approach to mental health will lead to safer, healthier campuses and likely greater student retention.”

"We are thrilled to announce the first group of schools in the nation to join The Campus Program,” said Rain Henderson, CEO of the Clinton Health Matters Initiative, “and to celebrate these institutions for their recognition of mental health as an essential element of student education, development and maturation.”

Membership in The Campus Program begins with a participating school taking a confidential, self-assessment survey on its mental health promotion, substance abuse and suicide prevention programming. Upon completion, survey responses are reviewed by The Campus Program team in comparison to the program’s framework — a comprehensive set of recommended practices. Schools then receive customized feedback and suggestions for enhancements, as well as direct support with their planning process. The Jed and Clinton Health Matters Campus Program grants a membership seal to all schools that participate in the program. All survey responses and feedback reports are confidential.

More information on The Campus Program is available at www.TheCampusProgram.org.