Building Capacity for Care: Adapting Global Mental Health Strategies in Higher Education
Dr. Adam Brown
Linda Kim (Han)
Olivia Osseiran Tanvi Kulkarni
● Introduction
● All for NarWELL Initiative
● Adaptation and Implementation of GMH Concepts and Strategies
● Discussion
● Q&A Session
Mindfulness Activity
Quick Mindfulness Activity
● Let’s do a quick mindfulness stretch to get ourselves and body started!
Globally, higher education institutions are grappling with increasing demands for student mental health services, often outpacing the availability of mental health professionals. This presentation explores how integrating Global Mental Health frameworks into higher education can help address these challenges, using an ongoing program at The New School as a case study. Early program outcomes indicate that, with appropriate adaptations, these strategies can effectively bridge gaps in care and foster stronger community support.
All for NarWELL
Holistic Approach for Student Wellbeing
78.9% of students reported to having a medium to high levels of stress overall
31.6% of students reported that they agree or strongly agree that: I feel that students’ health and well-being is a priority at my college/university
From NCHA 2023 Spring Data for The New School n = 1491
80.2% of the students reported having moderate to serious psychological distress
All for NarWELL Initiative
Background
The New School
● University in the heart of NYC
● Private research university
● Urban Campus
● 7 colleges under TNS umbrella
● About 10,000 students and 2,000 employees
● #1 most international university (U.S. News & World Report, 2022)
Of BIPOC Students
Reporting moderate to severe distress
BIPOC students
Reported they had some sort of food insecurity problem in the past year
BIPOC students
Reported they had a problem or challenge in relation to discrimination
Of Trans Students
Scored positively on the loneliness scale
Reported they had intentionally harmed themselves within the past year
Had a positive suicidal screening LGBQ students
Of Trans Students
Background
The New School has been awarded the Garrett Lee Smith Campus Suicide Prevention Grant from the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration to help prevent suicide and raise awareness at The New Schol.
This 3-year, $306,000 grant will help provide consistent mental health and suicide screening, training, and programming.
A collaborative, empirical, and unified approach to improving student mental health and wellness across TNS’s campus. Includes evidence-based training, mental health screenings, wellness programs, and educational campaigns. Each component is designed for a diverse group of students, including those most at-risk.
1 Increase campus infrastructure and collaboration with community behavioral healthcare providers to increase coordination of mental health and substance abuse services to students
3 Increase outreach and early intervention efforts to prevent mental health crisis and suicidality and to increase help-seeking behavior, particularly for students in special populations
2 Train college students, faculty, and staff to respond effectively to students at-risk for or experiencing mental health and/or substance use crisis
4
Increase the number of voluntary mental health and substance use disorder screenings and assessments offered to students
5 Improve university's ability to identify students at risk for suicide, substance abuse, and other mental health crisis by examining and using student health assessment measures and data for quality improvement of programs and services.
Adaptation and Implementation of Global Mental Health Strategies
“ ”
an
area for study, research and practice that places a priority on improving [mental] health and achieving equity in [mental] health for all people worldwide
Koplan et al. (2009). Towards a common definition of global health. The Lancet, 373(9679), 1993-1995. / Patel et al. (2013) Global Mental Health, p. xi.
Adaptation and Implementation
Main GMH Concepts
Stepped Care Model 2.0
Peter Cornish’s Stepped Care Model 2.0 is a patient-centric and recovery-oriented approach that offers increased access to care at various levels of intensity, with individuals being stepped up or down, as needed. Integration of technology, prevention, and overall promotion–a holistic view
Reducing Stigma
Overcoming barriers to care, reducing cultural stigma, and enhancing community-based care
Raising Awareness
Promoting prevention and early intervention, raising awareness about available resources, encouraging open dialogues and creating safe spaces
Task-Sharing
Approach that fosters equitable and accessible mental health services, it helps bridge the treatment gap in resource-constrained settings by training non-specialists while maintaining collaboration with specialists
Mental Health Commission of Canada. (2021). Toolkit for e-mental health implementation. https://mentalhealthcommission.ca/resource/toolkit-for-e-mental-health-implementation/
Adaptation and Implementation
Stepped Care Model for TNS
Therapy, Psychiatric Services
Individual-specific Counseling, Psychiatric services
Non-therapy Expert Support
PM+ Sessions, SH+ Sessions, Mindfulness Groups, Acupuncture
Peer-led Psychosocial Support
Social Support Groups, Peer Trainers on Togetherall
Interactive, Online Materials
Togetherall, MindWise SOS for HigherEd, Quick self-help videos
Easy-to-Access Self-Help Materials
Resource Toolkits, Posters, Instagram Posts, Brochures
Self-Help Materials
Non-therapy Expert Support
Adaptation
and Implementation
Task-Sharing
Psychological First Aid, Custom Trainings Peer-Experts
Custom-tailored de-escalation trainings, PFA trainings for specific groups, such as the Making Center, RAs, etc.
To become peer-support and helpers– such as Training of Trainers, PM+ Helpers, Togetherall Peer Helper, etc.
Kognito & MindWise Online Training QPR, SafeTALK
After this year, MindWise will take place on Kognito on simple, online, interactive, evidence-based psychosocial education
Specific suicide intervention trainings, such as QPR and SafeTAK, to follow after PFA Trainings
Adaptation and Implementation
PFA Training
PFA training is a 3-hour training, developed by the Red Cross for humanitarian contexts. Center for Global Mental Health has adapted the training to serve higher education, local community-based organizations and other contexts. It is available both online and in-person.
As of Jan 2025, 284 individuals at The New School are trained in PFA
Adaptation and Implementation
PFA Training
Adaptation Strategies:
● Initial meetings with the collaborating office– learning about the specific culture and problems they have
● Collaborative effort in creating role-play scenarios– understanding how it is supposed to feel uncomfortable
● Emphasis on beginning of a conversation
● Referral networks and services
Adaptation and Implementation
QPR Training
QPR is a 1-hour long suicide prevention training for participants to be able to recognize the warning signs of suicide and question, persuade, and refer people at risk for suicide for help. It can be delivered online, but recommended to deliver in-person.
Adaptation and Implementation
C-SSRS Training
The Columbia Protocol, also known as the Columbia-Suicide Severity Rating Scale (C-SSRS), supports suicide risk screening through a series of simple, plain-language questions that anyone can ask. The answers help users identify whether someone is at risk for suicide, determine the severity and immediacy of that risk, and gauge the level of support that the person needs.
All for NarWELL trains individuals on how to utilize this tool, specifically the table created by the Columbia Lighthouse Project, which has been endorsed by SAMHSA, WHO, and many other organizations.
As of Jan 2025, 409 individuals at TNS are trained in how to use C-SSRS.
Adaptation and Implementation Feedback
“…the most helpful part was running the scenarios we face with one another (acting it out) and we ran out of time! If we do this again (and we definitely should because it was awesome) we need to have it be longer OR allocate much more time to acting out scenarios that our technicians face every day…”
“I
loved it! very helpful especially for the
field
we are in” (RA)
“This training is important, everyone in the community should do it, teaching skills on how to identify stress and the role you play in de-escalating the situation. If faculty learned these skills it could change the way they initially react in the situations that end up causing stress for students (language etc). “
“Informative, and made the topic (of helping others) digestible using different techniques…”
Adaptation and Implementation
Raising Awareness & Reducing Stigma
Awareness Raising
Simple awareness raising events, such as tabling with quick activities alongside easily accessible resource materials
Collaboration with Other Offices
Collaborating with other offices to carry out specific trainings and workshops usually have the best output.
All for NarWELL has collaborated with various student organizations and administrative offices on campus, such as: the Making Center, Campus Security, Dorm RAs, First Year Fellows at Eugene Lang, Orientation, Student Success, and the Psychology Club at The New School.
Adaptation and Implementation Making Center
Dec 2023
Initial Meeting
Mar 2024
PFA Training for Staff, Feedback Surveys
Jan 2025 Aug 2024
Summer Mindfulness Workshops, QPR Training
PFA Training for Staff, Mindfulness Workshop
Making Center Content of Activities
Mindfulness Concepts Focus Groups
The Mindfulness interventions are focused on the principle of being present, through movements rooted in Eastern philosophies involving meditative practices centered around silence, self-exploration and expression, emotional regulation, and acceptance (Kabat-Zinn, 2003).
After the workshops, we held focus groups with the Making Center technicians to evaluate the training program's relevance, gather feedback on its applicability to their roles, and explore participants’ perspectives on mindfulness and conflict resolution strategies.
Making Center
Utilizing GMH Strategies
Adapting Evidence-Based Practices: The mindfulness training draws on globally recognized frameworks like Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction (MBSR) and integrates expressive arts therapy activities, ensuring cultural and contextual relevance.
Addressing Post-Pandemic Challenges: The program responds to heightened stress and mental health vulnerabilities experienced globally by university staff and students in the post-COVID-19 era.
Promoting Community Support: Global mental health strategies advocate for building support networks within communities. This intervention fosters connection and mutual support among staff and technicians, aligning with the strategy of enhancing social capital.
Scalable Interventions: The program's modular structure—mindfulness, suicide prevention, conflict resolution—can be easily adapted and implemented in other institutions or creative environments worldwide.
Making Center Task-Sharing
Collaborative Implementation: The program integrates staff and technicians’ insights and artistic expertise, creating a co-designed intervention that resonates with their roles and responsibilities.
Empowering Non-Specialists: Staff and technicians were trained to identify and respond to student mental health needs.
Relieving Systemic Burdens: By equipping staff and technicians with PFA and mindfulness skills, the program alleviates pressure on overburdened university counseling centers, a core goal of task sharing.
Making Center Mindfulness Workshops
Structure Data Collection
Introduction to Mindfulness: Focused on foundational practices such as mandala drawing, body-scan meditation and mindful breathing.
Suicide Prevention and Intervention: Introduced techniques for recognizing and responding to mental health crises with QPR training.
Conflict De-escalation: Used role-playing and mindfulness activities to develop skills for managing challenging interactions.
Data collection involved pre- and post-session surveys to assess the program's effectiveness. These qualitative assessments captured participants' perceptions of the training’s applicability to their professional roles and its impact on their well-being. Additionally, focus groups provided deeper insights into the participants' experiences, emphasizing the program’s value in community building and enhancing workplace relationships.
Making Center Data Collection
● Pre and post surveys conducted during each session
● Participants are asked to rank how true various statements are
● Demographic measures were collected
Question: Please rate how true the following statements are for you in context of the making center (n = 23)
Session 1 Pre-survey
How confident are you in your skills to help individuals in distress? (0 = not at all confident, 10 = extremely confident)
Session 3 Pre-survey
How confident do you feel in using de-escalation techniques with students and co-workers at the Making Center? (0 = not at all confident, 10 = extremely confident)
After completing this training, how confident are you in your ability to understand de-escalation? (0 = not at all confident, 10 = extremely confident)
Making Center Qualitative Data
Question: Do you have any comments or feedback that you would like to share?
“I thought the sessions were also a good team bonding moment. It is unfortunate that trauma bonding is the strongest connection we have in our work “
“the discussion elements seemed really integral”
“These workshops are excellent. It’s important to me that they get built into our culture and community.”
“I enjoyed the tailored case studies and how specific this training was to our making center”
Making Center Key Findings
1
Improved Emotional Regulation:
Participants reported feeling more equipped to handle stressful situations and emotional challenges in their roles.
2 Enhanced Conflict Management:
3 Community Building:
The shared experience of mindfulness training fostered stronger connections among technicians, creating a supportive network within the Making Center.
The role-playing exercises were highlighted as particularly effective in preparing participants for real-world scenarios.
Discussion Questions Application
& Implementation
Integrating Non-Specialist Interventions
- What are the barriers, challenges, and benefits of training non-specialists (faculty, staff, peers) to provide mental health support, and how can universities ensure that these interventions are both effective and sustainable long-term?
Multi-Stakeholder Collaboration
- What strategies can higher education institutions employ to strengthen partnerships between students, faculty, staff, and external organizations to create a cohesive, integrated approach to mental health support that can reach a broader student base?
Scalability of Mental Health Programs
- What practical considerations must be taken into account to scale similar mental health programs to All for NarWELL at other universities or institutions, particularly in resource-limited settings?
Evaluating Program Effectiveness
- How can we effectively measure the success of global mental health interventions in higher education? What metrics or evaluation methods can be used to assess the impact of these programs on student mental health, particularly for marginalized populations.
Q&A Session
Any questions?
