Brookdale Prioritizes Mental Health For All Students With Free Onsite Therapy.

The Caroline Huber Holistic Wellness Center at Brookdale Community College is pleased to announce Free Therapy for all students beginning in the fall semester of 2024. Brookdale received funds through a Mental Health grant from the Office of the Secretary of Higher Education (OSHE). For the next two years, partnerships with Preferred Behavioral Health, the YMCA, and CPC Integrated Health will provide students with onsite therapy sessions at the Wellness Center five days a week.

When students are aware they need therapy and are ready to get help, they can easily book an appointment online. Whether students have insurance or not, these services are available to them.

“The generation of students entering college are more receptive to mental health awareness and support than ever before,” says Summer Deaver, director of the Caroline Huber Holistic Wellness Center, who reports enthusiastic responses from students eager to sign up for one-on-one sessions with a therapist.

An incoming freshman with autism recently expressed at orientation that therapy on campus would be key to their success as they learn to integrate into their new surroundings. Growing up with active shooter drills that contribute to anxiety levels and a pandemic that isolated students from their peers at socially informative ages, these students have higher levels of suicide, depression and anxiety than any other generation.

Strengthening Youth Mental Health in New Jersey is a significant initiative of elected officials. Governor Murphy’s Administration-wide strategy to strengthen youth mental health includes OSHE’s award of $16 million in grants, which started in the summer of 2023. These funds help increase the capacity of institution-based services by supporting the creation of community provider partnerships and professional development opportunities for faculty and staff.

“Brookdale is honored to be awarded a $379,119.00 grant as part of this initiative, which will enhance our ability to provide critical mental health services and build stronger partnerships with community providers,” shared Deaver.

In January, the Office of the Secretary of Higher Education (OSHE) extended New Jersey’s first-in-the-nation partnership with the mental health and wellness platform Uwill. Since launching in May 2023, the partnership has empowered students at 44 of New Jersey’s participating colleges and universities to access free, 24/7/365 teletherapy, crisis connection, and wellness programming. As of January 10, more than 7,600 students registered on the platform and nearly 20,000 total sessions had been scheduled. This service has been available to students at Brookdale since the fall of 2023, and Uwill reported 111 students at Brookdale have registered, with 89 remaining active in the system. A total of 253 telehealth sessions were provided in the first year through Uwill.

Deaver noted that the top concerns for students are stress (66%), anxiety (63%), and depression (52%), with additional focus on self-esteem (44%), academic concerns (36%), and social isolation/loneliness (35%). The Uwill service will continue to be available to Brookdale students, offering teletherapy during nights and weekends, alongside free in-person therapy starting in the fall semester. Brookdale’s counseling department also supports students in navigating academic stress, career, and major challenges, while providing general guidance for those adjusting to college, creating a comprehensive support program.

First generation and BIPOC students tend to utilize mental health services the least of any demographic. To break the stigma around counseling and therapy, specifically for young black and brown men, the Caroline Huber Holistic Wellness Center has collaborated with Brookdale’s Office of Transformative Learning to host six barber shop events over the next academic year called “In the Cut”. Free haircuts from a mobile barber skilled in cutting all hair types will be offered to students on campus. While students wait, community grounding experiences with a focus on mental health will be led by Konscious Youth Development Services, KYDS known throughout Asbury Park for transforming youth, schools and community with awareness practices. Through conversation, connection and bringing barbershop gathering spaces to Brookdale, the door will be opened for students less likely to receive one-on-one therapy to begin the process of prioritizing mental health.

Brookdale is working to measure the outcomes of free therapy on campus for students. Maslow’s hierarchy of needs clarifies why we need to support students with Basic Needs and Mental Health services as a launching pad for success. When the basic needs are tended to, we can nurture great thinkers, successful students and thriving adults. The hope is that Brookdale can measure higher graduation rates and transfers as well as student satisfaction in wellbeing, reduced anxiety and stress, while cultivating the next generation of successful adults.

For more information about the Caroline Huber Holistic Wellness Center please visit the website.