Mental health has been a major topic in higher education in recent years, as growing numbers of college students reported experiencing symptoms of mental illness.
The latest data from the
Healthy Minds Study now indicate that student mental health has improved over the last two years. While this trend is promising, it is imperative that institutions continue to support the many students who are still struggling.
Texas Christian University (TCU), an ACE member, has created a transformative new model for campus mental health services. Its
Comprehensive Collaborative Care Model (CCCM), introduced in 2020, has both expanded students’ treatment options and reduced stress for counseling staff.
Three observations informed the development of the CCCM:
- About half of counseling resources were going toward serving 20 percent of students with high mental health needs.
- Many clients at TCU’s Counseling and Mental Health Center (CMHC) had previously received care on campus.
- Counselors were stressed and at risk of burnout, in particular due to unscheduled crisis and drop-in sessions.
To serve the 20 percent of students with significant mental health challenges beyond the scope of campus counseling services, TCU began partnering with local treatment centers to offer specialized care on the university’s campus. In the past, students with high mental health needs often took medical leaves of absence or did not complete the treatment they needed when referred to an off-campus center.
“The fact that we offer these services on campus removes a lot of barriers,”
said Eric Wood, director of counseling and mental health.
Students can now access intensive outpatient treatment that is tailored to college students and doesn’t interrupt their ability to live on campus and attend classes. Since TCU added these services, students report being more willing to undergo this treatment, and CMHC has received fewer after-hours calls because students with high mental health needs are more likely engaged in treatment.
While Wood was glad that students felt comfortable returning to CMHC for care, he was concerned that the number of repeat visits signaled that the center’s after-care services needed strengthening. Applying best practices from substance use recovery to a broader range of mental health conditions, TCU developed peer support communities to help students stay on track after completing clinical treatment. These student-led communities meet weekly and stay in contact throughout the week through group chats. Some communities unite students facing similar challenges; however, others have formed that focus more on social support, such as one that centers on tabletop role-playing games.
“When I got to the Supportive Gaming Community, I was in this place of a lot more positivity,” Austen McLean, a TCU alum, told
TCU Magazine. “Just being around an environment that was dedicated to mental health really helped me. I got to a place where I was comfortable seeking therapy and getting my whole situation fixed.”
These communities form a safety net for TCU students. Students who join peer support communities return to counseling at lower rates than other students. In addition, many students join peer support communities as an alternative to counseling and report that the communities alone meet their needs.
A key source of stress for counselors was lack of control over their schedules, as they often assisted students without scheduled appointments who came to CMHC with emergencies. In response, TCU hired a team of therapists whose sole responsibility is to triage students and help students in crisis. Therapists on this team have the flexibility to follow up regularly with students until their crises resolve, while other counselors can accept more appointments because their schedules are more reliable. Since dividing its counselors into teams, TCU has been able to treat more students and now boasts one of the country’s shortest average wait times to access counseling.
Other components of the CCCM include free individual and group therapy, a 24/7 helpline, and referrals to campus partners for students with subclinical mental health concerns, such as homesickness.
Colleges and universities nationwide have taken note of TCU’s model. According to Wood, TCU has trained nearly 200 institutions on elements of the CCCM and has hosted various learning networks and national webinars.
“In order to address the challenges of our college students,”
Wood told TCU, “we must collaborate with others and share what we’ve learned with one another.”