May is Mental Health Awareness Month, a vital time to recognize the importance of emotional well-being, especially among college students who continue to face rising mental health challenges.
To support this effort, ACE recently released
Engaging State Policymakers to Support College Student Mental Health: A Resource Guide for Campus Leaders. This toolkit is designed to equip institutional leaders, staff, and students with the knowledge and resources needed to advocate for increased state support and funding for student mental health. Whether institutions are in the early stage of advocacy or seeking to expand existing efforts, it provides a strategic foundation for effective engagement with state policymakers.
Key features include:
-
Data tools and surveys for assessing student mental health and well-being to support evidence-based advocacy for increased resources;
-
Messaging guidance and customizable talking points to help shape compelling narratives around student mental health needs and the importance of state support;
-
Examples of state-level advocacy efforts, offering insight into effective strategies and scalable opportunities;
-
Information on student mental health coalitions and networks, enabling institutions to collaborate and share resources.
Addressing student mental health is not just a counseling center issue. It is a statewide issue that requires state attention and support. Legislative action and sustained investment are necessary to ensure that colleges and universities are equipped to meet the evolving needs of their students.
Institutional leaders play an essential role in elevating student mental health as a state policy priority. Through effective communication, strategic partnerships, and policy engagement, campuses can drive meaningful change at the institutional level and beyond.
We encourage campus advocates to use these resources to adapt, scale, and tailor strategies to their specific student mental health needs and to strengthen their advocacy efforts with state policymakers.