JED Campus at Bristol

The Jed Foundation provides colleges and universities expert support, evidence-based best practices, and data-driven guidance to protect student mental health and prevent suicide.

JED Campus is a signature program of The Jed Foundation (JED) designed to guide schools through a collaborative process of comprehensive systems, program and policy development with customized support to build upon existing student mental health, substance use and suicide prevention efforts. 

While Bristol Mental Health Counseling has utilized the JED Foundation for many years to bring critical information and resources to our students, in 2023, the college took this partnership to the next level by becoming a JED Campus.

Assessment

• School builds an interdisciplinary team to steer efforts across campus.
• School administers Healthy Minds Study (HMS) student survey.
• Team completes JED Campus Self-Assessment.

Strategic Planning

• JED reviews assessment responses and provides feedback.
• The JED team visits your campus.
• Team and JED develop a Strategic Plan.

Implementation

• JED Campus advisor provides ongoing support to implement strategic plan.
• The JED Campus Playbook serves as an easy reference guide.
• JED Campus tracks and communicates progress of the strategic plan.

Learning Community

• Cross collaborate with other JED Campuses nationwide.
• JED Campus newsletters inform teams about emerging stories, resources and events to strengthen the work being done.

Evaluation

• School administers second HMS survey.
• The team completes the JED Campus post assessment.
• JED provides a summary analysis report on school progress.

Sustainability

• JED offers guidance on continuing the work of the team.
• The team sets goals for future work and improvement.
• School becomes a JED Campus alumni upon program completion.

Amanda Downey, Director of Wraparound Services.

Jill Apicerno, Mental Health Counselor.

April Fonseca, Administrative Assistant I, Student Wellness.

Ashley Moniz, Mental Health Counselor.

Meredith Whitmore, Associate Director, Student Advocacy.

Christen Antonio, Administrative Assistant II, Library Learning Commons.

Alison Brewer, Learning Specialist, Office of Disability Services.

Denny Cosmo, Director of Veterans Center.

Ren Deysher Fernández, Program Coordinator, Basic Need Support.

Will Duffy, Senior Special Programs Coordinator, Academic Innovation and Professional Development.

Joyce Fernandes, Adjunct Faculty, Arts and Humanities.

Andrea Fortier, Director of Marketing.

Alyssa Frezza, Academic Coordinator, Athletics and Recreation.

Marie Kacmarsky, Coordinator of Nursing Equity and Student Success.

Danielle Licitra, Director, Institutional Assessment.

Livia Neubert, Academic Coordinator, Arts and Humanities.

Melissa Rogers, Special Programs Coordinator, Multicultural Affairs.

Tinamarie Marshall, Administrative Assistant II.

Helen Quinn Pasin, Sr. Special Programs Coordinator for Women, Gender & Sexuality. 

Ron Weisberger, Director, Behavioral & Social Sciences and Education.

Mary Kate Flynn, Mental Health Counselor.

• Identified and assessed existing mental health and wellness resources available at Bristol by completing Baseline Assessment.
• Implemented Healthy Minds survey to enrolled Bristol students (Spring, 2024) gauging awareness of mental health and wellness resources available at Bristol.
• Held student focus group to further assess mental health and wellness resources at Bristol.
• Full day working group with JED Campus Advisor, Liz Bracken, to create strategy related to assessment feedback, in preparation of receipt of complete strategic plan.

Strategic Planning

• Creation of Task Force with college wide stakeholders.
• Creation of marketing plan for JED Campus and strategic plan which included a Bristol JED Campus webpage, and PowerPoint Presentation.
• Presented at Bristol Updates Live.
• Presented JED Campus PP at All SSEM Division Meeting.
• Facilitated two sessions at Discovery Day for Faculty and Staff.

Crisis Management

• Implementation and streamlining of multiple behavioral intervention teams (SOAR, CARE, TAT) to collect and respond to reports of students of concern.

• Purchased software through UWill that will provide after-hours short-term counseling and crisis intervention services.

• Became a member of the National Association for Behavioral Intervention and Threat Assessment (NABITA)

• Providing non-clinical assessment of suicide (NAS) to professional staff.

Increasing Help-Seeking Behavior

• Three Peer Support groups generated through the Center for Women, Gender and Sexuality.

Identifying Students at Risk

• Hosted a Fresh Check Day by the Jordan Porco Foundation, addressing JED Campus pillars of Identifying Students at Risk, Increasing Help Seeking Behavior, Life skills, Crisis Management and Social Connectedness.
• Provided Suicide Prevention Training for JED Team Members.
• JED Campus Team members completed “You Can Help a Student” Training to identify warning signs and provide intervention for students at risk.