UNC initiative boosts campus suicide prevention and mental health awareness
· News-MedicalThe project was awarded $464,290 and begins this July, running through June 2027.
The project aims to deliver MHFA trainings to North Carolina colleges and universities and NCDHHS employees.
"College is such a pivotal transition and peak time of development for students ages 18–25," Freeman said. "We've seen an amazing culture shift at UNC over the past four years through the work of our MHFA program. Increasing mental health literacy has reduced stigma and increased help-seeking, so I am excited to be able to reach more students pursuing higher education and impact campuses across North Carolina."
The research- and evidence-based program trains people in how to identify, understand and respond to signs of mental health and substance use issues, helping them to start conversations until professional care is available. The training covers common signs of mental health and substance use challenges, how to interact with a person in crisis, and how to connect a person with support resources.
Project goals
During the next year, the project will provide at least 50 MHFA training sessions for North Carolina colleges and universities, with the goal of reaching at least 15 institutions, training 600 participants and at least 20 new MHFA instructors.
The training will also be offered to NCDHHS employees. The team hopes to host five NCDHHS-specific trainings while reaching at least 100 participants.
UNC as mental health leader
Paul Lanier, L. Richardson Preyer Distinguished Chair for Strengthening Families, UNC School of Social WorkWe now have solid evidence that people who have taken this training at UNC are quickly putting the skills to work on campus. As we expand training, the likelihood that someone experiencing a crisis will interact with someone trained in MHFA increases substantially‚ and that has the potential to save lives."
The program will serve faculty, staff and students on campus, as well as youth and adults across all 100 counties in North Carolina.
Impact potential
"We are excited about this partnership," said Kelly Crosbie, assistant secretary for NCDHHS' Division of Mental Health, Developmental Disabilities and Substance Use Services. "The program will strengthen our statewide crisis response system by bringing proven Mental Health First Aid training to those who can reach young adults in crisis.
"Expanding this work across campuses and our workforce is the right thing to do. It will bring needed support to young adults, including Black youth who too often face limited access to culturally sensitive mental health care. It also advances our priorities of early identification and effective intervention to help build a stronger mental health system in North Carolina."
The project will also support strategic initiatives that are part of the 2026-30 North Carolina Suicide Prevention Action Plan. This includes leading suicide prevention work, providing community helper training, and providing mental health training and education for college and university-age populations, among others.
Freeman and Lanier added that the project will support objectives included in the state's Black Youth Suicide Prevention Action Plan, specifically with young adults ages 18-24.
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