On January 10, 2024, staff from over 40 New Jersey colleges and universities and mental health experts from across the country are coming together for the first time to share best practices to support college students at the inaugural New Jersey Higher Education Mental Health Summit (the ‘Summit’), which will be hosted by
Seton Hall University at their campus in South Orange, New Jersey.

The Summit offers the opportunity for inter-institution collaboration to help combat the student mental health crisis. Attendees will develop and share resources and methods designed to foster the psychological health and well-being that helps students thrive, develop, and achieve personal and professional success.

More than 470 participants and attendees have already registered for the Summit. Over 350 professionals and front-line practitioners from Student Affairs, Campus Police and Safety, Residence Life, Athletics, Diversity, Equity, Inclusion and Justice staff, Health

Services, First-Gen programs, Advisors of EOP/EOF and other campus representatives are expected to attend this ‘first of its kind’ cohort gathering.

New Jersey’s Lieutenant Governor Tahesha Way will provide opening remarks. Sara Klein, Vice President of Student Affairs, Stevens Institute of Technology and introduce the Summit’s keynote speaker, Darryl ‘DMC’ McDaniels, co-founder of the legendary hip-hop group, ‘Run-DMC’, Rock & Roll Hall of Famer, and mental health advocate. New Jersey Higher Education Secretary, Brian Bridges, will be featured as the closing speaker at the Summit.

Attendees can choose from 10 morning and 10 afternoon breakout sessions, with a wide range of topics, including:

• Beyond the Books: Promoting Psychological Well-Being Among First-Gen Students

• New Avenues for Student Involvement in Promoting a Positive Mental Health Culture
• Do More with Less: Using a Prevention-Focused, Trauma-Informed Lens for Community College Mental Health

• The Madison Holleran Suicide Prevention Act Amendment (A1176): Its Purpose and Impact on New Jersey Campuses
• Building Bridges: Best Practices and Collaborative Care for Student-Athlete Mental Health

• Creating Services and an Environment that Supports People of Color and Diverse Populations

There will also be a Resource Fair throughout the day, during which attendees will have the opportunity to visit 15 booth presentations from various community providers, mental health resource organizations and health service providers – – including, UWill (the Summit’s ‘Principal Sponsor’), The Jed Foundation, the Partnership to End Addiction,

the Mental Health Association of New Jersey, the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention, and others.

“I know firsthand the pressure and stress college can hold on a student, which is why equipping them with the resources they need to support their mental health and well- being has been such a priority of our administration,” said Lieutenant Governor Tahesha Way. “I am happy to see so many colleges and universities join together to identify best practices to better serve their students. Tackling the student mental health crisis will be a collaborative effort and events like the New Jersey Higher Education Mental Health Summit are a great step towards that goal.”

Secretary Bridges stated “I am thrilled that campus staff and mental health experts will come together to share best practices in addressing the mental health challenges facing students in New Jersey and across the country. As a state, New Jersey remains committed to helping institutions meet students where they are with the support and resources they need for success, including through our first-in-the-nation tele-mental health partnership with Uwill. This event will no doubt further cement our collective commitment to prioritize student well-being by informing ongoing efforts to build capacity across campuses. I commend our higher education institutions for their willingness to work together on such a unique and important initiative.”

“I applaud the effort from so many institutions across our State to come together for an unprecedented day of learning and sharing on topics that are critical to the well-being of our students. It is a testament to higher education in New Jersey that so many student- facing staff from our schools will collaborate on such an important initiative,” said Jonathan Holloway, the 21st President of Rutgers University.

Christopher Eisgruber, President of Princeton University, stated “This summit provides an important opportunity for New Jersey higher education institutions to share programs

and practices to promote the wellbeing of our students. Working together, we can lead the way in better understanding and addressing the mental health challenges confronting college-aged young people today. Princeton University is proud to join in this critical
endeavor and grateful for the partnership throughout the State,”

Dr. Anthony Iacono, County College of Morris President, Chair of the New Jersey Presidents’ Council and Executive Committee Member of the New Jersey Council of Community Colleges (‘NJCCC’), said that “student mental health is an issue that is
critically relevant to all of our colleges and universities in the State, and it is an issue that rightfully consumes a significant amount of our focus, attention and resources. This Summit presents us all with a unique opportunity to bring campus counsellors and experts together to share positive messages and helpful information that will directly benefit our close to 400,000 students who live and learn in New Jersey.”

Greg Dell’Omo, the President of Rider University and Chair of the Independent Colleges and Universities of New Jersey (‘ICUNJ’) stated that “this first-ever New Jersey Higher Education Mental Health Summit promises to be an impactful event, as the sharing of best practices and the opportunity for our teams to learn together about proven mental health resources will directly impact the lives and well-being of many of our students. I am particularly proud of the fact that the Summit was originally an ICUNJ initiative but, in furtherance of our 13 schools’ ‘public mission’ focus, we expanded it to include all 54 institutions in our State.”

Richard Helldobler, President of William Paterson University and Chair of the New Jersey Association of State Colleges and Universities (‘NJASCU’) stated, “At William Paterson, we recognize that mental health resources are a critical part of the support we provide our students to help them have a healthy and successful college experience. We are grateful to Governor Murphy, Secretary Bridges, and all the State officials who are

focusing vital attention on this important issue for William Paterson University and all New Jersey students.”
From Interim Seton Hall University President, Katia Passerini: “Students’ well-being is of paramount importance. I am grateful to our team and over 470 participants for sharing mental health best practices in ways that will surely benefit today’s students and the thousands who will follow them. We at Seton Hall are honored to host this inaugural Summit and know that much good will come from this day.”

Detailed program and sponsorship information can be found here, at https://www.shu.edu/new-jersey-higher-education-mental-health-summit.html. Due to capacity limitations, registration has been closed for this year’s Summit.