In 2020, Ithaca College began a partnership with the JED Foundation, whose mission is to strengthen mental health, substance misuse, and suicide prevention programs and systems within educational spaces.  The JED process is a four-year strategic partnership which allows our campus to assess and enhance the work already being done, as well as foster positive, systemic change both on campus and in the greater community.

Health Minds Survey:

The first step of this work was to form a Task Force, chaired by CAPS Director, Brian Petersen, and to engage in a self-study with the goal of administering the Healthy Minds Survey during the spring 2021 semester.  This annual survey asks students to honestly convey their experiences of mental wellness support at IC, to identify aspirations and areas for community change, and to discuss how their experience at Ithaca College is impacting them emotionally.  

From March 2-23, 2021, the campus survey was completed with 1,226 students participating. The survey results indicated that 84% of participants reported feeling the need for mental health support services and 60% reported that they had received services at some point in the past.

Only 2% of students reported that they would perceive someone negatively for having received services.  This suggests a positive mental health culture.  When combined with strong awareness of the availability of resources, 86%, it suggests that the Ithaca College campus is a place where students feel comfortable seeking out support for mental health concerns.