Illinois College Receives GEER Funding to Support Mental Health Training

By Benjamin Cox on February 14, 2023 at 5:58am

Illinois College has recently received a grant to help support the mental health needs of its students.

I.C. was awarded $50,000 through the Governor’s Emergency Education Relief Fund, established in the CARES Act to provide local educational agencies, higher education institutions and other education-related entities with emergency assistance as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic.

The grant is going to be used to establish a campus-wide network to help identify and assist in mental health situations for students in crisis. Illinois College’s Center for Academic Excellence, in collaboration with Chesley Health and Wellness Center, began training for faculty and staff members last month. The Chesley Health & Wellness Center is the on-campus student service for all things health related provided by licensed professionals.

Over the course of the semester, the mental health professionals assisting with the program will return to campus for eight sessions to offer additional training to widen the net of support.

Since the Fall 2022, Illinois College has worked to improve access and information about mental health services both on and off campus. Every new student ID includes a QR code that quickly and easily links to an up-to-date list of resources available.