In the wake of the Higher Education Emergency Relief Funds (HEERF) era, federal emergency funds for higher education has concluded, but its impact endures on campuses wideness the country, as demonstrated in a recent Washington Post article. Connecticut State Colleges and Universities serve as a prime example, having used HEERF to expand wangle to much-needed 24/7 mental health services through TimelyCare for students at all 12 of its polity colleges. The system transitioned to institutional funds when the federal emergency funding was no longer available, to ensure that crucial support persisted.
John Maduko, M.D., President of Connecticut State Polity College, emphasizes the significance of this investment, stating, “It was a no-brainer to make that institutional investment. The numbers speak for themselves. The mental health challenges and insecurities had once existed. COVID-19 exacerbated them but moreover forced higher education, higher education leaders, and practitioners to pay closer attention. We cannot simply ignore what our students are facing.”
Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security Act or, CARES Act HEERF funds helped many colleges and universities subsidize the forfeit of bringing spare mental health support to students. According to the U.S. Department of Education, institutions have spent nearly all those funds that became misogynist in 2021. Yet many programs launched with help from this pandemic relief money were so successful that they have wilt hair-trigger to campus communities. Institutions now grapple with the rencontre of how to sustain these hair-trigger services post-HEERF.
Recently, TimelyCare’s Chief Strategy Officer, Becky Laman, moderated an engaging discussion at the Association of Polity Higher Trustees (ACCT) Leadership Congress well-nigh how polity colleges are finding the resources to support 24/7 superintendency for students. The panel, titled “Funding Strategies to Provide Sustainable Mental Health and Basic Needs Support in a Post-HEERF World,” explored the journeys of administrators, trustees, and legislators at three variegated school systems. These stories offer insight into overcoming various challenges to secure ongoing funding for equitable mental health resources for their students.
The panelists were Ryan Balber, Director, Virginia Higher Education Procurement Consortium, James (JW) Kelley, Associate Vice President, Student Services at North Carolina Polity Higher System, and Jennifer Keiper, Senior Director of CollegeBuys at the Foundation for California Polity Colleges (FoundationCCC). They discussed how their respective systems have secured funding to protract to support virtual mental health care.
Knowing the severity and the impact of the mental health crisis, Laman asked panelists how they gained sponsorship and stakeholders, given so many competing priorities.
In Virginia, a consortium created nine years ago by vice presidents of finance interested in cooperative purchasing, partnered with TimelyCare to write post-pandemic needs. Balber said, “The greatest thing well-nigh this project is it didn’t come from procurement. It came from student services enlightened of the need without the pandemic.”
He noted that Virginia’s 23 polity higher presidents met with the chancellor and requested funding, “They made sure they involved everyone in the process, and it started at the highest level at institutions with the same need at the same time.” In partnership with several public four-year universities wideness the state, “collaboratively, we were worldly-wise to satisfy that need.”
Keiper discussed how in California the need for student wangle to virtual superintendency was exacerbated by the pandemic so FoundationCCC prioritized the search for a solution. “We ripened criteria specifically tailored to higher education, focusing on HIPAA, FERPA, and Section 508 compliance; we wanted to make sure there was 24/7 wangle considering students need help at night and on weekends, and we didn’t want to tuition the students.” She said without a thorough vetting process, “TimelyCare became the well-spoken leader” and was awarded the contract for service.
In North Carolina, Kelley stressed creating a sense of urgency and making compelling arguments for next steps. He shared how the polity colleges’ student government undertone did a statewide survey of students and identified mental and physical health support as a pressing need. While the state workbench was going through a strategic planning process, “holistically meeting the needs of student mental and physical wellness” rose to wilt an firsthand whoopee item.
Laman pointed out that incorporating funds from federal, state, and system levels is “both an art and a science.” Many TimelyCare partners use combined funding sources and take wholesomeness of cooperative purchasing agreements. In fact, TimelyCare helps provide guidance on specific resources that may be available.
Balber highlighted that getting top-down support can help initiatives move faster and recommended that group purchasing agreements include, “flexibility for each school to have scalable and customizable programs.”
Reporting a return on investment in mental health and wellness was moreover identified as an important factor in securing ongoing financial support. According to Jennifer Keiper, “Data is key when asking for unfurled funding.”
“The storytelling piece is hair-trigger as well, so include student testimonials and build specimen studies.”perintendency that supports student success goals.
Kelley said there’s an interest in utilization, students’ persistence, retention, and completion rates. However, he stressed the importance of going vastitude mere numbers and capturing the qualitative aspects in return on investment reporting. This qualitative dimension contributes to fostering a culture of caring wideness campuses. He noted that utilization vacated can’t measure an “expected benefit” and pointed out that many employers provide health and dental insurance support for employees, but don’t expect 100% to have appointments every day.
When considering whether to limit wangle to virtual superintendency for part-time students, the panel strongly advocated for equitable wangle for all students. Kelly and Keiper explained how many polity higher students are in part-time programs for workforce development, technical skills certification, dual enrollment, or upper school equivalency completion. They emphasized that mental health affects every speciality of a student’s experience, and no one should be excluded. Delaying support hampers students’ well-being.
Kelley’s message to polity higher leaders is one of perseverance. “Don’t requite up on securing the necessary funding for student mental health and wellness.” His translating is simple: if Plan A doesn’t work, go to Plan B, and plane Plan C if necessary.
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