Yusuf M. XX XXX Road East Brunswick, New Jersey 08816 [email protected] 16 June 2018 Tomara Baker Grants Management Specialist 5600 Fishers Lane Rockville, MD 20857 240-276-1407 [email protected] Dear Ms. Baker, My name is Yusuf M. and I am a visiting student at Rutgers University. After having conducted years of research on mental wellness with renowned health psychologist Dr. David Creswell, I’ve gained an increased awareness for the growing mental health crisis that plagues this country and a greater appreciation for the amazing work that organizations like SAMHSA are doing. As you know, mental health concerns are more serious and prevalent in today's society than ever before, yet not enough is being done about them. At Rutgers University, I’ve thoroughly investigated this issue from both the student’s and administration’s perspectives to put together a comprehensive plan, detailed in the attached proposal, that utilizes both a strong online presence and mental health education to reach as many students as possible. Currently, there are about 43 million Americans with mental illness and almost half of them aren’t seeking the treatment they need due to a lack of access to care or sufficient funds, fear of being labeled as mentally ill and/or not knowing where or how to seek help. For college student specifically, a whopping 80% of them aren’t seeking treatment. This is because, in addition to the reasons mentioned earlier, many universities like Rutgers can’t meet the growing demand for mental health services, and instead of reaching out to students, they have taken a reactive approach and have become triage services that quickly “treat” students as they come in. In order to make it easier for Rutgers students to learn about and use available mental health services and to diminish the negative stigma that deters many from getting help, I have devised a research-based plan that pulls effective strategies from the latest research and successful models. The first and second phases of my plan ensure that all students understand what mental illness is as well as how and why they should seek treatment. The third phase not only adds on another layer of support, but also breaks down many of the barriers to seeking treatment. Please take your time to read through my attached proposal. If you have any questions or concerns, feel free to contact me at 732-664-4498. I look forward to hearing from you soon! Sincerely, Yusuf M. Three-Pronged Approach to Addressing the College Mental Health Crisis: ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ The Rutgers Edition Submitted By: Yusuf M. Submitted To: Tomara Baker Grants Management Specialist 5600 Fishers Lane Rockville, MD 20857 240-276-1407 [email protected] Prepared for: Completed: 30th of July, 2018 Abstract This proposal is focused on finding an effective solution for dealing with the current rise of mental health issues. It starts off by.

1. Yusuf M.
XX XXX Road
East Brunswick, New Jersey 08816
[email protected]
16 June 2018
Tomara Baker
Grants Management Specialist
5600 Fishers Lane
Rockville, MD 20857
240-276-1407
[email protected]
Dear Ms. Baker,
My name is Yusuf M. and I am a visiting student at Rutgers
University. After having conducted years of research on mental
wellness with renowned health psychologist Dr. David
Creswell, I’ve gained an increased awareness for the growing
mental health crisis that plagues this country and a greater
appreciation for the amazing work that organizations like
SAMHSA are doing. As you know, mental health concerns are
more serious and prevalent in today's society than ever before,
yet not enough is being done about them. At Rutgers University,
I’ve thoroughly investigated this issue from both the student’s
and administration’s perspectives to put together a
comprehensive plan, detailed in the attached proposal, that
utilizes both a strong online presence and mental health
education to reach as many students as possible.
Currently, there are about 43 million Americans with mental
illness and almost half of them aren’t seeking the treatment they
need due to a lack of access to care or sufficient funds, fear of
being labeled as mentally ill and/or not knowing where or how

2. to seek help. For college student specifically, a whopping 80%
of them aren’t seeking treatment. This is because, in addition to
the reasons mentioned earlier, many universities like Rutgers
can’t meet the growing demand for mental health services, and
instead of reaching out to students, they have taken a reactive
approach and have become triage services that quickly “treat”
students as they come in.
In order to make it easier for Rutgers students to learn about
and use available mental health services and to diminish the
negative stigma that deters many from getting help, I have
devised a research-based plan that pulls effective strategies
from the latest research and successful models. The first and
second phases of my plan ensure that all students understand
what mental illness is as well as how and why they should seek
treatment. The third phase not only adds on another layer of
support, but also breaks down many of the barriers to seeking
treatment. Please take your time to read through my attached
proposal. If you have any questions or concerns, feel free to
contact me at 732-664-4498. I look forward to hearing from you
soon!
Sincerely,
Yusuf M.
Three-Pronged Approach to Addressing the College Mental
Health Crisis:
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
---------------------
The Rutgers Edition
Submitted By: Yusuf M.
Submitted To:
Tomara Baker
Grants Management Specialist
5600 Fishers Lane

3. Rockville, MD 20857
240-276-1407
[email protected]
Prepared for:
Completed: 30th of July, 2018
Abstract
This proposal is focused on finding an effective solution for
dealing with the current rise of mental health issues. It starts off
by presenting the issue at the national level, including the many
problems that those with mental illness face when they admit to
needing help. College students can be considered a vulnerable
population, and so this proposal looks into the many ways that
mental health support can be improved on college campuses.
Some of the research-based strategies examined include
workshops/interventions to promote mental health literacy,
centralized online platforms for students to understand what
they’re dealing with and how they can obtain help, a social
media presence to stay connected with students and to create a
supportive community, and finally, tele-therapy as a flexible
option for students to obtain professional help during off-hours.
Specifically, this proposal is concerned with the situation at
Rutgers University, where the administration has made it clear
that it cannot fully support the mental health needs of the
50,000+ student population and the students have complained
about the subpar treatment made available to them. Taking this
into account, this proposal presents a cost-effective,
comprehensive plan aimed at drastically increasing the quality
and amount of support available to students and lightening the
massive workload placed on the Rutgers Center for ADAPS and
Psychiatric Services.
Keywords: mental illness, college students, mental health
literacy, online presence, tele-therapy

4. Table of Contents
Introduction5
Mental Illness: A Serious Problem at the National Level5
Is the Situation any Better at College Campuses?6
Dividing in Deeper: The Problem at Rutgers University7
Conclusion9
Literature Review10
Introduction10
Theory - Mobile Health10
Model 1 - Colorado State University 10
Model 2 - Gustavus Adolphus College11
Model 3 - Texas Universities 11
Theory - Social Media Presence12
Model 1 - “Time to Change”12
Model 2 - The LADbible's “UOKM8?”12
Theory - Promoting Mental Health Literacy 13
Model 1 - Brown University 13
Model 2 - Ohio State University 13
Rutgers Model 1 - Community-based counseling 14
Rutgers Model 2 - Group Therapy14
Conclusion15
Plan of Action16
Introduction16
Phase 1 - Building an Online Presence 16
Phase 2 - Comprehensive Mental Health Workshop 16
Phase 3 - Nighttime Support for Those in Need17
Conclusion18
Budget for Plan20
Justification21
Discussion22
References23
Appendix31
Appendix A31
Appendix B32

5. Appendix C32
Appendix D33
Table of Figures
Figure 1 - Reasons for not seeking mental health support 5
Figure 2 - Common reasons for not seeking mental health
support during college8
Figure 3 - Most essential mental health services for success in
college17
Figure 4 - Summary of Proposed Plan17
Figure 5 - Contribution of various models to proposed plan18
Figure 6 - Budget for proposed plan20
Figure 7 - Rutgers Mental Health Facebook Page
(Screenshots)31
Figure 8 - Email correspondence with Nolan Tesone (Grit
Digital Health)32
Figure 9 - Email correspondence with Karen Simon (Celebrity
Mental Health Speakers)32
Figure 10 - Transcript of interview with Rutgers CAPS
representative33
Introduction
What comes to mind when you think of a person with mental
illness? For the average Joe, it’ll most likely be the crazy man
depicted in movies who lives in a mental asylum and takes
medications to stay sane. However, as you and I both know, a
mental illness or psychiatric disorder is one that affects people
of all ages and simply changes the way a person feels, behaves
and/or thinks about themselves and others. Many people also
forget how especially vulnerable the college student population
is. It’s during these stressful years that they’re required to
transition from being coddled as high schoolers to taking on
adult responsibilities, pressured to perform well academically
and expected to figure out their purpose in life. If this wasn’t
taxing enough, they’re also at the age when mental illness gets

6. so severe that it can no longer be avoided (Levine, 2018).
Therefore, it’s only logical for colleges to be providing
additional mental health support for their students, especially at
schools like Rutgers, where tens of thousands of students study
every year. Unfortunately, this is not the case, as the school
lacks sufficient resources and student needs are unmet (Zapata,
2017).
Mental Illness: A Serious Problem at the National Level
According to the National Institute of Mental Health, there are
over 43 million Americans currently dealing with mental health
conditions, and almost 10 million Americans have what is called
a “serious mental illness” (“Mental Illness,” 2017). This means
that their condition has become so severe that they have
“serious functional impairments that substantially interfere with
one or more major life activities” (“Mental Illness,” 2017). Not
surprisingly, adults aren’t the only ones dealing with mental
illness today, as an even greater percentage of American teens
(21%) and over 10% of children between the ages of 8 to 15 are
reported to have already experienced at least one severe mental
disorder in their lifetime (National Alliance on Mental Illness,
2015). For these teens, having to live with mental illness has
had an enormous negative impact. They make up a whopping
70% of the juvenile delinquent system and 40% of these teens
become high school dropouts, which is “associated with
negative employment and life outcomes” (“High School,” 2015;
“Mental Health,” 2015). What’s even more shocking is how
unlikely it is for a person with mental illness in America to
actually go out and obtain the psychological or medical
treatment he or she needs. According to a study done by Park-
Lee, Lipari, Hedden, Kroutil & Porter (2017), less than half of
adults with any mental illness (AMI) and only 65% of adults
with serious mental illness (SMI) actually seek out the
treatment they need. They also found that, for adults, cost of
care is a huge barrier and the most commonly cited reason for
not seeking help. Even more eye-opening is the fact that

7. barriers such as cost and stigma have a more profound effect on
adults who need treatment the most; those with serious mental
illness (Fig. 1).
Figure 1: Reasons for not seeking mental health support (Park-
Lee et al., 2017, p. 19).
Children aren’t any more likely to get help either. Studies have
shown that only about 50% eventually use mental health
services, and the average delay between onset of mental illness
and intervention for teens can reach almost a decade (“Mental
Health,” 2015; “Mental Health Screening,” n.d.).
Is the Situation any Better at College Campuses?
Despite being a major issue at the national level, this epidemic
has blindsided college campuses and is gradually becoming
more and more problematic. According to the National College
Health Assessment carried out by the American College Health
Association, over a third of undergraduate students report
“feeling so depressed it was difficult to function” (Hunt &
Eisenberg, 2010). A survey by the National Alliance on Mental
Illness found a similar trend, with almost a third of students
diagnosed with clinical depression, a quarter with bipolar
disorder and over ten percent with anxiety disorder (Pelt, 2013).
What makes it incredibly difficult for colleges to deal with all
of this is the fact that there is an increasing number of students
coming into college with severe forms of mental illness and an
expectation that their college can and will replace any treatment
they have been receiving (Pelt, 2013). Since college is the time
when arguably everyone is put under the immense pressure to
perform well academically, build a new social support system
and take on adult responsibilities, the burden is placed on
schools to make sure students receive the mental health support
they desperately need. However, the reality is that an
overwhelming majority of students aren’t receiving help.

8. According to Blanco et al. (2008), less than a fifth of students
dealing with any mental disorder, about 15% with anxiety
disorder and 5% with substance abuse disorder actually received
mental health treatment. More recently, a National Alliance on
Mental Illness survey found that about half of students chose to
never disclose their mental illness due to the stigma associated
with being mentally ill, and a little under half of students never
used campus services for a variety of reasons (Gruttadaro &
Crudo, 2012).
Why aren’t students obtaining the help they need? It all boils
down to a lack of campus resources to adequately meet the
growing demand for health services, and as mentioned earlier,
students fearing how they’ll be perceived by others if they
choose to get help. According to Thielking (2017), a survey of
fifty schools across the country has shown that students usually
have to wait days or weeks for just an initial review of
symptoms, and even then may be paired with a part-time
employee or counselor in-training. This is not ideal, since most
students only cough up the courage to open up and share how
they truly feel once they’ve formed a strong relationship with
their counselor. The situation is even worse at larger
institutions such as Indiana University or University of Illinois
where they may have one mental health provider for every 3500
students (Thielking, 2017). Stigma is responsible for the other
half of the issue. According to Corrigan (2004), students have a
fear of being labeled as mentally ill because they know it can
lead to stigmatizing responses from others and elicit negative
stereotypes. This leads to prejudice and finally, to
discrimination. People labeled as mentally ill are therefore less
likely to be employed, find the housing they need or obtain
standard medical care. Corrigan (2004) further explains that the
public isn’t the only source of this negative judgement and
avoidance, as family shame is commonly cited as another reason
for avoiding treatment. As a result, these students find it easier
to just deny “their group status by not seeking the institutions

9. [such as mental health centers] that mark them” (Corrigan,
2004, p. 616).
Dividing in Deeper: The Problem at Rutgers University
Rutgers University, in particular, is in deep water when it
comes to making sure that students have access to and are
comfortable utilizing mental health services. In 2016, students
made 30,000 visits to the two counseling centers, and this
number is on the rise every year (“Editorial,” 2017). In fact,
during that same year, the counseling office recorded just over a
5% increase in initial appointments and over a 15% increase in
the number of students utilizing group therapy from the
previous year (“Editorial,” 2017). This slight increase in student
demand wouldn’t have been much of an issue if the state
university had the resources to deal with it, however, that was
and still is not the case. Despite having a roughly estimated
counselor to student ratio of 1:1000 (including professionals
and interns), which just meets the ratio recommended by the
International Association of Counseling Services, the Rutgers
Counseling, ADAP and Psychiatric Services (CAPS) is still
struggling to handle their caseload (CAPS representative,
personal communication, June 6, 2018; Koray, 2012).
Commonly cited issues brought up by students include the fact
that the school of about 50,000 students only has two
counseling centers that both close before 5pm, the treatment
offered is similar to shock therapy, and that the services
provided are not reliable (Zapata, 2017). Given that students
generally have stressful coursework throughout the day,
extracurricular activities, part-time jobs and other adult
responsibilities, it makes total sense why the reasons for not
receiving treatment during college (listed in the figure below)
make up the top five reasons reported by students. However, it
makes little sense why one of the largest schools in the country
hasn’t taken this into account and made significant
modifications to make sure quality mental health care isn’t
compromised.

10. Figure 2: Common reasons for not seeking mental health
support during college (Gruttadaro & Crudo, 2012, p. 15)
.
Robert Barchi, the President of Rutgers University, has echoed
these sentiments and made it clear that the University does “not
have enough resources to accommodate [student] needs,” and
that CAPS currently serves more of a “triage service”
(“Editorial,” 2017). In other words, students need to look
elsewhere if they’re looking for anything more than standard,
acute care. This also means that students need to be able to
afford mental health care, which unfortunately isn’t the case, as
a majority of young adults either lack proper health insurance,
can’t find a provider who can take their insurance if they have it
and/or can’t afford the incredibly high copays after attending
only a few sessions (Singh, 2014). If we then assume that a
student’s parent has the proper health insurance to fully cover
the student until the age of 26, we’re forgetting about the
research pointed out earlier by Corrigan (2004) that found that
family shame is a big reason for avoiding treatment. As a result,
if it came down to relying on parents for mental health services,
there’s a great chance of that student not receiving the treatment
he or she needs. That being said, even if students do have the
required funds to independently seek out community based
professional support, the fact that Rutgers lacks the means
necessary to properly meet student wellness needs despite it
being the breeding grounds for menta+69l illness is
counterintuitive. I described it as the breeding grounds because
college has been proven to be the time when “most psychiatric
symptoms declare themselves or get bad enough that people
can’t ignore them anymore,” and adapting to college and adult
life places even more stressors on a brain that has yet to fully
develop (Levine, 2018). Consequently, it only makes sense that
schools prioritize this student need and provide a significant
amount of support.

11. Conclusion
Ultimately, there is clearly a problem with the quality of the
mental health support that students are receiving, especially
when quality is being compromised at schools to try and meet as
many as many students as early and fast as possible. It is also
clear that there exists a whole host of reasons for why a student
may not seek treatment, including stigma, lack of time, low
confidence in treatment and lack of information on available
resources. Thus, solving this problem requires an innovative
approach that not only addresses many of these reasons, but also
one that prioritizes the quality of the mental health support that
students receive.
Literature Review
Introduction
Before taking a look at proven strategies and models for dealing
with this multifaceted problem, it’s imperative that we make it
clear what the issues are that need to be addressed. The most
obvious problem that Rutgers itself has identified for us is a
lack of resources to meet the growing student demand. The
second area that needs improvement is ease of accessibility or
making it easier for students to confidently go out on their own
and seek proper help. That being said, this can only be
accomplished if the campus environment is conducive to help-
seeking. Accordingly, the following theories and models
directly address each of these issues and provide practical
solutions that can be immediately implemented at Rutgers
University.
Theory - Mobile Health
The first solution aimed at maximizing the availability of
resources to college students is called mobile health (mHealth)
and is defined as:
Any psychological or mental health intervention that is

12. delivered or supported by the use of mobile technology...That
enhances the treatment or assessment...Or provides clients with
greater choice for accessing treatment activities. (Clough &
Casey, 2015, p. 1)
Following a systematic review and meta-analysis of annual
college counseling reviews and studies on mHealth, Johnson &
Kalkbrenner (2017) concluded that mobile health has
successfully been utilized by schools to increase awareness of
campus resources, to effectively communicate health promotion
information, and to support students with mental health
disorders. In fact, in a 2013 literature search, Donker et al.
(2013) looked into the use of multiple mobile health
applications and found that they caused significant reductions in
mental illnesses, such as substance abuse and depression. In
addition, these mobile applications or online programs are the
best way to connect with students, since digital channels such as
these are nowadays the preferred method of receiving
information for students, and since they function as a repository
of reliable mental wellness information that students can tap
into at any time (Platt, 2011).
Model 1 - Colorado State University
Colorado State University is one such school that has
implemented an online wellness platform for its students. The
online portal, called YOU, “optimizes and expands university
resources and connects students with personalized content
curated and vetted by behavioral health experts to help them
navigate life and campus” (“Student Wellness,” 2016, p.1).
After just one year of YOU, over 80% of freshmen students
reported being better able to handle stress, as the interactive
portal provides personalized resources and identifies issues
before they turn into crises (“Student Wellness,” 2016). The
portal, accessible on both computer and mobile devices, has
students take a set of online health assessments. Then, using an
advanced algorithm, YOU connects every student to both on and

13. off-campus resources that will be most helpful to that student.
This not only makes it easier for students to learn about all the
resources that are available for them to make use of, but also
details which resources to use, explains what steps to take next
and monitors progress (“Student Wellness,” 2016). This
incredible feature in and of itself is essential, given the reasons
for why a majority of students who need mental health support
don’t end up using it. According to Czyz, Horowitz, Eisenberg,
Kramer & King (2013), an overwhelming majority of students
don’t believe that their problems are serious enough. Other
reasons included discomfort with opening up about mental
issues with a professional, lack of confidence in the treatment
and not knowing where to go. A system like YOU resolves all
of these issues, greatly simplifies the help-seeking process and
gets students directly where they need to be, rather than having
them wait days or weeks for an initial screening at the campus
counseling office.
Model 2 - Gustavus Adolphus College
Another college that has successfully introduced mobile health
to its students is Gustavus Adolphus College in Minnesota.
After facing a significant spike in the number of students
reporting mental health issues, the school partnered with a web-
based behavioral therapy program called “Learn to Live”
(Steiner, 2016). After identifying the specific issues that they
are dealing with, students are able to sign up for an online
program designed to teach them the skills they need to tackle
their issues. According to the director of the Gustavus Health
Service, in only a matter of a couple months, over a hundred
students had taken advantage of this new therapy option for two
major reasons. First, it provides greater flexibility and allows
students to take charge of their own treatment, making time and
a lack of confidence in the treatment a non-issue. In addition,
unlike walk-in group and individual sessions, the online system
is 100% confidential and can reach students who are
uncomfortable with walking into a mental health center or

14. speaking to a professional (Steiner, 2016). Critics might argue
that this is a poor idea, since the web-based support system is
preventing students from going out and talking to a
professional, but according to the school and the creators of
Learn to Live, the system has actually become a means of
educating students and empowering them to get professional
help when needed (Steiner, 2016).
Model 3 - Texas Universities
A third example of the successful implementation of mobile
health is the recent addition of online counseling services at
multiple Texas universities, including Baylor, Texas A&M and
UNT. The online program replaces most of the in-person
sessions and “provides informational videos, online exercises
and video consultations that cut the time spent on each
individual by nearly 70 percent” (Pattani, 2016). Similar to
other mHealth programs, this one allows students to take charge
of their treatment, while counselors monitor progress and
address any issues during video meetings. According to the
counseling directors at these schools, they’re now able to see
more students, especially those who don’t live on-campus, have
children or work a day job. Critics argue that the shorter video
sessions may be less effective because students aren’t able to
form the same connection with their counselor or share enough
information. However, even if this is the case, these sessions
are still a step up from having to rely on anonymous counseling
services like the Crisis Text Line or informal drop-in sessions
(Pattani, 2016). In addition, students can always opt to go with
the in-person sessions if this isn’t the right fit for them.
Theory - Social Media Presence
Similar to mobile health, social media has also proven to
provide an additional layer of support for those with mental
illness and nowadays has become the focus of mental health
research. As college counseling centers continue to rely on
things such as flyers and pop-up booths to reach students, they

15. fail to recognize the massive online community and the benefits
that come with building a social media presence. In fact,
according to Seidel, Ethan & Basch (2013), about four out of
five people between in their twenties uses social media and 85%
of adults report positive experiences. But aren’t students only
using social media to post pictures and keep up with the latest
sports news? Not quite. Moreno et al. (2011) evaluated 200
randomly selected Facebook profiles belonging to college
students and found that a whopping one out of four displayed
symptoms of depression. This means that students aren’t afraid
to openly share their thoughts and feelings with the world,
making it the perfect platform for counseling centers to reach
out to students and stimulate discussion on mental illness. In
addition, the Center for Disease Control has already done most
of the heavy lifting when it comes to identifying the major
benefits of using social media to address mental health.
According to their published guidelines, social media not only
allows you to target a specific population across time and space,
but also allows you to share evidence based content that can be
used to engage in meaningful conversations with followers and
allows them to share that content and become health advocates
themselves (“The Health Communicator’s,” 2011). In return,
this fosters a community that is more connected and
knowledgeable, open to talking about mental illness and willing
to share personal experiences. This was proven by Naslund,
Grande, Aschbrenner & Elwyn (2014), when they examined
nineteen videos posted to YouTube by individuals with serious
forms of mental illness and identified the four most common
types of peer support: “providing hope; finding support through
peer exchange and reciprocity; sharing strategies for coping
with day-to-day challenges of severe mental illness; and
learning from shared experiences” (p.1).
Model 1 - “Time to Change”
“Time to Change” is a large-scale mental health campaign and
the perfect example of how impactful social media can be. With

16. now over 350,000 people following its Facebook page, the
campaign relies primarily on shared personal experiences to
engage, educate and grow its audience. For example, the page
recently posted the following: “In the final part of her vlog,
Katie busts the third common myth about mental health
problems. What's the one thing you'd rather people said about
mental illness?” (“Time to Change,” 2018). Posts like these
garner a slew of comments, hundreds of shares and thousands of
views. How successful has this campaign been? Based on a
survey carried out by Time for Change, almost two thirds of
people admitted that they’re now more likely to open up about
their mental illness with family and friends and 90% admitted
that they now have the confidence they need to stand up against
mental health discrimination (“100,000 Join,” 2012).
Model 2 - The LADbible's “UOKM8?”
Social media is also incredibly useful for targeting a specific
audience and that is exactly what the LADbible Group has taken
advantage of with its “UOKM8?” social media campaign. Given
the fact that suicide is the number one killer of men under the
age of 45 in the United Kingdom, and that men are significantly
less likely to talk about their mental health, the UOKM8?
campaign was started to provide an online space where men can
comfortably share their feelings and support each other
(Doward, 2016; “The LADbible,” 2016). Within three months,
the campaign had reached millions of people by sharing the
stories of influential people with mental illness and articles on
the mental health stigma (Keane, 2017). Even though this model
isn’t focused on making sure its audience is aware of what
resources are available, it does a great job of spreading mental
health awareness and getting people to learn and talk about this
“taboo” topic.
Theory - Promoting Mental Health Literacy
Literature also points towards interventions that promote mental
health literacy as a means of reducing the stigma associated

17. with mental illness and boosting help seeking behavior.
According to Kelly, Jorm & Wright (2007), community and
school based interventions have been shown to improve
awareness and knowledge of mental illness, increase help-
seeking behavior and decrease stigmatizing attitudes. They also
found that the presence of a consumer-educator or someone to
provide personal experience had the greatest effect on
stigmatizing attitudes. Putting this research into action on a
college campus, Loreto (2017) found that college students who
took part in a three-hour mental health program demonstrated
significantly less stigma towards those with mental health
issues and were overall more accepting as compared to their
counterparts.
Model 1 - Brown University
Brown University has without a doubt taken the lead when it
comes to making sure it’s students fully understand mental
illness. A student run organization called Project LETS (Let’s
Erase the Stigma) holds an annual mental health orientation for
all students that covers a broad range of topics (“Orientation,”
2018). The organization hopes to end the stigma surrounding
mental illness, the largest barrier that people with mental illness
face, by raising awareness and educating the masses. The
orientation they run not only covers what resources are
available to students on campus, but also the various types of
mental illness, cross-cultural differences, accommodations
available to students, coping mechanisms and adjusting to the
stress culture. Interestingly enough, many of these topics were
brought up by students in a national survey conducted by NAMI
as areas they wished were addressed better by their colleges
(Gruttadaro & Crudo, 2012). In addition, the organization also
brings in students who have dealt with mental illness to share
their experiences (“LETS at Brown,” 2018). As mentioned
earlier, personal experience has a strong impact and is very
beneficial.

18. Model 2 - Ohio State University
At a much larger scale, Ohio State University has taken similar
steps to ensure that students are comfortable with seeking the
help they need. Even before classes begin, incoming students
are taught about mental illness, how to recognize suicidal
ideation and how to properly engage others who may be in
serious distress and point them in the right direction (Wallace,
2015). In addition, groups of trained students called “Peers
REACHing out” and the “Buckeye Campaign Against Suicide”
hold weekly meetings where they discuss various mental health
topics and larger events throughout the semester to educate
students, raise awareness and break the mental illness taboo.
The students spread the “REACH” message, which “stands for
recognizing warning signs, engage with empathy, ask about
suicide, communicate hope, help access care and treatment”
(Etchison, Drummer, Vaughn & Bernard, 2015).
Rutgers Model 1 - Community-based counseling
Rutgers University currently follows its own models for
reaching as many students as possible. The most recent and
innovative program run by Rutgers CAPS is the community
based counseling or “meso” practice (CAPS representative,
personal communication, June 6, 2018). It’s called a “meso”
practice because it combines aspects of both individual and
community counseling in order to have a broader impact and to
connect with students at multiple levels. Students can meet with
counselors who have similar interests both individually for
personalized therapy or in groups for workshops on topics such
as mental wellbeing and self-care (Kim, 2018). From my
conversation with a CAPS representative, the main goal behind
the program is to increase accessibility by embedding
counselors throughout the four campuses and to reduce the
stigma associated with visiting mental health clinics (personal
communication, June 6, 2018). She also added that the program
has been so successful over the past year and a half, that two
more community counselors are in the works of being added.

19. That being said, this program is not the best long term solution.
It is certainly effective and has fished out many students who
feared the idea of having to walk into the main CAPS locations,
but it does nothing to address the students who don’t have
mental illness. These other students without mental health
issues will continue to unknowingly believe the same
stereotypes about those who do and will continue to be
discriminatory, as was explained in Corrigan (2004). This
means that the negative stigma will continue to thrive and those
with mental illness will continue to feel isolated and ashamed.
This is why my plan will for sure require all students to take
part in an intensive mental health workshop, just as students are
currently required to attend academic advising sessions or
workshops on bullying/micro-aggression, drinking/texting and
driving, rape and consent, etc.
Rutgers Model 2 - Group Therapy
Another program that Rutgers CAPS relies on heavily as an
effective resource for students is group therapy. Currently, the
school offers over twenty different types of group therapy that
run anywhere from one to twelve weeks long. They’re run by
clinical psychologists, social workers or other mental health
specialists, and many of the groups, such as the mindfulness and
behavioral therapy groups, are based on years of research that
prove their effectiveness (Cantor, 2016). There are also
programs for students who may be going through specific and
unique experiences. These include groups for seniors who are
stressed out about having to now re-adjust and start a new
chapter of their lives, and another for minority men who are
given the opportunity to reflect on their unique experiences and
the effect that oppression may have had on their lives (“Group
Sessions,” 2018; Munoz, 2017). You might be asking why the
school is so heavily focused on this group therapy model.
According to Lockwood, Page & Conroy-Hiller (2004), group
therapy is just as effective as individual therapy, and both are
significantly more effective than no treatment at all. The added

20. benefit of group therapy is just that participants can interact and
learn from others, while receiving treatment as a group
(Schectman & Kiezel, 2016). In essence, the school can provide
students who are open to listening to others with group therapy,
which is just as effective as individual sessions.
However, there are also a few major problems associated with
relying on the group therapy model. With such a large variety of
groups to choose from, it can be difficult for students to decide
exactly which one to go with. For example, should someone
commit to the stress management group or the eight-week stress
reduction group? Also, what about the attention 101 versus the
focus group? This is especially true for students who don’t want
to have to discuss their situation with a professional, and
therefore don’t get extra guidance. In addition, literature makes
it clear that people are more likely to choose nothing when
faced with too many options. According to Dr. Liraz Margalit
(2014), this is due to innate human cognitive limitations. We
can’t properly evaluate more than a certain number of choices,
and so when we do become overwhelmed, we may become
frustrated and avoid the situation. Another reason brought up by
the doctor is time. Unless we have all the time on our hands to
make the best decision, we again won’t be able to compare and
contrast all available options and will opt to go with nothing
rather than making a rash decision. This is an important factor,
given that many students consider a lack of time to be a massive
barrier to seeking treatment (Czyz et al., 2013). Students
desperately need someone or something to tell them what the
best resources or groups are for their situation, and unless they
seek out individual therapy first, which has a low likelihood,
they aren’t getting this feedback. In addition, the second major
problem is that there is no information directly on the website
that explicitly mentions the effectiveness of group therapy. In
fact, the only benefit mentioned is that the interactions can give
“you useful feedback that you may not get among friends”
(“Group Sessions,” 2018). This is concerning, given that

21. another major barrier to seeking treatment is a lack of
confidence in treatment effectiveness (Czyz et al., 2013). Even
if students are open to talking about their experiences with their
peers, why would they do so if they don’t have a reason to
believe that it’ll actually work?
Conclusion
After concluding this literature review, it becomes clear that
there is no one theory or model that can adequately address all
the issues inherent in the way that mental health is dealt with at
the national or local level. A more realistic approach is to
combine the most effective aspects of each model and theory
described earlier, while keeping in mind the local models that
are already in effect at the location of interest. This is exactly
what I will do in the following section, where I describe my
plan of action.
Plan of Action
Introduction
Taking into account the research and models presented above as
well as the problems inherent in the way that Rutgers CAPS has
been dealing with this grand issue, it becomes clear that this is
a two-part problem that requires more than just a simple
increase in resources. If we stay focused solely on making sure
that we’re meeting the needs of the rapidly increasing number
of students who are seeking treatment, then we’re forgetting
about the entire other side of the problem. An effective plan is
one that also addresses those who don’t have mental illness in
addition to those who need treatment, but aren’t seeking it. The
following evidence-based plan targets all three sub-groups by
building a strong online presence, promoting mental health
literacy and addressing the biggest barriers to seeking mental
healthcare services.
Phase 1 - Building an Online Presence

22. The goal of this phase is to increase mental health awareness
and to bring all the resources offered at Rutgers right to
students’ fingertips. This will be carried out by implementing
the same online, interactive mental wellness portal (YOU) that
is used at Colorado State University. Once synced to every
student’s RUID, the portal can begin providing personalized
assistance to every student. This will be especially helpful for
when students are waiting days for their next appointment. In
addition, it also addresses two of the main barriers to help
seeking, which are busy schedules and lack of information on
available services. Students will now know exactly which
resources fit their schedules and which options are the best for
them.
Along with this interactive platform, the “RU Ready to
Overcome Mental Illness?” Facebook page will also be active. It
will not only be used for sharing evidence-based tips for dealing
with mental illness, as was recommended by the Center for
Disease Control, but also for advertising and live-streaming
informational workshops and other relevant student events. This
will ensure that all students have access to accurate information
regarding mental healthcare and will help eliminate the stigma
commonly associated with mental illness. Throughout the year,
similar to what the “Time to Change” campaign has been doing
for almost a decade, the page will be used to share student
experiences. This has been shown to not only engage more
followers and stimulate discussion, but also to boost help-
seeking behavior.
Phase 2 - Comprehensive Mental Health Workshop
This phase is aimed at directly increasing help-seeking behavior
and reducing the stigma associated with mental illness.
Specifically, this will consist of a mandatory four-hour
workshop on mental health for all new students at the annual
incoming-student orientation. The workshops, similar to the
interventions and workshops described in the literature review,
will be broken into four segments. The first segment will be for

23. explaining all the available resources and their benefits, so that
students are aware of all the options and when to use each one.
The second segment is based on the research done by Kelly et
al. (2007) and will be focused on promoting mental health
literacy. This means discussing the various types of mental
illness and their corresponding signs, understanding the harmful
effects on the mind and body, etc. This segment should be led
by trained students, since a study by Shin, Roseth & Ranellucci
(2017) has shown that students are more motivated to learn
when the importance of learning the material is emphasized by
peers instead of by a professional instructor. The third segment
will be set aside for explaining how and when to use the YOU
portal. In addition, students will be shown and instructed to
follow the “RU Ready to Overcome Mental Illness” Facebook
page. Finally, the last portion of the workshop will be set aside
for a successful individual with mental illness to talk about his
or her experience, since this was shown to have the biggest
impact on an audience and is a recommended strategy by mental
health experts (Corrigan, 2004; Kelly et al., 2007).
Phase 3 - Nighttime Support for Those in Need
And lastly, the goal of this phase is to hit three birds with one
stone by hiring a nighttime tele-therapist. The tele-therapist will
provide students with someone they can talk to face-to-face
from the comfort of their homes after the main CAPS locations
have closed for the night. This is perfect for students who either
work or have busy day schedules and need someone reliable
they can talk to besides an anonymous crisis-hotline worker. In
addition, as mentioned in Gruttadaro & Crudo (2012) and as
shown in the figure below, students prefer having face-to-face
and individual counseling (Fig. 3).
Figure 3: Most essential mental health services for success in
college (Gruttadaro & Crudo, 2012, p. 16).

24. Figure 4: Summary of Proposed Plan
Summary of Proposed Plan:
Phase 1: Building an Online Presence
· Interactive wellness portal ([email protected]) opened for
students
· Students can fill out personal assessments and learn about
relevant resources before the start of the semester
· Facebook page advertised and open for all students to follow
· Mental health information, events, personal stories, etc. posted
to educate audience and stimulate discussion
Phase 2: Comprehensive Orientation Mental Health Workshop
· Run by CAPS representatives and trained peers during summer
orientation
· Goals:
· Educate student population about mental illness to increase
help-seeking behavior and reduce stigma
· Explain all available resources, their purpose and how they
work (including [email protected] and Facebook page)
· Motivate and empower students to be confident, healthy and
happy through inspirational talks
Phase 3: Nighttime Therapy
· Hire a tele-therapist as an option for students who need face-
to-face support and are busy during the day hours
· Designed similar to the community-based counseling program,
except:
· Hours and location are more flexible
· First come, first served OR by appointment
Figure 5: Contribution of various models to proposed plan
Model
Concept
Colorado State University

25. Online interactive mental wellness portal
Time to Change
Sharing personal experiences on social media to engage
audience
UOKM8
Using social media to share informational articles and spread
awareness
Brown University
Peer-led mental health workshop
Ohio State University
Emphasis on mental health literacy
Texas Universities
Video consultations
Conclusion
This plan is bound to make a positive impact on all Rutgers
University students. Unlike any other model currently used by
Rutgers to address student mental health, the first two phases of
my plan ensure that every single student has at least a basic
understanding of mental illness and knows exactly when and
how to access mental health resources. Even without directly
addressing the negative stigma associated with mental illness,
enacting these two phases normalizes and raises awareness for
mental health issues across campus, while promoting help-
seeking behavior. If that isn’t enough support already, phase 3
has the potential to replace the “innovative” community-based
counseling program currently used by Rutgers, while providing
additional flexibility and confidentiality. Ultimately, this plan
will make Rutgers campus a happier and healthier place for all
students.
Budget for Plan
I am requesting Tomara Baker, Grants Management Specialist at
the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services
Administration, to help fund this plan. As the specialist, she
will be one of the key reviewers of my official SAMHSA grant

26. application that can easily be filled out on the SAMHSA
website. The “Mental Health on Campus Improvement Act”
requires that SAMHSA provide funding to colleges with the
goal of expanding and improving mental health services
(“Mental Health on Campus,” 2016). According to the same act,
a comprehensive plan with an effective approach to expanding
mental health services - like the one proposed here - should also
be given special consideration. In addition, SAMHSA awarded
$4.9M to 17 universities throughout the United States who
requested funding to support their mental health and suicide
prevention programs in 2017. The schools included Wayne
State, Johns Hopkins, Carleton, New Jersey’s Montclair State
and many more (“HHS Announces,” 2017). Given SAMHSA’s
goal to improve services on college campuses and the massive
amount of money at their disposal, this plan should not have
any trouble receiving the necessary funds. The budget for this
plan is detailed below:
Figure 6: Budget for proposed plan
Phase 1 - Building an Online Presence (July - August)
Element/Activity
Cost
[email protected] activated for students
$30,000
Social Media Manager
$3,360
Phase 2 - Comprehensive Orientation Mental Health Workshop
(August)
Element/Activity
Cost
Representatives from CAPS and Active Minds (student
organization involved with campus mental health awareness)
$0
Celebrity speaker with mental illness

27. $5,500
Phase 3 - Nighttime Therapy (August)
Element/Activity
Cost
Tele-therapist
$21,760
Alienware 17 r5 laptop
$1,900
Total Cost
$62,520
Justification
The total cost for phase 1 covers the implementation of
[email protected] and management of the “RU Ready to
Overcome Mental Illness” Facebook page. According to a
representative from Grit Digital Health, the creators of YOU,
the implementation and maintenance of the online portal will
cost $30,000 (Nolan Tesone, personal communication, June 8,
2018). Moreover, a student eligible for the federal work-study
program will be hired to manage the Facebook page. Since the
minimum wage for student workers at Rutgers University is
$11/hour, the student will be paid $12/hour x 7 hours/week x 40
weeks for a total of $3,360 (Johnson, 2018). Advertising the
Facebook page will be free, since it will be shared to the many
public Rutgers Facebook groups (e.g. “Rutgers University Class
of 2020 official” group with over 20 thousand members) for
students to learn about and follow the mental health support
page. Because the incoming student orientation already runs
annually and CAPS is willing to provide workshops free of
charge, the only expense in Phase 2 is for inviting a celebrity
speaker to speak to students (“Educational Workshops,” 2018).
According to Karen Simon, a representative from Celebrity
Mental Health Speakers, the cost of inviting a speaker with

28. powerful personal experiences such as Frank King or Andrew
McKenna is roughly $5,500 (personal communication, June 6,
2018). Finally, the cost of Phase 3 will consist of the annual
salary of a part-time tele-therapist as well as the cost of a
laptop. Assuming the tele-therapist will be working a four hour-
shift Monday through Friday, employed for the Fall and Spring
semesters and making $34/hour, the annual salary will come out
to be $21,760 (“Tele-therapy Salaries,” 2017). The tele-
therapist will also be given a $1,900 Alienware laptop because
it currently tops the list for video quality, speed and connection
(“Alienware,” 2018).
Discussion
Mental illness, affecting millions of people all over the country,
is on the rise, yet it still hasn’t gained the same traction that
other issues have. Even in 2018, few people truly understand
what it is or how to deal with it. In fact, most of the information
that is available to the general public is erroneous and
stigmatizing. This then leads to the dreadful situation that we’re
in now, where those who have mental illness are either afraid to
get treatment or don’t know if and how they should seek help.
The way most institutions have dealt with this is by actively
increasing the number of resources, speeding up intake
appointments and emphasizing group therapy. Just like
affirmative action, this approach taken primarily by universities
around the country was a great first attempt at turning things
around, however, it was not and should not be treated as a
permanent solution. For a decade, the mental health literature
has been booming, as more and more researchers have become
interested in battling this epidemic. Ironically, however, it’s
become clear that academic institutions have failed to keep up.
Research shows that one of the most effective ways to combat
the negative stigma associated with mental illness is by
emphasizing mental health literacy. It’s difficult to feel
empathetic and to help those suffering when you yourself don’t
know what they’re going through. In addition, this solution is

29. also great because it benefits both those with and without
mental health issues. Moreover, research has made an even
bigger impact by showing us what barriers we need to
specifically target in order to make mental health support more
accessible. Instead of aimlessly diversifying mental health
resources, colleges should be strategically funding initiatives
that knock down these barriers.
Coming from a “Rutgers family,” it’s been particularly difficult
seeing how much Rutgers University has been struggling to
meet the student demand for mental health services. Granted,
the school has never backed down and has constantly been
trying to solve this issue. However, unlike the popular saying,
it’s not just the effort that counts. A long term solution
shouldn’t be focused on treating the issue, but on preventing it.
In order to finally turn things around at Rutgers, this proposal
addresses all the major issues that the students and
administration is facing. In the way that this plan utilizes a
comprehensive workshop and strong online presence to keep all
students aware and informed, I’m confident in its ability to
finally change the campus dynamic and cultivate a happy and
healthy student body. Rutgers CAPS will no longer be burdened
by initial intake appointments as students will know exactly
what they’re dealing with and how to get help on their own.
Furthermore, the addition of tele-therapy ensures that
professional support is readily available for students who need
it throughout the night. Ultimately, by funding this
comprehensive plan, we would not only be improving mental
health outcomes at Rutgers University, but would also be
sending a message to all the other academic institutions around
the country to find similar solutions. By honing in on this local
problem, we can cause change at a national level.
References
Alienware 17 Gaming Laptop Built for Virtual Reality | Dell
United States. (2018). Retrieved
July 15, 2018, from

30. https://www.dell.com/en-us/shop/cty/pdp/spd/alienware-17-
r5/dkcwcflg033mp?cid=3124
65009&st=&lid=59673390040&ptaid=pla-
422846908282&VEN1=srF5kOWOy,256946
022215,901pdb6671,c,,DKCWCFLG033MP,51783542046,pla-
422846908282&VEN2=,
&pgrid=51783542046&dgc=st&dgseg=dhs&acd=123092383092
0560&VEN3=5351043
17100138681
Blanco, C., Akuda, M., & Wright, C. (2008). Mental Health of
College Students and Their
Non-College-Attending Peers: Results From the National
Epidemiologic Study on
Alcohol and Related Conditions. Archives of General
Psychiatry,65(12), 1429-1437.
doi:10.1001/archpsyc.65.12.1429
Cantor, C. (2016). Student Therapy Groups Grow in Popularity
at Rutgers. Retrieved June 25,
2018, from
https://news.rutgers.edu/feature/student-therapy-groups-grow-
popularity-rutgers/2016020
3#.WzB_QiApDIV
Clough, B. A., & Casey, L. M. (2015). The Smart Therapist: A
Look to the Future of
Smartphones and mHealth Technologies in Psychotherapy.
Professional Psychology: Research and Practice,46(3), 147-153.
doi:10.1037/pro0000011
Corrigan, P. (2004). How Stigma Interferes With Mental Health
Care. American Psychologist,
59(7), 614-625. doi:10.1037/0003-066x.59.7.614
Czyz, E. K., Horwitz, A. G., Eisenberg, D., Kramer, A., & King,
C. A. (2013). Self-Reported
Barriers to Professional Help Seeking Among College Students
at Elevated Risk for
Suicide. Journal of American College Health,61(7), 398-406.
doi:10.1080/07448481.2013.820731

31. Donker, T., Petrie, K., Proudfoot, J., Clarke, J., Birch, M., &
Christensen, H. (2013).
Smartphones for Smarter Delivery of Mental Health Programs:
A Systematic Review.
Journal of Medical Internet Research,15(11).
doi:10.2196/jmir.2791
Doward, J. (2016). Men Much Less Likely to Seek Mental
Health Help Than Women. Retrieved
July 15, 2018, from
https://www.theguardian.com/society/2016/nov/05/men-less-
likely-to-get-help--mental-h
ealth
Edney, D. (2004). Mass Media and Mental Illness: A Literature
Review. Retrieved from
https://ontario.cmha.ca/wp-
content/files/2012/07/mass_media.pdf
Educational Workshops. (2018). Retrieved June 11, 2018, from
http://rhscaps.rutgers.edu/consultation-and-
education/educational-workshops/
Etchison, Drummer, Vaughn, & Bernard. (2016). Access to
Support, Education Important in
Preventing Suicide (The Lantern). Retrieved June 25, 2018,
from
http://suicideprevention.osu.edu/access-to-support-education-
important-in-preventing-sui
cide-the-lantern/
Fawcett, K. (2015). How Mental Illness is Misrepresented in the
Media. Retrieved from
https://health.usnews.com/health-news/health-
wellness/articles/2015/04/16/how-mental-i
llness-is-misrepresented-in-the-media
FAQ. (2018). Retrieved June 11, 2018, from
http://rhscaps.rutgers.edu/faq/
Group Sessions. (2018). Retrieved June 25, 2018, from
http://rhscaps.rutgers.edu/services/group-psychotherapy/
Gruttadaro, D., & Crudo, D. (2012). College-Students Speak - A

32. Survety Report on Mental
Health. Retrieved from
https://www.nami.org/About-NAMI/Publications-
Reports/Survey-Reports/College-Students-Speak_A-Survey-
Report-on-Mental-H.pdf
Herzog, K. (2017). Psychological Services at Rutgers are 'Easily
Overwhelmed,' Barchi says.
Retrieved June 14, 2018, from
http://www.dailytargum/article/2017/10/psychological-services-
at-rutgers-are-easily-
overwhelmed-barchi-says
HHS Announces a $4.9 Million Grant to Reduce Suicides on
College and University Campuses.
(2017). Retrieved June 11, 2018, from
https://www.samhsa.gov/newsroom/press-
announcements/201706200200
High School Dropout Rates. (n.d.). Retrieved June 11, 2018,
from
https://www.childtrends.org/indicators/high-school-dropout-
rates
Hunt, J., & Eisenberg, D. (2010). Mental Health Problems and
Help-Seeking Behavior Among
College Students. Journal of Adolescent Health,46(1), 3-10.
doi:10.1016/j.jadohealth.2009.08.008
Johnson, A. (2018). Rutgers Students, Workers March to
Demand $15 Minimum Wage on
Campus (VIDEO). Retrieved July 15, 2018, from
https://www.nj.com/education/2018/02/rutgers_students_march_
to_demand_15_minimu
m_wage_on_campus.html
Johnson, K. F., & Kalkbrenner, M. T. (2017). The Utilization of
Technological Innovations to
Support College Student Mental Health: Mobile Health
Communication. Journal of
Technology in Human Services,35(4), 314-339.
doi:10.1080/15228835.2017.1368428

33. Keane. (2017). 5 Mental Health Campaigns That Made A
Difference | GlobalWebIndex.
Retrieved July 15, 2018, from
https://blog.globalwebindex.com/marketing/mental-health/
Kelly, C., Jorm, A., & Wright, A. (2007). Improving Mental
Health Literacy as a Strategy to
Facilitate Early Intervention for Mental Disorders. The Medical
Journal of Australia,
187(7).
Kim, K. (2018). Community Counseling Sessions Help Rutgers
CAPS Expand its Reach.
Retrieved June 17, 2018, from
http://www.dailytargum.com/article/2018/02/group-sessions-
help-rutgers-counseling-serv
ices-expand-its-reach
Koray, D. (2012). Demand for Mental Health Services Outpace
University of Missouri's
Resources. Retrieved from http://ijec.org/2012/02/10/160/
Levine, D. (2018). What Mental Health Needs Should Parents
Consider When Sending a Child
to College. Retrieved from
https://health.usnews.com/health-care/patient-
advice/articles/2018-04-13/what-mental-he
alth-needs-should-parents-consider-when-sending-a-child-to-
college
Lockwood, Page, & Conroy-Hiller. (2004). Comparing the
Effectiveness of Cognitive Behaviour
Therapy Using Individual or Group Therapy in the Treatment of
Depression. JBI Reports,
2(5), 185-206. doi:10.1111/j.1479-6988.2004.00011.x
Loreto, N. (2017). Reducing Stigma and Encouraging Help
Seeking Intentions Through a Mental
Health Literacy Program. Retrieved from
https://scholarworks.waldenu.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=5
409&context=dissertation
Margalit. (2014). The Psychology of Choice. Retrieved June 25,

34. 2018, from
https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/behind-online-
behavior/201410/the-psycholog
y-choice
Mental Health by the Numbers. (2015). Retrieved June 11,
2018, from
https://www.nami.org/learn-more/mental-health-by-the-numbers
Mental Health on Campus Improvement Act. (2016). Retrieved
June 11, 2018, from
https://www.congress.gov/bill/114th-congress/house-
bill/4374?q=%7B%22search%22%
3A%5B%22mental+health+campus+improvement%22%5D%7D
&resultIndex=1
Mental Illness. (2017). Retrieved from
https://www.nimh.nih.gov/health/statistics/mental-illness.shtml
Moreno, M. A., Jelenchick, L. A., Egan, K. G., Cox, E., Young,
H., Gannon, K. E., & Becker, T.
(2011). Feeling Bad on Facebook: Depression Disclosures by
College Students on a
Social Networking Site. Depression and Anxiety,28(6), 447-
455. doi:10.1002/da.20805
Munoz, D. (2017). Mental Health Town Hall at RU Bridges a
Gap. Retrieved June 11, 2018,
from
https://www.tapinto.net/towns/new-brunswick/sections/rutgers-
university/articles/mental-
health-town-hall-at-ru-bridges-a-gap
Naslund, J. A., Grande, S. W., Aschbrenner, K. A., & Elwyn, G.
(2014). Naturally Occurring
Peer Support through Social Media: The Experiences of
Individuals with Severe Mental
Illness Using YouTube. PLoS ONE,9(10).
doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0110171
100,000 Join Mental Health Campaign on Facebook. (2012).
Retrieved from
https://www.time-to-change.org.uk/blog/100000-facebook-

35. mental-health-campaign
Orientation - LETS at Brown. (2018). Retrieved June 25, 2018,
from
https://www.letsatbrown.org/orientation.html#
Park-Lee, E., Lipari, R., & Hedden, S. (2017, September).
National Survey on Drug Use and
Health Data Review. Substance Abuse and Mental Health
Services Administration.
Retrieved from
https://www.samhsa.gov/data/sites/default/files/NSDUH-DR-
FFR2-2016/NSDUH-DR-FFR2-2016.pdf
Pattani, A. (2016). Texas Universities Turning to Online
Counseling. Retrieved July 2, 2018,
from
https://www.texastribune.org/2016/07/16/texas-universities-
launch-online-counseling-pro
gra/
Pelt, J. (2013, July/August). College Mental Health Initiatives -
Outreach to At-Risk Students.
Social Work Today, 13(4), 26.
Platt, S. (2011). Can Colleges Meet Students' Preference for
Digital Communication. Retrieved
from
https://www.ecampusnews.com/resources/enhancing-campus-
appeal-with-next-generat
ion-digital-displays/can-colleges-meet-students-preference-for-
digital-communication/
Rutgers CAPS Should not be Capped. (2017). The Daily
Targum. Retrieved from
http://www.dailytargum.com/article/2017/10/rutgers-caps-
should-not-be-capped
Seidel, E. J. (2013). Using Social Media to Connect College
Students with Mental Health
Services. Journal of Mass Communication & Journalism,04(01).
doi:10.4172/2165-7912.1000e150
Shechtman, Z., & Kiezel, A. (2016). Why Do People Prefer

36. Individual Therapy Over Group
Therapy? International Journal of Group Psychotherapy,66(4),
571-591.
doi:10.1080/00207284.2016.1180042
Shin, T. S., Ranellucci, J., & Roseth, C. J. (2017). Effects of
Peer and Instructor Rationales on
Online Students’ Motivation and Achievement. International
Journal of Educational
Research,82, 184-199. doi:10.1016/j.ijer.2017.02.001
Singh, M. (2014). For New College Grads, Finding Mental
Health Care Can Be Tough.
Retrieved from
https://www.npr.org/sections/health-
shots/2014/06/04/318575228/for-new-college-grads-
finding-mental-health-care-can-be-tough
Steiner, A. (2016). Online therapy program meets college
students 'where they are'. Retrieved
June 25, 2018, from
https://www.minnpost.com/mental-health-
addiction/2016/05/online-therapy-program-me
ets-college-students-where-they-are
Student Wellness Portal Launched to Address the Well-Being
Crisis on Campus. (2016).
Retrieved June 11, 2018, from
http://www.marketwired.com/press-release/student-wellness-
portal-launched-to-address
-the-well-being-crisis-on-campus-2156069.htm
Teletherapy Salaries. (2017). Retrieved June 11, 2018, from
https://www.simplyhired.com/salaries-k-teletherapy-jobs.html
TheLADbible Launch 'UOKM8?' (2016). Retrieved July 15,
2018, from
https://www.thecalmzone.net/2016/09/theladbible-launch-
uokm8/
Thielking, M. (2017, February). A Dangerous Wait: Colleges
Can't Meet Soaring Student Needs
for Mental Health Care. Retrieved June 11, 2018, from

37. https://www.statnews.com/2017/02/06/mental-health-college-
students/
Time to Change. (2018). Retrieved July 15, 2018, from
https://www.facebook.com/pg/timetochange/posts/?ref=page_int
ernal
Wallace, K. (2015). Suicide prevention on campus: Removing
the stigma. Retrieved June 25,
2018, from
https://www.cnn.com/2015/09/09/health/suicide-prevention-
college-campus/index.html
Zapata, C. (2017). RUSA Task Force Addresses Problems With
Mental Health Treatment at
Rutgers. The Daily Targum. Retrieved from
http://www.dailytargum.com/article/2017/02/rusa-task-force-
addresses-issues-with-ment
al-health-treatment-at-rutgers
Appendix
Appendix A - “RU Ready to Overcome Mental Illness” Rutgers
Mental Health Facebook Page
Appendix B - Email correspondence with Nolan Tesone (Grit
Digital Health)
Appendix C - Email correspondence with Karen Simon
(Celebrity Mental Health Speakers)

38. Appendix D - Transcript of interview with Rutgers CAPS
representative
8
Introduction:
High school is the time when the motivation and ambition of the
children is high. All the student plan their college time with full
motivation and zeal. One of the thing which is the main obstacle
in the lives of the high school students is the increased college
expenses. In the presence of increased college expenses students
are more worried about managing their college without having
the risk of the increased debt on their parents or higher student
loan. Keeping in view the high number of students dropping
from the college due to the absence of college expenses, many
of the institutions and the state as a whole is offering college
funds either in the form of saving or in the form of a loan which
needs to be repaid once the student has graduated since in this
way the cycle of helping one another will continue.
College expenses are increasing keeping in view the merits
given to all the students in the form of academics and other
benefits being given to the students. There are many families
who are leading a difficult life as either there are sole earners or
the parents are already managing the expenses of their middle
schooling children which makes it hard for them to manage their
college going children expenses. The inability to give the
college fee enhanced the rate of students dropping out of
college. In Figure 1, it has been shown that during the time
period of 2000 to 2014 there was an increase in the college

39. student dropping out of the college due to their inability to pay
for the college dues. There are many children especially in the
region of the United States who are managing their expenses at
their own once they enter the phase of college life. Although the
number of students dropping have decreased in the year 2014,
but for the future of the students and the overall progress of the
country everyone in the country should have high education
along with some technical knowledge of the subjects they are
studying.
Figure 1: U.S college enrollment
Cited: (Macháčková Henderson, 2007)
Overview:
Keeping in view all the reasons behind insufficient funding for
college, college funding programs are beings designed. In this
paper, a college funding program will be discussed which will
focus on the students who give up on college as they are unable
to pay the dues. For this task, I will probably center on
understudies who are debilitated by school costs, battling with
subsidizing, or ignorant of school financing programs. I plan on
putting these understudies specifically in contact with current
students/graduated class, who are willing to reveal some insight
into monetarily enduring school. There are dependably assets
online to attempt and guide individuals and give tips and data,
anyway what better approach to truly get the jist of things that
to hear it straightforwardly from somebody who has been in
your shoes. This is to advance research and give consolation to
the individuals who can't finance their school vocations as
effortlessly as others. My long haul objective is to limit the
measure of understudies who stop their examinations or decide
not to promote their training after secondary school, due to
money related reasons. As the figure 2 demonstrates that almost
36% of the students are studying on loans while 7 out of 10
students in the college feel stressed about managing their
college expenses. 19% of those who are relying on their family
are undergoing through higher tension. Hence the issue of

40. funding needs to be solved so that the college students do not
adopt mental illness like depression and ailment of anxiety in
the long run.
Figure 2: Primary Funding For tuition
Cited: (National Student financial wellness study, 2016)
Goals of this project:
The primary and long term goal of this project is to find ways to
support the students who are dropping their college and getting
discouraged because of financial issues. My long-term goal is to
minimize the amount of students who discontinue their studies
or choose not to further their education after high school, due to
financial reasons. However as far as the short term goal is
concerned I will focusing on single state at a time and increase
college funding by gaining sponsors for all the brilliant children
and other methods for the average of below average children so
that no one mentions that they were not given a chance to study
in college. Other than this it will be focused that the families/
students in need of the assistance get connected with the right
people and funding process that can cater their problems.
Plan:
In this plan sequential steps will be followed to achieve the
major goal of the process.
Volunteer drive:
Put together a gathering of volunteers willing to be a piece of a
board for undergrad and approaching understudies and
additionally their families. Volunteers must be present school
seniors or graduates. I will advance this venture through flyers
and internet based life with the end goal to discover volunteers
this will include:
· Print media:
Printing out flyers and posting them all through Campus, and
Public spots, for example, (shopping centers, stores, eateries,
libraries, and so forth.) → these will give forthcoming
volunteers my contact data and a little understanding of the
program

41. · Social Media:
Promotion through online life will likewise be fundamental; so I
will post data on facebook and twitter, and additionally making
an instagram page explicitly for my occasion → and again each
will have my contact data and understanding on the expected
program
Discussion on the program:
Once I get a gathering of volunteers willing to partake, I will
hold free normal spaces, (for example, library meeting rooms,
gathering room on grounds, and so on.) for the occasion/s
Libraries have free regions accessible for gatherings/bunch
discourse occasions that are accessible to general society as
long as you save a room.
Major places of meeting:
· Many Coffee shops/neighborhood settings have free room that
they permit to be held for gatherings and such
· Classrooms on grounds are a possibility for projects and
occasions, for nothing, as long as you hold them
· Promote the board occasion through similar means recorded in
stage one, this time giving data and area of the occasion
Sessions for the potential participants and their parents for
assistance:
There will be two unique sessions accessible that you could go
to → this is trying to be adaptable and enable potential
participants choices to visit
Supporting material:
Each occasion will have paper parcels for the participants
posting distinctive assets they can use, counselors and
individuals they can contact to talk and look for direction, and
sites that give all the more subsidizing data (grants, stipends,
and so on.). They will likewise feature programs inside all
colleges that limit your costs, for example, Resident Assistant
projects that give free lodging, numerous games programs that
give monetary help (i.e. football, ball, baseball, and so forth.).
What's more, they will likewise feature programs similarly as
EOF, Work Study, and different projects expected to help in

42. understudies accounts → around 40 parcels for every session
Each program will have light refreshments and snacks for the
participants (water bottles, espresso, chips, and bagels)
Expected Outcome of the program:
Once the sessions are completed, it is expected that there will
be more and more people having awareness of the funding
programs.
Figure 3: Expected outcome after the completion of the sessions
Cost Analysis and fund raising:
In this section cost analysis will be done along with the ways
the funds can be raised for the deserving people.
Impact on the Rutgers Community
In this section I will explore why and how this plan will affect
the Rutgers community. I will include why this program is
necessary in Rutgers and other universities, and how it differs
from programs already available to undergrads here.
References:
Macháčková Henderson, L. (2007). Case study: Impact of the
EU Sustainable Development Strategy on research funding
policy through the EC Framework Programmes funding
stream. Envigogika, 2(2), 147-148. Retrieved from
http://10.14712/18023061.366
Steiner, V., & Wrohlich, K. (2011). Financial Student Aid and
Enrollment in Higher Education: New Evidence from
Germany*. The Scandinavian Journal Of Economics, 114(1),
124-147. Retrieved from http://10.1111/j.1467-
9442.2011.01669.x
Choy, S., Horn, L., Nuñez, A., & Chen, X. (2000). Transition to
College: What Helps At-Risk Students and Students Whose
Parents Did Not Attend College. New Directions For
Institutional Research, 2000(107), 45-63. doi: 10.1002/ir.10704

43. Baker, T. (2007). Parents of Suicidal College Students: What
Deans, Judges and Legislators Should Know About Campus
Research Findings. NASPA Journal, 43(4). doi: 10.2202/0027-
6014.1728
When we think back to our high school days, many people are
always able to recall memories that have stuck with them for
some time. Thinking back to my experiences prior to college,
senior year is a year that stuck out to me the most. Aside from
your typical memorable events such as prom, graduation,
homecoming, etc., I can remember meetings that I had with my
senior counselors. I spoke about college and my future plans
and made arrangements for college fairs to attend with my
family. We touched upon the topic of paying for my
undergraduate career, and of course I did not really delve into
the topic because at that moment I did not realize that I would
have to figure much of the finances out on my own. I am a first
generation college student, and none of my parents have even
dealt with college applications, tuitions, loans, etc. They were
just as informed on the topic of financing college as I was;
which was almost completely uninformed. When settling on
Rutgers University I definitely did feel a little discouraged
because of the fact that I did not know how I was going to
finance 4 years in such a costly institution. I was introduced to
financial aid and what it was, but again I did not have much
knowledge on it.
Come freshman year, I am then bombarded with all these
programs and seminars that are meant to help me figure out how
to get by in Rutgers as far as academics, finances, extra
curricular activities, etc. Although there are all these resources
and programs being introduced to me, it was very overwhelming
because of the fact that I was new to the Rutgers community,
meaning I really did not know how to take advantage of them to

44. the best of my ability. This caused me to leave these programs
in the back burner, and not really focus on them or what they
had to offer. As time goes by, I never went back to thinking of
those things that were introduced to me during the beginning—
financial help resources being one of them. This is an issue that
affects all freshmen and prospective students. Because we are
flooded with all these things during one time, we do not really
pay much mind to them and take advantage of them—especially
if this is your first time attending college, and your parents’
first time dealing with college as well. As time passes and the
realization of how costly it is to actually attend Rutgers
University, I start to get discouraged; especially seeing my
parents worry about the same issues. This discouragement is
something that affects people in many different ways. In my
case it prevented me from properly researching ways to help my
family and I with our financial problems. I wanted a quick
resolution to these issues but that was unrealistic.
My initial goal with this project was to make the transition from
high school and having free education, to being in college and
having to pay, a lot easier and smoother for families who are
being exposed to it for the first time. I wanted to do this by
exposing them to the options and resources that are available to
them in a less overwhelming manner. I really feel like having
my options presented to me in a more personal manner, with
people really taking the time to break down my options, explain
what everything means, and guide me in a way, resonates with
me a lot better than being flooded with emails and flyers of
people telling me what they do. In a study done on Financial
Aid, researcher Judith Scott-Clayton explains that “[e]vidence
is mounting that simple, low- to modest-cost coaching
interventions that reach out to students during the summer after
high school and throughout the first year of college can have
substantial effects on enrollment and persistence. For example,
in a series of randomized experiments, Castleman, Page, and
Schooley (2014) found that text messaging, peer mentoring, and
proactive outreach were all successful at reducing summer

45. melt…” (Clayton 11).
Plan:
For this project, my plan is to focus on students who are
discouraged by college expenses, struggling with funding, or
unaware of college funding programs. I plan on putting these
students directly in contact with current undergrads/alumnae,
who are willing to shed some light on financially surviving
college. There are always resources online to try and guide
people and give tips and information, however what better way
to really get the gist of things that to hear it directly from
someone who has been in your shoes. This is to promote
research and provide encouragement for those who cannot fund
their college careers as easily as others. My long-term goal is to
minimize the amount of students who discontinue their studies
or choose not to further their education after high school, due to
financial reasons. → However, I intend to minimize my
expenses a much as possible. To begin this project I’d first have
to:
1. Put together a group of volunteers willing to be part of a
panel for undergraduate and incoming students as well as their
families. Volunteers must be current college seniors or
graduates. I will promote this project through flyers and social
media in order to find volunteers this will include:
1. Printing out flyers and posting them throughout Campus, and
Public spots such as (malls, stores, restaurants, libraries, etc.)
→ these will provide prospective volunteers with my contact
information and a little insight of the program
2. Promotion through social media will also be essential; so I
will be posting information on facebook and twitter, as well as
creating an instagram page specifically for my event → and
again each will have my contact information and insight on the
intended program
2. Once I get a group of volunteers willing to participate, I will
reserve free common spaces (such as library conference rooms,
conference room on campus, etc.) for the event/s
. Libraries have free areas available for

46. meetings/group discussion events that are available to the
public as long as you reserve a room
a. Many Coffee shops/local venues have free room that
they allow to be reserved for meetings and such
b. Classrooms on campus are always an option for
programs and events, for free, as long as you reserve them
1. Promote the panel event through the same means listed in
step one, this time providing information and location of the
event
2. There will be two different sessions available that you could
attend → this is in an attempt to be flexible and allow potential
attendees options to attend
. Each event will have paper packets for the
attendees listing different resources they can utilize, advisors
and people they can contact to speak and seek guidance, and
websites that provide more funding information (scholarships,
grants, etc.). They will also highlight programs within all
universities that minimize your costs, such as Resident
Assistant programs that provide free housing, many sports
programs that provide financial support (i.e. football,
basketball, baseball, etc.). And they will also highlight
programs just as EOF, Work Study, and other programs
intended to aid in college students finances → about 40 packets
per session
a. Each program will have light refreshments and
snacks for the attendees (water bottles, coffee, chips, and
bagels)
Price: Costs will include:
· Printing flyers to find volunteers
· About 500 flyers at $0.11/pg at staples printing = $55.00
· Printing flyers to promote the program
· About 500 flyers at $0.11/pg at staples printing = $55.00
· Printing paper packets for the event sessions
· 5-10 pages per packet; $0.11/pg at staples printing = $22.00 -
$44.00
https://www.staples.com/sbd/content/copyandprint/copiesanddo

47. cuments.html
· Refreshment and snack expenses
· Nestle Pure Life Purified Water, 8-ounce mini plastic bottles
(12 pack) 1.88 X 6 = $9.40
· Frito-Lay 2Go Family Fun Mix Variety Pack, (20 pack) 5.98 X
3 = $17.94
· Plain Bagels with cream cheese spread ½ Dozen 5.79 → 5
Dozen = $57.90
· Dunkin Donuts Box O’Joe Coffee (10 cups of coffee) 13.99 x
6 = $83.94
Total price estimate: $301.18 --- $323.18 per session → if we
intend to do this twice a year, our budget would more or less
double resulting in a cost of: $602.36 --- $646.36
Patron → Collegiate Funding
Solution
s (CFS) → they are a company that provides parents and
families with support they need on how to properly save and
fund their own or their children’s college careers. They advise
you, coach, you, and provide you with information and
resources that would be useful.
A reason that they would be interest in funding my program is
because it would bring more recognition to the things that they
do and the services that they offer. They would be one of the
services listed on the packets given to the people who attend our
sessions, meaning they would have more clients use their

48. services because of this program and that is something that
would definitely interest/benefit them.
Although Rutgers has many sites and people that can tell you
where to look for help, they do not have programs that really
connect you with others who have experienced what you are
currently experiencing or what you are going to experience.
This program would connect you with no only sites and places
to go to look for funding (just like every other resource in the
university), but they will also provide you with connections to
real people who could guide you and influence your decisions
and assist you. People whose experiences go hand in hand with
yours and who will be able to properly guide you from prior
experiences. People who hopefully you can trust to give you
proper advice, rather than tips from online sites or general
advisors who just lead you to sites you can look on. Research
shows that “…lack of guidance has consequences for students’
decisions about whether and where to enroll. A substantial
percentage of college-intending students—high school seniors
who graduate on time, are accepted to college, and apply for
financial aid—nonetheless fail to matriculate in the
fall…(Castleman & Page, 2014).

49. Plan: → For this project, my plan is to focus on students who
are discouraged by college expenses, struggling with funding,
or unaware of college funding programs. I plan on putting these
students directly in contact with current undergrads/alumnae,
who are willing to shed some light on financially surviving
college. There are always resources online to try and guide
people and give tips and information, however what better way
to really get the jist of things that to hear it directly from
someone who has been in your shoes. This is to promote
research and provide encouragement for those who cannot fund
their college careers as easily as others. My long-term goal is to
minimize the amount of students who discontinue their studies
or choose not to further their education after high school, due to
financial reasons. → However I intend to minimize my expenses
a much as possible. To begin this project I’d first have to:
1. Put together a group of volunteers willing to be part of a
panel for undergraduate and incoming students as well as their
families. Volunteers must be current college seniors or
graduates. I will promote this project through flyers and social
media in order to find volunteers this will include:
a. Printing out flyers and posting them throughout Campus, and
Public spots such as (malls, stores, restaurants, libraries, etc.)
→ these will provide prospective volunteers with my contact

50. information and a little insight of the program
a. Promotion through social media will also be essential; so I
will be posting information on facebook and twitter, as well as
creating an instagram page specifically for my event → and
again each will have my contact information and insight on the
intended program
1. Once I get a group of volunteers willing to participate, I will
reserve free common spaces (such as library conference rooms,
conference room on campus, etc.) for the event/s
b. Libraries have free areas available for meetings/group
discussion events that are available to the public as long as you
reserve a room
b. Many Coffee shops/local venues have free room that they
allow to be reserved for meetings and such
b. Classrooms on campus are always an option for programs and
events, for free, as long as you reserve them
1. Promote the panel event through the same means listed in
step one, this time providing information and location of the
event
1. There will be two different sessions available that you could
attend → this is in an attempt to be flexible and allow potential
attendees options to attend
d. Each event will have paper packets for the attendees listing
different resources they can utilize, advisors and people they
can contact to speak and seek guidance, and websites that

51. provide more funding information (scholarships, grants, etc.).
They will also highlight programs within all universities that
minimize your costs, such as Resident Assistant programs that
provide free housing, many sports programs that provide
financial support (i.e. football, basketball, baseball, etc.). And
they will also highlight programs just as EOF, Work Study, and
other programs intended to aid in college students finances →
about 40 packets per session
d. Each program will have light refreshments and snacks for the
attendees (water bottles, coffee, chips, and bagels)
Price: Costs will include:
· Printing flyers to find volunteers
· About 500 flyers at $0.11/pg at staples printing = $55.00
· Printing flyers to promote the program
· About 500 flyers at $0.11/pg at staples printing = $55.00
· Printing paper packets for the event sessions
· 5-10 pages per packet; $0.11/pg at staples printing = $22.00 -
$44.00
https://www.staples.com/sbd/content/copyandprint/copiesanddo
cuments.html
· Refreshment and snack expenses
· Nestle Pure Life Purified Water, 8-ounce mini plastic bottles
(12 pack) 1.88 X 6 = $9.40
· Frito-Lay 2Go Family Fun Mix Variety Pack, (20 pack) 5.98 X
3 = $17.94

52. · Plain Bagels with cream cheese spread ½ Dozen 5.79 → 5
Dozen = $57.90
· Dunkin Donuts Box O’Joe Coffee (10 cups of coffee) 13.99 x
6 = $83.94
Total price estimate: $301.18 --- $323.18 per session → if we
intend to do this twice a year, our budget would more or less
double resulting in a cost of: $602.36 --- $646.36
Patron → Collegiate Funding