Governor Roy Cooper joined DHHS Secretary Kody Kinsley, North Carolina Independent Colleges and Universities (NCICU) President Hope Williams, and Presidents and campus leaders from the majority of North Carolina’s independent colleges and universities in a virtual meeting on Wednesday, March 1, to discuss ongoing efforts to support mental health for college students across North Carolina.

President Williams and institutional Presidents shared successes and challenges they are seeing in addressing student mental health at their institutions. Secretary Kinsley highlighted available state resources and best practices for supporting behavioral health in college students. The Governor acknowledged that while issues of mental health are not isolated to college students, it is essential to find ways to support students to ensure they can complete their degree programs. Additionally, the Governor shared his gratitude to the Presidents for their engagement with the Mental Health First Aid training supported by a $5 million grant previously directed by the Governor and for their upcoming partnership with the UNC System to train faculty and staff in suicide prevention.

This meeting follows a similar meeting in February with the Governor, state health officials, UNC President Peter Hans, Chancellors and leaders from the 17 UNC System campuses.

Funding for the upcoming Mental Health First Aid training comes from a $7.7 million grant the Governor recently announced to support mental health initiatives for college students.