The money will bolster mental health counseling, advocacy, recovery and emotional support efforts.
(Livermore, CA) - To address the mental health needs of students across the Chabot-Las Positas Community College District (CLPCCD), Chabot and Las Positas (LPC) colleges have received a $500,000 grant from the State Chancellor's California Community Colleges Mental Health Services Program.
It's estimated that as many as one in four students has a diagnosable mental illness, but as many as 40 percent of those students are not currently seeking mental health services. Addressing student mental health leads to greater learning outcomes, fewer instances of homelessness and a reduction in suicide rates, which claims more than 1,100 lives every year.
With demands for mental health services on the rise, CLPCCD submitted a joint application to support expanded direct mental health services for students, professional development and mental health first aid training. The district's submission was one of 16 funded proposals.
"This grant from the State Chancellor's Office is critical to Chabot's ability to further develop and expand much-needed mental health services, programs and trainings on campus such as counseling therapy, mental health first aid and various support groups to help students persist in their educational and career goals," said Chabot's Vice President of Student Services Matthew Kritscher, Ed.D.
Kritscher said the Chabot College counseling, advocacy, recovery and emotional support (CARES) team will provide leadership and coordination of Chabot's $400,000 grant to maximize resources in a way that engages the entire campus in responsive interventions that support student equity and success.
According to LPC's Vice President of Student Services William Garcia, the college
will use its $100,000 grant to support and expand mental health services.
"The college is experiencing an increase in mental health referrals and this investment
by the state will allow for the Student Health & Wellness Center to hire additional
personnel, explore online services, and outreach to vulnerable student populations,"
he said.
Research shows that for every dollar invested in student prevention and early intervention mental health services, California will see an economic return of between $6 and $11 as a result of higher graduation rates. Last July, Governor Gavin Newsom signed AB 74 authorizing $7 million in funding to support the California Community Colleges Mental Health Services Program by providing grants for community college districts to collaborate with county behavioral health departments in an effort to improve student access to mental health services and early identification and intervention programs. Other grant recipients include: Barstow Community College District, Chaffey Community College District, Coast Community College District, Foothill-DeAnza Community College District, Los Angeles Community College District, Los Rios Community College District, Ohlone Community College District, Palomar Community College Districts, Pasadena Area Community College District, San Jose-Evergreen Community College District, San Luis Obispo County Community College District, Santa Clarita Community College District, Santa Monica Community College District, South Orange County Community College District and Ventura County Community College District.
About Chabot-Las Positas Community College District
CLPCCD serves 29,000 students annually, in the San Francisco East Bay Area, particularly
southern Alameda County, through its two colleges: Chabot College in Hayward and Las
Positas College in Livermore. CLPCCD is governed by a seven-member board of trustees
which is responsible for all policy decisions. Board members are elected from trustee
areas by the registered voters of nine communities: Castro Valley, Dublin, Hayward,
Livermore, Pleasanton, San Leandro, San Lorenzo, Sunol, and Union City.