According to state and national data, the COVID-19 pandemic has exacerbated a longstanding mental health crisis among students in secondary and postsecondary institutions. Services are provided at both levels of the education sector, but more needs to be done to coordinate efforts among the state's departments of Elementary and Secondary Education, Higher Education & Workforce Development, and Mental Health.
Taskforce Purpose
To help address this issue, the Missouri Department of Higher Education and Workforce Development (MDHEWD) is spearheading a Student Mental Health Taskforce. The taskforce is charged with improving the student mental health climate at postsecondary institutions by determining ways K-12, Higher Education, and the Department of Mental Health can partner to bridge the gap between mental health services provided in elementary and secondary schools and the services available at postsecondary institutions.
Taskforce Objectives
The taskforce will focus on four main objectives:
- Identify most common mental health issues faced by Missouri students and common underlying reasons;
- Identify a unified approach to resolving gaps in mental health services;
- Develop resource guide and website to share info along with training;
- Continue to promote HappierU media content and integrate new content once HappierU grant funds end.