For students with mental health issues, it can be a struggle to succeed in higher education. While all students have to deal with academic pressure and adjust to independent living, those with mental health needs must manage additional challenges related to their health and wellness. This can be difficult to do. In fact 86% of students with mental health needs drop out.
One way that colleges and universities can reverse this trend, and help students to stay in school and graduate, is by adopting a “supported education” model. The practice of supported education entails the creation of a network of campus resources that work together to offer services and develop accommodations that are tailored to individual students’ needs.
The CAFE TA Center visited the University of Utah in the fall of 2014 to see how their supported education program functions. By speaking with professionals, faculty and the students they serve, we were able to gain a sense of how a quality program creates a culture of responsiveness and empowerment to help students succeed.