| Overall Rating | Silver |
|---|---|
| Overall Score | 54.78 |
| Liaison | Christa Rieck |
| Submission Date | Jan. 3, 2024 |
University of Houston
IN-50: Innovation D
| Status | Score | Responsible Party |
|---|---|---|
|
0.50 / 0.50 |
Elizabeth
Clark Sustainability Coordinator Facilities Planning |
"---"
indicates that no data was submitted for this field
Name or title of the innovative policy, practice, program, or outcome:
Coogs CARE
A brief description of the innovative policy, practice, program, or outcome that outlines how credit criteria are met and any positive measurable outcomes associated with the innovation:
After a series of mental health tragedies at the University of Houston, UH assembled a Mental Health Taskforce to address the needs of our campus community. This group has ardently advocated for the expansion of resources that support the mental well-being of our UH family. The result was Coogs CARE, a multifaceted communications initiative providing information on campus resources, self-care tips, workshops, trainings and other helpful content. A monthly newsletter and online portal have proven to be two of CoogsCARE’s most popular platforms.
One important outgrowth of CoogsCARE is UH’s increased participation in the JED Campus Initiative. As a JED campus, the University’s students, faculty and staff collaborate to assess and enhance resources and policies related to mental health and suicide prevention. This year, more than 200 Cougars have joined UH’s JED efforts and are contributing their time and energy to campus work groups.
In 2023, the University also added new mental health services for students. These include the 24/7 online portal Togetherall, virtual self-care via the Welltrack app and outpatient therapy available through Charlie Health. Likewise, UH’s own Care Team, supporting campus safety and wellbeing, has grown.
Other significant gains driven by cross-campus collaborations include further support of UH’s Counseling and Psychological Services (CAPS). This year, CAPS eliminated all student fees and expanded its services to include programming within the Student Center. Likewise, CAPS has increased its workshops to better accommodate the student population.
Retaining and recruiting CAPS counselors was also a priority. In 2023, counselors received salary increases and started to become embedded within UH’s colleges to reach more students.
Trainings for the Cougar community have also grown. These include You Can Help a Coog, and the expanded promotion of Question, Persuade, Refer (QPR) suicide prevention training, which has experienced an uptick in participants this year.
The University also began implementing mental health and wellness sessions during new student orientations, as well as the addition of peer assistants to further connect with incoming Coogs. All students now have easy access to mental health resources such as CoogsCARE and CAPS through Canvas and all class syllabi.
One important outgrowth of CoogsCARE is UH’s increased participation in the JED Campus Initiative. As a JED campus, the University’s students, faculty and staff collaborate to assess and enhance resources and policies related to mental health and suicide prevention. This year, more than 200 Cougars have joined UH’s JED efforts and are contributing their time and energy to campus work groups.
In 2023, the University also added new mental health services for students. These include the 24/7 online portal Togetherall, virtual self-care via the Welltrack app and outpatient therapy available through Charlie Health. Likewise, UH’s own Care Team, supporting campus safety and wellbeing, has grown.
Other significant gains driven by cross-campus collaborations include further support of UH’s Counseling and Psychological Services (CAPS). This year, CAPS eliminated all student fees and expanded its services to include programming within the Student Center. Likewise, CAPS has increased its workshops to better accommodate the student population.
Retaining and recruiting CAPS counselors was also a priority. In 2023, counselors received salary increases and started to become embedded within UH’s colleges to reach more students.
Trainings for the Cougar community have also grown. These include You Can Help a Coog, and the expanded promotion of Question, Persuade, Refer (QPR) suicide prevention training, which has experienced an uptick in participants this year.
The University also began implementing mental health and wellness sessions during new student orientations, as well as the addition of peer assistants to further connect with incoming Coogs. All students now have easy access to mental health resources such as CoogsCARE and CAPS through Canvas and all class syllabi.
Optional Fields
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The website URL where information about the programs or initiatives is available:
Additional documentation to support the submission:
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Data source(s) and notes about the submission:
Update on Coogs CARE from Raymond S. Bartlett, Senior Vice President for Administration and Finance: https://uh.edu/infotech/services/e-comm/official-email/view.php?sendit=aHR0cHM6Ly9jbG91ZGFwcHMudWguZWR1L3NlbmRpdC93L3VlZlhpTVZMSTNLUjdYRENQakFpakEvWW5NUVVXMVZMVWNqTnJJRDVtMHpQQS9FTTc2M204T2FkcXQ0V1RvSm1yWTE3c2c=
Coogs CARE Website: https://www.uh.edu/coogs-care/
JED Campus Initiative: https://uh.edu/caps/outreach/prevent-suicide/
CAPS Homepage: https://www.uh.edu/caps/
Coogs CARE Website: https://www.uh.edu/coogs-care/
JED Campus Initiative: https://uh.edu/caps/outreach/prevent-suicide/
CAPS Homepage: https://www.uh.edu/caps/
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