Emmons Health Promotion engages in strategic planning to enhance student well-being, in partnership with departments across campus.
JED Campus
In Spring 2025, Occidental College became a JED Campus. The Jed Foundation is a nonprofit mental health organization that works with schools to strengthen their ability to build mental health and resilience among their students. As a JED Campus, we will receive data collection support and technical assistance to create and implement a strategic plan to prevent suicide on campus, using the JED Campus Comprehensive Approach. Our partnership with JED Campus is made possible by funding from the GLS Suicide Prevention Grant under SAMHSA.
Timeline
April 2025: In partnership with JED Campus, conducted the Healthy Minds Study at Oxy.
Spring 2025: Assembled our Oxy JED Campus Task Force, an interdisciplinary team of staff and students from across campus, including representatives from Emmons Wellness Center, Athletics, Disability Services, the Dean of Students Office, the International Programs Office, Project SAFE, Academic Affairs, Facilities, and the Intercultural Community Center.
July 2025: The Oxy Task Force completed the JED Campus Baseline Assessment.
November 2025: JED Campus respresentatives conducted a site visit, which included a campus tour and focus groups with staff, faculty, and students, and a meeting with the JED Campus Task Force.
January 2026: The Oxy Task Force will receive the Strategic Plan from JED Campus. JED Campus representatives will visit Oxy to meet with the JED Campus Task force and other staff, faculty, and student stakeholders.
January 2026–Spring 2029: The Oxy JED Campus Task Force will work toward implementing the Strategic Plan, with assistance from JED Campus.
Spring 2029: In partnership with JED Campus, we will repeat the Healthy Minds Study at Oxy to help measure progress made.
JED Campus Subcommittees and Membership
Protective & Preventive Factors Subcommittee
Laura Fettig, Emmons Wellness Center
Felicia Flores, Disability Services
Danielle Harris, Intercultural Community Center
Shanda Ness, Athletics
Elena Newton-Day, Student
Eric Robinson, Emmons Wellness Center
Devon Sakamoto, Emmons Wellness Center
Alexia Sambrano, Project SAFE
Early Intervention
Carly Acuña, Dean of Students
Caro Brighouse, Academic Affairs
Laura Fettig, Emmons Wellness Center
Marisa Grover Mofford, International Programs Office
Danielle Harris, Intercultural Community Center
Eric Robinson, Emmons Wellness Center
Katherine Torrey, Admissions
Environmental Safety
Alison Linder, Sustainability/Facilities
Devon Sakamoto, Emmons Wellness Center
Keana Woods, Residential Education & Housing Services
Policies
Caro Brighouse, Academic Affairs
Anthony Ferreria, Dean of Students
Marcus A. Rodriguez, SLICE
GLS Suicide Prevention Grant
In the Fall of 2024, Occidental College was awarded the Garret Lee Smith (GLS) Suicide Prevention Grant by the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA).
Purpose
The purpose of the GLS Suicide Prevention Grant is to provide institutions of higher education with the tools to develop a comprehensive, collaborative, well-coordinated, and evidence-based approach to:
- Enhance services for all college students, including those at risk for suicide, depression, serious mental illness, and/or substance use disorders that can lead to school failure;
- Prevent mental and substance use disorders;
- Promote help-seeking behavior and reduce stigma; and
- Improve the identification and treatment of at-risk college students so they can successfully complete their studies.
Using the Jed Foundation’s Comprehensive Approach to Mental Health Promotion and Suicide Prevention for Colleges and Universities, we identified significant gaps, which indicated a need for infrastructure building, clinical capacity building, enhanced data collection and assessment, suicide prevention training and educational programming, and an environmental scan to ensure we are reducing access to lethal means. These gaps will be addressed through our work under this grant.