Ohio Department of Higher Education awards Mental Health Support Grant to University of Northwestern Ohio

The University of Northwestern Ohio has received a grant totaling $168,551 from the Ohio Department of Higher Education to support the enhancement of mental health care and services available to students on campus.

According to an article on the University of Northwestern Ohio’s website, Dr. Jeffrey A. Jarvis, the university’s president, was quoted as saying of the possibilities receiving the grant will open up for the university, "This grant is a significant step towards creating a campus environment where every student feels supported and has access to the resources they need for their mental well-being.”

Dr. Jaclyn Jarvis, who is a Licensed Clinical Psychologist and the director of the Counseling Center at the University of Northwestern Ohio, is the one who applied for the grant to align with the school’s mission to support and improve the mental health of its campus community.

The plans for the grant funding are wide reaching. One of the overarching initiatives planned is to increase awareness surrounding mental health treatment options, which will in part be accomplished by offering training and certification opportunities to staff and students. The school will also begin offering telehealth options to faculty, staff, and students to help eliminate some of the things that often stand in the way of those in need of help from receiving it, like a lack of flexibility in scheduling. There will also be psychological assessments available on campus through the enhancement of the campus Counseling Center.

Another initiative the school is planning is to have a mental health library available within the University of Northwestern Ohio’s library. The types of reading available in the mental health library will include behavioral and mental health literature. Finally, the school will plan community events to take place throughout the 2024-2025 school year to help increase mental health awareness and foster a sense of community.

For more information about the University of Northwestern Ohio, visit the school’s website.