Columbia State Community College receives grant to fund student mental health initiative

A $50,000 Student Engagement, Retention and Success grant has been awarded to Columbia State Community College from the Tennessee Board of Regents. The grant will fund the school’s project entitled “Well-Being Initiative: Cultivating Mental Wellness at Columbia State,” which aims to support students and their mental health.

According to an article on Columbia State Community College’s website, Dr. Christa Martin, who serves as the school’s executive director of belonging and student resources, explained the necessity of projects like this one. She is quoted as saying, “Students enrolled in higher education institutions may have several barriers that impact their opportunities to complete their academic goals. Mental health concerns may be on the list for our students. We can use this grant award to promote mental health prevention and to support the cost of student access to medical professionals. This is a critical concern and the entire college community can help remove this barrier.”

The initiative aims to be far-reaching and comprehensive, giving students access to a number of resources that will assist them in overcoming mental health obstacles. Among the facets of the project include stress management workshops, workshops to help manage ADHD, helping students with medication management, and providing students with vouchers for psychiatric appointments. It also intends to help remove the stigma that still persists surrounding mental health issues by promoting these resources widely around campus and encouraging everyone to utilize them if needed.

Columbia State Community College already has a Counseling Center on campus, providing free mental health support from licensed counselors for students. Melissa Febbroriello, LCSW, counselor and case manager with the Counseling Center, is enthusiastic about the additional resources this new grant will allow the center to provide.

“The Counseling Center is thrilled for this opportunity from TBR to bolster the therapeutic support we are able to provide for our students in our office and with our community and medical partners. We will be able to add even more proactive programming to develop coping and resiliency skills in an effort to create successful students inside and outside of the classroom,” she said.

For more information about Columbia State Community College, visit the school’s website.