Gov. Cooper announces $7.7 million state college/university mental health program

RALEIGH, N.C. (WITN) - Governor Roy Cooper is extending his mental health program for state-wide mental health care in universities and colleges.

The UNC System will support the governor’s new mental health initiative and build on the previous $5 million plan from May 2021. The aim is to work with the North Carolina Community College System to reach colleges and universities all across the state.

Cooper says staff and faculty will receive training on suicide prevention and how to identify and support a student in crisis.

“Identifying their mental distress and getting them access to quality treatment is more critical for our students than ever,” Governor Cooper said. “This investment will help our state’s colleges and universities better support their students so they can thrive.”

As of November 2022, UNC Systems had trained 274 mental health first aid instructors all across the North Carolina education systems. These instructors in turn trained nearly 2.500 others across their campuses.