DSU receives $217k grant for mental health initiatives

DOVER, Del. – Delaware State University has received a $217,000 grant from the U.S. Department of Education in support of two mental health initiatives.

We’re told the funding will be used to support dual initiatives to establish a Mental Health First Aid Education Program at DSU and a Campus Mobile Crisis Response Team.

The Mental Health First Aid Education Program will be provided to students, faculty, and staff, in an effort to provide training that will affect a culture change with respect to perspectives on mental health as well as provide the campus with increased resources to help the student population impacted by any type of trauma.

The Campus Mobile Crisis Response Team will utilize current University employees skilled in social work and counseling to assist University police in managing traumatic events and providing a presence at campus events and academic environment settings. The team will provide police with additional help in addressing the needs of student and other campus community members in the wake of traumatic incidents.

The funding is coming from the U.S. Department of Education Project School Emergency Response to Violence (Project SERV) to four Historically Black Colleges and Universities that were disrupted by bomb threats last year. Project SERV provides short-term funding for local educational agencies and institutions of higher education that have experienced a violent or traumatic incident to assist in restoring a safe environment conducive to learning.