‘We care about the whole student:’ $217k grant supports new mental health initiatives at DSU

DOVER, Del.- $217,000 is headed to Delaware State University supporting new mental health initiatives.

The funding comes from the U.S Department of Education’s Project School Emergency Response to Violence (SERV) grant. DSU was just one of four HBCU’s to receive the money who all experienced bomb threats last year.

One of those initiatives will be the Mental Health First Aid Education Program. It will provide faculty and staff with resources and training to identify warning signs for mental health concerns.

University personnel tell 47ABC students experience high levels of trauma due to on campus incidents which can often disrupt their learning experience. “Often times when young people have mental health challenges and they’re not able to get those addressed while on campus that really impacts retention. We just want them to know that we care about the whole student and mental health is a part of that,” Deputy Chief Administrative Officer Francine Edwards said.

Another initiative will be a Campus Mobile Crisis Response Team. That group would consist of current university staff in the areas of social work and counseling working alongside university police.