LEAP Tampa Bay College Access Network – in conjunction with its college and community partners – has launched a new website, YourCollegeCares.org, to connect Tampa Bay college students to mental health resources.
Mental health issues can negatively impact a student’s quality of life and academic progress, with circumstances surrounding the pandemic exacerbating some of these issues. Many students are currently experiencing such challenges, with two in five college students experiencing depression and one in three students reporting anxiety (Roth, 2021). A Centers for Disease Control and Prevention survey showed that one in four people aged 18-24 had considered suicide in June 2020 (Amour, 2020).
Understanding the scope of students’ challenges, LEAP Tampa Bay partners took action. The collective impact organization worked to identify barriers college students face in accessing mental health services. As a result, Your College Cares was created to help destigmatize mental health support and increase access to existing resources on local college campuses and in the community.
“Your College Cares highlights the mental health resources our college partners make available for students and underscores why they make those services available…. because they want to support their students’ success managing the stressors of education and life in general,” said Denise Whitfield, Executive Director at NAMI Pinellas. “We want students to know that it’s ok to not be ok, and help is close at hand.”
In addition to resources made available by the colleges, YourCollegeCares.org highlights the mental health resources available through providers in Hillsborough, Pinellas and Pasco counties. It also includes informational articles on mental health and links to mental health resources.
“Humana is proud to support YourCollegeCares and this important resource for college students in our community,” said Dr. Albert Tzeel, Humana Regional Vice President-Health Services. “This pandemic has certainly taken a toll on the well-being of so many in our community, and we want to help provide our local college students with the help they need to maximize their well-being, their college experience and their future potential.”
Humana partnered with the Community Foundation Tampa Bay’s Nonprofit Needs List in support of Your College Cares and provided a $50,000 grant to support the creation of the website by LEAP partners.
YourCollegeCares.org is powered by LEAP Tampa Bay community partners working collaboratively to help students successfully finish their education beyond high school. College partners like the University of South Florida, Hillsborough Community College, Pasco Hernando College, and St. Petersburg College contributed to this site. Humana and population health community partners, the National Alliance on Mental Illness and Community Foundation Tampa Bay, are also contributors.
About LEAP Tampa Bay College Access Network
LEAP Tampa Bay is a network of more than 60 community partners committed to changing lives by connecting residents to education and training beyond high school. A cross-sector network convened to promote their community-wide commitment to college access and attainment, LEAP leaders use a collective impact model of collaboration to guide coordinated need-based strategies by partners from across business, education, government, and non-profits. All the work is geared at increasing attainment of high-quality college degrees and career and technical training credentials to help build Tampa Bay’s workforce talent base. For more information on our Network, visit https://www.leaptampabay.org/.
About Humana
Humana Inc. (NYSE: HUM) is committed to helping our millions of medical and specialty members achieve their best health. Our successful history in care delivery and health plan administration is helping us create a new kind of integrated care with the power to improve health and well-being and lower costs. Our efforts are leading to a better quality of life for people with Medicare, families, individuals, military service personnel, and communities at large.
To accomplish that, we support physicians and other health care professionals as they work to deliver the right care in the right place for their patients, our members. Our range of clinical capabilities, resources and tools – such as in-home care, behavioral health, pharmacy services, data analytics and wellness solutions – combine to produce a simplified experience that makes health care easier to navigate and more effective.
More information regarding Humana is available to investors via the Investor Relations page of the company’s web site at www.humana.com, including copies of:
• Annual reports to stockholders
• Securities and Exchange Commission filings
• Most recent investor conference presentations
• Quarterly earnings news releases and conference calls
• Calendar of events
• Corporate Governance information
About National Alliance on Mental Illness Pinellas
NAMI Pinellas plays an indispensable role in meeting the needs of our mental health communities and supporting our local colleges and universities. As a local mental health leader, NAMI Pinellas plays a key role in crafting a shared vision for mental health to achieve a common goal – improving lives and offering hope. For people affected by mental illness, NAMI is the most extensive national network for support, education, advocacy, and public awareness. Through our community affiliates, this singular force for good delivers critical programs and services that make a difference in the lives of millions of people. Grounded in the belief that we are stronger together, NAMI focuses on bringing hope to individuals and families, shaping public policy, and fueling a national conversation on mental health. To learn more about our free and confidential mental health support services, visit our website www.nami-pinellas.org.
About the Community Foundation Tampa Bay
Founded in 1990, the Community Foundation Tampa Bay connects donors, nonprofits, community and business leaders, professional advisors, volunteers and residents to make the maximum positive impact in the Tampa Bay region. For more than 30 years, the Community Foundation Tampa Bay has been dedicated to making giving easy and meaningful for donors as a way to strengthen nonprofit organizations and build a better, more vibrant community. Since its inception, its donors have enabled the Community Foundation Tampa Bay to award more than $280 million in grants to nonprofit organizations across the country. Learn more at https://cftampabay.org/