To: All Students

From: Melissa Van Der Wall, Dean of Students/Vice President for Student Well-Being &
Megan Johnston, Health Educator

Date: January 28, 2025

Dear Student,

Promoting student well-being is our top priority at Ramapo College. We anticipate that your student experience will be a positive one; however, we recognize that everyone goes through stressful times. According to the Jed Foundation, suicide is the second leading cause of death among college students. In Fall 2023, the American College Health Association (ACHA) found that 78.8% of U.S. College students are experiencing moderate or more serious psychological distress and 46.6% of college students have considered suicide in the past year. Ramapo students fall below the national statistics with 32.7% of our ACHA respondents indicating that they considered suicide in the past.  However, we recognize that our students can be in distress and you are not alone if you feel this way. We must also think carefully about how race, ethnicity, disability, gender, sexuality, economic status, and first-generation college status can lead to disproportionate mental health challenges for students, especially those with multiple marginalized identities. College student mental health is a pressing concern. If you are struggling, we are here for you.

Despite the reality of psychological distress in many college students, we know that Roadrunners look out for each other. You all CAN have an impact.  We see the impact of student-to-student support in our tight-knit community every day.

Supporting the Well-Being of Students

Mental Health Support: Free, confidential mental health counseling and crisis intervention services are available through Counseling Services.  The contact phone number to schedule an appointment is 201-684-7522.  Counseling Services is located in D-216.

If you or someone you know is having thoughts of death, dying, or suicide, emergency appointments are available in Counseling Services by calling 201-684-7522, Monday to Friday, 8:30am to 4:30pm. Counselors are available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week for all psychological emergencies, including thoughts of suicide, by calling 201-684-7522 and following the prompts. The National Suicide and Crisis Lifeline is 988.

In Counseling Services, drop-in consultations are offered Monday through Friday from 1:00pm to 3:00pm (last student seen at 2:40pm). Students are seen on a first-come, first-served basis. Elena Yee (Psychological Counselor and LGBTQIA+ Liaison) hosts drop in hours on Wednesdays from 2:00pm to 3:00pm  in C-217 (across from the Women’s Center). The purpose of these brief, drop-in hours are to assist students with concerns such as:

• You have a specific problem and would like to talk it through with someone

• You are not sure if you want to start ongoing therapy

• You are looking for another perspective on something you are going through

Taking Kind and Supportive Action: At the start of each semester, faculty and staff receive communication to help them recognize the warning signs of when a student is in distress and how to quickly offer support.  We believe that a kind, compassionate, and quick approach to helping students will greatly help address student concerns.

The Red Folder: The Red Folder is a one-stop shop for assisting students in distress and will help you determine how to respond and help students connect to appropriate campus resources. See Something. Say Something. Do Something.

 Well-Being Initiatives Here to Help You

We are concerned by the sobering statistics around college student mental health conditions and, in addition to the above mentioned resources, want you to know what we are doing about it.

• There is a medical professional in Health Services who is bilingual and speaks Spanish

• Counseling Services has a First-Generation Counselor; an LGBTQIA+ Counselor; and a Health Promotions Specialist

• The College added ‘Welcome to Wellness” to required Welcome Week programming and “Harm Reduction and Wellness” in November as mechanisms to expose first-year students to ways to understand themselves, persevere toward their own betterment, and foster a healthy campus climate around mental health and substance use issues

• UWill: Free telehealth counseling designed to expand the mental health counseling options at Ramapo. UWill includes free, immediate access to teletherapy and wellness programming through its easy to use online platform. Choose a therapist based on your preferences including availability, issue, gender, language, ethnicity.  UWill is made possible through funding from the State of New Jersey

• The Roadrunner Collegiate Recovery Program is available to provide a supportive community for students curious about or in recovery from a substance use disorder(s). The program follows a harm reduction model and is designed to reinforce the personal dignity and worth of each student

• TogetherAll: A free, anonymous peer support online. The platform is designed as a safe space for students to share feelings, to give or get support, or for personal growth

• Wellness Room: The Wellness Room is located in E-216 and  provides mental, spiritual, and emotional support resources for students. The room has a massage chair, relaxation activities, yoga mats, a light therapy lamp and much more. Make your reservation and simply pick the key up from the Center for Student Involvement to access your space

• RISE Science is a sleep app available FREE to Ramapo students for four years upon signing up. Sleep is linked to depression and suicide risk – RISE can empower you to sleep better and feel better

• A Wellness Initiative representing intervention, support, and resources is part of the summer program for all EOF Scholars

• The Case Manager in Counseling Services helps students who might be in need of long-term care solutions identify local area providers for treatment

• Health Services appointments include a depression screening and a “soft-hand-off” to a Counseling Services professional should a student need further support

• For qualifying students registered with the Office of Specialized Services, the Attendance Modification Policy includes permitted class absences in order for a student to participate in mental health or other appointments related to their well-being

Resources

• 988 Lifeline (24/7/365): Call or text 988 to access a trained crisis counselor if you are experiencing thoughts of suicide, a mental health or substance use crisis, or any other kind of emotional distress. If you are a veteran, Press 1, 2 for Spanish, 3 for LGBTQ+.

• Crisis Text Line (24/7/365) – Text HOME to 741-741, Text AYUDA to 741-741 for Spanish

• The Trevor Lifeline (24/7/365) – Call 1-866-488-7386 or text START to 678-678  to get connected to a trained crisis counselor who understands the challenges LGBTQ+ young people face

• Trans Lifeline Peer Support Hotline (Mon-Fri: 1-9 PM EST) – Call 1-877-565-8860 if you need someone trans to talk to, even if you’re not in a crisis or if you’re not sure you’re trans (bilingual Spanish support available)

• LGBT National Hotline (Mon-Fri: 2 PM to 11 PM EST, Sat: 12-5 PM EST)  – Call for a confidential safe space for peer support before a crisis

• healingSPACE (24/7/365) – Call 1-201-487-2227 for sexual violence support, whether it happened hours or years ago (say that you are a Ramapo student)

• RAINN Sexual Assault Hotline (24/7/365) – Call 1-800-656-HOPE (4673) for confidential support, linkage to resources, and information about local laws

• Bergen County Addiction Support Hotline (24/7/365) – Call or text 201-589-2976 to connect with a Peer Recovery specialist for yourself or a love one

• SAMHSA National Helpline (24/7/365)  – Call 1-800-662-4357 for confidential, bilingual (Spanish) assistance in referrals for substance use and mental health treatment and information

• Bergen County Resources for Undocumented Families and Immigration Resources  – medical, emotional, social, and legal resources

• NJ 211 Call 211 or text your zip code to 898-211 to get linked to multilingual support and resources for basic human needs, mental health, and physical health

(Students should evaluate the above external resources according to their own needs)

Training

You can contribute to Ramapo’s connected, caring community by participating in Counseling Service’s Ask, Listen, Refer training. The brief, 20-minute online training is designed to give you the important knowledge of recognizing the warning signs of suicide, as well as how to respond and get help for people at risk. We received our Certificate of Completion and hope that you will join us in learning more about how we can support each other.

Counseling Services can facilitate suicide prevention training, known as Campus Connect, for student clubs or organizations.  Campus Connect is a free, 3-hour long training that provides gatekeepers with information and strategies to help prevent suicide, and refer students to campus and community resources. To request training, please contact Dr. Judy Green at jgreen2@ramapo.edu for more information. Other Counseling Services workshops can be requested on the Health Promotion website.

If you are a student club or group on campus, there are certified student peer educators who can teach your members vital strategies to promote mental and emotional health. If you would like the Wellness is Now (W.I.N.) Peer Educators to facilitate a drop-in workshop or co-sponsor a campus event with your organization, please email studentwellness@ramapo.edu or complete the request form on the Health Promotion webpage.

Programs and Events

Please follow @rcnjwellness to stay current with mental health and well-being information and programs from Counseling Services and W.I.N. Many events are still being planned, but confirmed events are as follows:

• Therapy Animal Visits from Creature Comfort Pet Therapy

• Eating Disorder Awareness Week Tabling with the Renfrew Center Thursday, February 27th from 12 pm to 3 pm in the Student Center

• The Wellness Fair is scheduled for Wednesday, April 30th from 12 pm to 3 pm on the Grove Lawn (Rain: Friends Hall)

Behavioral Intervention Team

If you are concerned about another student and not sure how to assist and the student is not in immediate danger, you can share your concerns with Ramapo College’s Behavioral Intervention Team (BIT). The team coordinates the support services of Ramapo College in order to assist students who have reportedly displayed concerning behaviors.

Additional Ways to Care for Yourself

• Counseling Services offers a free, anonymous mental health screening to help you identify any areas of distress that could be impacting your ability to function at your best

• Counseling Services has also compiled resource lists to support mental well-being, healing, and empowerment among Asian American and Pacific Islander, Black, Latinx, LGBTQIA+, and First Generation college students and their allies

• The Ramapo College fitness center includes the Bradley Center, Recreation Lounge, Adele and Reuben Thomas Swimming Pool, Sharp Fitness Center, and the Auxiliary Gym

• Students struggling with food insecurity may access the Food Pantry located in ASB 130 and a variety of satellite locations available in several office areas. There is also a weekly fresh food initiative. The full program of services and support available under the Center for Student Involvement’s We Care Program

Building a support system and becoming involved in the community is another great way to care for your social well-being. You can explore many student clubs and organizations to find your community through the Center for Student Involvement.

In closing, we wish you a healthy and positive semester.  You belong here, you matter, and you are worth it.  If you ever have any questions, please do not hesitate to contact the Student Well-Being Core at 201-684-7457.