Task force releases report addressing MH of students of color

The Steve Fund, a national advocacy organization focused on the mental health of young people of color, on Sept. 15 published a report with recommendations for college leaders to better support those students who are currently facing unprecedented mental health challenges. The recommendations were formed by the organization's Crisis Response Task Force, a group of students, mental health experts, colleges, nonprofits and corporate executives created to address the impact of the COVID‐19 pandemic and its economic fallout on the mental health of young people of color. The report, Adapting and Innovating to Promote Mental Health and Emotional Well‐Being of Young People of Color: COVID‐19 and Beyond , also addresses the nation's “racial reckoning” and how the death of George Floyd and wide acknowledgment of systemic racism can put additional emotional stress on those students. The task force recommended that college leaders take a “trauma‐informed approach” to decision‐making and show empathy toward racial injustices experienced by students of color in order to build trust. Counseling centers and mental health support staff on campus should collaborate with faculty members; student affairs; and diversity, equity and inclusion staff members to respond to increased counseling center demand. Antiracist policies and the promotion of inclusion and belonging overall can have a positive impact on the mental health of students of color, the report stated.