Reports

On October 17 and 18, 2023, leaders at Georgetown University and The Steve Fund convened 80 mental health and higher education experts to discuss the mental health and wellness of students of color, especially implications for campuses following the US Supreme Court’s ruling to end Affirmative Action in college admissions.

As the holidays approach and finals season comes to an end, it is important that faculty and staff take time to unwind and recharge as they navigate this demanding period. In this guide, we share practical strategies and self-care techniques to navigate this crucial time.

During this student-led panel, mental health experts shared valuable coping skills for navigating challenges students may face when going home for the holidays. In this guide, we share those coping skills and effective strategies to help build a students’ toolkit.

The Steve Fund's mental health experts researched the critical transition points for young people of color entering the workforce, and provides innovative solutions for the private sector to support this transition.

The EMHF delineates practical implementation strategies for higher education leaders, faculty, and staff. These recommendations incorporate structural changes in policy and practice that can reduce the stigma associated with student mental health challenges, increase proactive responses from colleges and universities, and provide more opportunities for students of color to thrive.

In 2018, the Steve Fund and The Jed Foundation partnered to begin a pilot implementation of the Equity in Mental Health Framework with a cohort of 18 colleges and universities around the U.S. The EMHF contains recommendations and implementation strategies to help colleges and universities support, promote, and institutionalize the mental health and emotional well-being of students of color.

The COVID-19 pandemic has cast deeply-ingrained inequities in American society into stark view. Just as pre-existing health conditions have made individuals more vulnerable to COVID-19, structural racism has made certain communities more vulnerable to the disease. The Steve Fund, a nonprofit organization dedicated to promoting the mental and emotional well-being of students of color, created a Crisis Response Task Force to develop recommendations for mitigating the mental health risks for these students caused by the COVID-19 pandemic and the economic and social upheaval that has followed.

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