Dear IGGI Community,
The HEAL (Health Empowerment through Advocacy and Leadership) Initiative is currently accepting applications.
At its foundation, the Initiative recognizes that students may often be better positioned to respond to peers in crisis on campus relative to faculty/staff (e.g., students often express vulnerability outside of the classroom with each other etc.). The Initiative will comprise one of the first Mental Health First Aid programs specifically focused on student training.
Short description of the HEAL Initiative Fellowship:
The HEAL (Health Empowerment through Advocacy and Leadership) Initiative in Mental Health recruits and organizes students to participate in a 15-week or semester-long undergraduate fellowship (3-5 hours a week) that trains and empowers students to become leaders in mental health first aid, peer support, and community healing.
Fellows begin by completing nationally recognized Mental Health First Aid (MHFA) certification and then join a cohort of like-minded peers committed to advancing mental wellness on campus.
Mental Health First Aid is an established and scientifically-proven training curriculum for participants to learn how to identify and respond to individuals in crisis or those experiencing mental health or substance use challenges. The training itself is six hours, but can be split over 2 days (3 hours each).
During the fellowship, through workshops, mentorship, and collaborative projects, fellows explore innovative approaches to peer support, develop mental health programming, and engage in community-based research and advocacy. Open to undergraduate and graduate students from all disciplines, this fellowship is an educational and professional development opportunity centered on mental health advocacy. Standard fees for training and the fellowship are at no cost to participants as they are covered by supporting organizations.
The HEAL Initiative works in collaboration with the Institute for Good Government and Inclusion (IGGI) and Mental Health First Aid (MHFA) USA to implement its fellowship features, including:
Structured training (e.g., Mental Health First Aid certification)
Cohort-based learning and peer collaboration
Mentorship from faculty, grad students, or professionals
Community or campus projects (e.g., designing outreach, advocacy, and recruitment campaigns)
Research and applied practice in mental health (e.g., public records request data and focus groups)
Even if you are not interested in the fellowship opportunity, we encourage you to sign up for a training session (free of charge, thanks to our partner organizations’ generosity) and become Mental Health First Aid certified.
Applications for the fellowship are processed on a rolling basis but the priority deadline is June 13th (11:59pm).
You may use this link to indicate your interest in the Fellowship and/or Mental Health First Aid training and certification.