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 spring 2025, the American College Health Association (ACHA) found that 20% of U.S. College students experienced serious psychological distress and 30.5% of college students have considered suicide in the past year. Ramapo students fall below the national statistic with 27.4% of our ACHA respondents indicating that they considered suicide in the past year. College student mental health is a pressing concern. If you are struggling, you are not alone if you feel this way and 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 available by phone or text at 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 Resources 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.

• The Center for Health and Counseling Services is a multidisciplinary team that offers free medical and mental health counseling to all students. The unit is staffed by nurse practitioners, psychologists, social workers, and professional counselors. There are bilingual staff that speak Spanish. The office also has a collaborating psychiatrist, a First-Generation Counselor, a Multicultural Counselor, an LGBTQIA+ Counselor; and a Health Promotions Specialist. Health Services appointments include a depression screening and a “soft-hand-off” to a Counseling Services professional should a student need further support

• The College includes ‘Welcome to Wellness” as 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: 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

• 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: 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

• Therapy Animal Visits from Creature Comfort Pet Therapy. Reserve your space on Archway

• 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

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 and press 2 for Spanish

• 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 loved 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 is available to 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, Health Promotion, and peer education workshops can be requested on the Health Promotion website or studentwellness@ramapo.edu.

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.

September is National Suicide Prevention Month. Our theme this year is Be The One to Prevent Suicide. Please check our website for additional events. The following events will be held:

• National Suicide Prevention Month Opening Proclamation: Thursday, September 4th at 1:15 pm (Location: The Arch (Rain/Heat: Friends Hall)

• Glow for Hope with College Programming Board (vigil followed by a mental health glow party): Thursday, September 18th (Location: The Arch/Laurel Courts at 9 pm. Rain: Friends Hall)

• Words of Hope with Therapy Dogs: Monday, September 22nd from 1pm to 3 pm (Location: Grove/Arch area. Rain: Friends Hall)

• Bergen County Out of the Darkness Walk (walk to prevent suicide): Sunday, October 4th from 9am to approx 11:30 am (Location: Overpeck Park Amphitheater Ridgefield Park, NJ). Register to walk with Ramapo’s team. We will be providing limited transportation, please email studentwellness@ramapo.edu.

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 is committed to inclusivity and respect for students of all identities and experiences. The office has compiled resource lists to support mental well-being, healing, and empowerment among APIDA, 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 and economic insecurity may access the We Care Program, including a 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

• 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.

In health,

Melissa Van Der Wall; Dean for Students/Vice President for Student Well-Being

Megan Johnston; Health Educator