NCAA Mental Health Best Practices
I am so excited to be working with NCAA D1 Athletics programs and mental health professionals to design a program that will facilitate an environment that will support mental health and promote well-being.
The NCAA has released a new edition of Mental Health Best Practices providing guidance to support student-athletes’ mental well-being. NCAA member institutions are required to offer resources and services consistent with the best practices, which went into effect Aug. 1.
The document's four best practices have been updated to recognize the importance of creating healthy environments as a first step in promoting mental health, as well as to provide increased flexibility in implementation. The best practices are:
The creation of healthy environments that support mental health and promote well-being.
Procedures, including mental health screening tools, for identifying student-athletes with mental health symptoms and disorders.
Action plans that outline referral pathways of student-athletes to qualified providers.
Licensure of providers who oversee and manage student-athlete mental health care.
The identification and care of student athletes with mental health symptoms and disorders is incredibly important; however, we know that many student athletes who need help will never identify as such due to the stigma surrounding mental health problems. And we know that most student-athletes who may not ever experience a diagnosable mental health disorder still need assistance with their overall well-being in order to thrive individually and as a member of a team. I’m creating a program now to normalize mental health conversations, promote protective factors, and provide a wealth of education in interactive way.
Stay tuned as I create and share materials designed to help universities support mental health and well-being based on my 20 years as a stress expert, university proefessor, mentor and ally. I’ll be sharing more soon!
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Read an overview in this HigherEd Today article published in July 2024, NCAA Mandates Annual Mental Health Screenings for Student-Athletes, which describes the Mental Health Best Practices: Understanding and Supporting Student-Athlete Mental Health SECOND EDITION An Inter-Association Consensus Document Copyright 2016, Revised 2020, Updated 2024
This Questions and Answers document contains questions and answers to assist the NCAA membership in its understanding and implementation of the NCAA Mental Health Best Practices: Understanding and Supporting Student-Athlete Mental Health, second edition.
