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Supporting Student Mental Health Through Community Resource Navigation:
How to Build a Resource Base in Your Service Region
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Overview
This session covered identifying community resources that support student mental health and basic needs in higher education. Topics included housing, food access, financial insecurity, and practical strategies for locating resources and navigating referrals. Designed for entry-level staff, Benefit Navigators, Housing Specialists, and anyone assisting students with community services.
Learning Objectives
- Identify five sources of community resources.
- Explain the importance of website design, search parameters, and list design for student access to resources.
- List and explain three best practices for referring students to community resources.
- List and explain three behavioral signs that may indicate a student needs help with unspoken socioeconomic barriers.
| | Resources for those with living insecurities | | |
Immediate and Local
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211: Connection to local Goodwill or United Way
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Findhelp.org: This website (formerly Aunt Bertha) allows users to search for local resources by zip code, including options for food, housing, healthcare, and financial assistance.
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USA.gov: The U.S. government's official website offers information on a wide range of government benefits and assistance programs for individuals facing financial hardship, food assistance (SNAP), and emergency housing.
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Feeding America: Use their food bank locator to find local food pantries and meal programs in your community.
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The Salvation Army: This organization provides various services including shelter, meals, and clothing assistance, often tailored to local needs.
Broader Resources
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Swipe Out Hunger: Works with nearly 800 college campuses to address food insecurity through grants, resources, and by connecting students to anti-hunger programs.
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The Hope Center: for Student Basic Needs: While not a direct service provider, they conduct research on student needs and advocate for policies that help students facing food and housing insecurity, according to Inside Higher Ed.
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Today's Students Coalition: Provides resources and advocacy for students dealing with basic needs insecurity.
For Specific Demographics
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Veterans: The National Call Center for Homeless Veterans at 1-877-4AID-VET (1-877-424-3838) offers free, confidential support and connects veterans with housing programs and other supportive services.
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Youth/Young Adults: The National Runaway Safeline (1-800-RUNAWAY) provides 24/7 confidential support and help with finding safe, stable housing for young people.
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Individuals with Disabilities: The Social Security Administration website (ssa.gov) offers information on disability benefits, which can provide financial assistance for essentials.
| | First-Generation Students and Socioeconomic Stress | | Deciding on college is a critical choice for first-gen students. The guide explains that a degree can unlock better job prospects and lifelong success. It urges weighing career goals, financial impacts, and ROI while tapping into scholarships and support services. Mentorship, academic aid, and emotional backing—like Reality Changers offers—can help students confidently pursue higher education. | | |
Socioeconomic status—comprised of income, education, and occupation—shapes educational access and success, often leaving low-income, first-generation students with fewer resources, higher stress, and limited support. To close the gap, the article advocates equitable funding, inclusive teaching, community engagement, scholarships, and tutoring.
| | New report shows higher education boosts Illinois income, but disparities persist in access and outcomes | |
Earning a college degree in Illinois still boosts income across all socioeconomic groups, though disparities persist. Lower-income students are less likely to earn degrees or secure jobs in high-paying industries. Even with the same credentials and roles, they earn less than their higher-income peers.
These findings reveal systemic barriers that require comprehensive policy solutions, from expanded student supports to better coordination among education, workforce, and community sectors. Closing opportunity gaps demands sustained, multi-faceted intervention.
Helping students understand the earning potential of different programs and careers remains an essential higher education service. This guidance can empower more informed decisions and strengthen pathways to economic mobility.
| | Illinois Higher Education Emergency Funds | The Illinois Board of Higher Education (IBHE), Illinois Community College Board and Illinois Student Assistance Commission launched a state-level emergency fund (raising ≈ $550K) to support low-income public college students in Illinois facing food insecurity, internet/hardware barriers, lost jobs and other COVID-19-related disruptions — to help keep them enrolled. | IBHE’s strategic-plan data analysis shows glaring equity gaps: while ~41% of Illinois high-schoolers are low-income, only 53% of those enroll in college within 6 months (vs 74% for non-low-income). Low-income students are less likely to access AP/dual-credit and more likely to be placed in developmental education; they also have significantly lower retention, advancement and graduation rates. | |
How Financial Support From Parents
Relates to Students’ Basic Needs
| | The article highlights new IHEP research showing that students who receive little or no financial help from their parents are far more likely to face food and housing insecurity in college. Parental support varies sharply by race and ethnicity, with American Indigenous, Black, and Native Hawaiian/Pacific Islander students most likely to receive no assistance, while Asian American students are more likely to receive substantial help. Even when students do get support, many—especially students of color—still report food or housing challenges. The report argues that these patterns reflect broader inequities tied to intergenerational wealth and that colleges and policymakers should not rely on family resources to meet students’ basic needs. Instead, it calls for stronger financial aid and broader support for non-tuition expenses to ensure students can afford essentials like food and housing. | | |
Communities of Practice:
Benefits Navigator
| The IBHE Benefits Navigator site provides information and resources supporting Illinois public colleges in assisting students with basic-needs challenges. Benefits Navigator role, offers links to state and federal assistance programs, shares training materials and Communities of Practice resources, and provides contact information to help institutions guide students to food, housing, financial, and wellness supports. | | Under the state’s Higher Education Housing and Opportunities Act, every college in Illinois must designate a “HOUSE Liaison” to support homeless or housing-insecure students. The site provides a full contact list of designated liaisons, required training materials, data-reporting guidelines, and a collection of resources — including emergency housing, financial aid, food, counseling, and community-agency links — to help students in need. | | |
American College Health Association (ACHA):
Basic Needs Task Force
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The Basic Needs Task Force helps ACHA institutions address student basic-needs insecurity, including: food, housing, financial stress, and other essentials. It provides guidance for college health professionals on their role in supporting students facing basic-needs issues. It also creates a forum for discussion among members, enabling sharing of best practices and collaboration across campuses. Through the Task Force, ACHA assesses how campus health professionals can integrate basic-needs support into broader wellness and student-success efforts.
ICC TAC's institutional membership provides access to member-only materials and tools to support Illinois campuses
| | Upcoming ICC TAC Trainings | | Join us for the ICC TAC Spring Learning Collaboratives. These free, virtual webinars are designed for higher education professionals, faculty, and staff who work with higher education students to improve their overall college experience and support student mental health. Our learning collaboratives offer practical tools to support student mental health, focusing on relevant campus populations and needs. For more information or to receive a personalized invitation link for any of the trainings, please email Anita Sego at asego99@siumed.edu. Continuing Education Units (CEUs) are available to participants. | | |
Upcoming Learning Collaborative IECHOs
(Save the Date)
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Supporting student well-being: Why Mental Health First Aid matters in higher education
Higher education is dynamic and rewarding, but mental health challenges are increasingly visible among students. Faculty, staff and administrators are often the first to notice changes in a student's behavior, mood or academic performance. However, many feel unprepared to respond confidently and compassionately. Mental Health First Aid (MHFA) offers a practical way to bridge that gap.
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Anita Sego, PhD, MCHES (she/her)
Executive Director
SIU School of Medicine
319 E Madison St., Ste 4M | Springfield, IL 62701
Email: asego99@siumed.edu
Phone: 217.545.7543
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