1

Running Head: A look INTO THE NEEDS OF AFRICAN AMERICAN STUDENT AT

NORTHERN ILLINOIS UNIVERSITY

Needs Assessment:

A Look into the Needs of African American Students at Northern Illinois University

Northern Illinois University

Nick Bourke, Sean Chase, & Paige McConkey

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Executive Summary

Northern Illinois University received the Garrett Lee Smith Campus Suicide Prevention

grant sponsored by the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration

(SAMHSA). This grant provides $300,000 to develop a comprehensive approach to suicide

prevention and mental health promotion. The individuals who received the grant on behalf of

Northern Illinois University are seeking to develop outreach efforts that are tailored to the high-

risk populations at Northern Illinois University. This needs assessment focuses on the mental

health needs of African American students at Northern Illinois University.

This needs assessment is broken up into four different sections including a literature

review, context and demographic information, data collection methods and results, and

recommendations. The literature review is a comprehensive review regarding African American

student populations and the role mental health plays within the community. In the context and

demographic section, we looked at the demographics of Northern Illinois University's student

population, and focused on the current services and outreach the university provides for African

American students regarding mental health awareness and suicide prevention. The third section

is the data collection methods and our results. We conducted four individual interviews, a focus

center for group, an analysis of the National College Health Assessment, an analysis of manuals

and pamphlets, and an analysis of the office space within Counseling and Consultation Services

and the Center for Black Studies. We found three overarching themes from our research:

accessibility of resources, stigma, and outreach. The final component is our recommendation on

how Northern Illinois University can promote help seeking behaviors, increase access to mental

health resources, and suicide prevention programs for African American students.
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The mental health needs of students in higher education have increased over the past few

years. Despite the increased awareness to seek help, there has not been an increase in the

amount of services provided or an increase in educational resources for mental health on college

campuses (Belch, 2011). The purpose of this literature review is to assess the needs of African

American students, in regard to mental health practices, and barriers to mental health; which will

ultimately assist in the creation of educational materials for suicide prevention for

underrepresented students, including African American students.

African American Mental Health Practices

Multiple studies have been done on African Americans usage of mental health services.

These studies have supported the decrease in help seeking behaviors of African American

students in comparison to students from other populations (Alegria, Canino, Rios, Vera,

Calderon, Rusch, & Ortega, 2002; Snowden, 1991). Some researchers have hypothesized that

the lack of resources being used could be due to financial reasons, as well as, location of

resources (Alegria, et al., 2002; Snowden, 1991). Although these reasons may support this

assertion, other reasons for African American students’ lack of mental health help-seeking

continues to be explored.

Racism

A study done by Alegria, et. al. (2002), found that many African Americans do not utilize

resources because of the racism they have experienced from health care practitioners. African

Americans have either been refused treatment or treated differently because of their skin tone,

which is why there are a lower number receiving long term care. Many African Americans

noted that they do not trust the health care system, and it is very hard to find minority health care
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providers that they feel like they could trust. So, when in the case of an emergency situation,

they will go to the emergency room (ER) for a quick fix (Snowden, 1991).

Emergency Room Use

Snowden (1991) found that most African Americans would rather go to the emergency

room to have more immediate intervention, rather than to go through the long process of treating

their mental health. Snowden (1991) asserts the usage of the ER versus college counseling

centers because he believes African Americans rely more on a crisis oriented style of help

seeking as well as, these students’ facing insurance constraints. In fact, insurance, was seen as a

main factor in many different studies as to why African Americans do not seek help for their

mental health. Due to a high number of African Americans being from a lower SES they do not

have access to health care that will cover mental health expenses, but at times, insurance does

cover trips to the emergency room (Snowden 1991). Furthermore, this study supports that the

reason African Americans use mental health resources through primarily ER services, can be in

part, because of the number of individuals who lack of insurance, have financial constraints, and

other barriers that stand in the way of them receiving proper mental health care (Snowden,

1991).

Barriers

Help-seeking behavior for mental health issues is proven to vary between ethnicities. In

a recent study by authors Thompson and Phares (2008) Caucasians are estimated to make 2.67

more visits to a mental health care facility than Africans Americans or Hispanics. Reasons for

this lack of help-seeking behavior come in many forms, but are fairly consistent when analyzing

African Americans. The first, and possibly most prominent, explanation is the role of parents

and social stigma that is placed on seeking treatment for mental health issues.
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Stigma as defined by Turner, Jensen-Doss, and Heffer (2015) is “the extent to which

individuals are concerned about how they or others negatively perceive those who seek mental

health services” (p. 615). This is one of the most important barriers to identify because there is a

positive correlation between help-seeking behavior and perceived stigma of mental health

care. In a study done by Turner, Jensen-Doss, and Heffer (2015), they found that African

American parents have more negative attitudes and stigma than other ethnic groups in regard to

mental health participation.

Another barrier to access for African-Americans is the affordability of services and

access to transportation. The National Institute of Mental Health shows that on average it costs

$1,591 for mental health care in 2006; compared to the median household income for African

American families, of $39,715 in 2010, it is easy to see how this plays a factor in receiving

mental health care. Obasi and Leong (2009) explain this issue along with the “cultural mistrust

of mental health professionals and the medical establishment” (p. 229). This cultural mistrust

comes from a long history of abuse to African Americans in the medical field. One example of

this being the Tuskegee Study (1932), which involved abusing the rights of informed consent to

African Americans. This mistrust of the medical profession leads African Americans to

primarily rely on their own support networks such as family and friends.

Strategies

More extensive research needs to be done on this topic to get a better idea of what can be

done to overcome these barriers. Future research should be aimed at examining if there is a

change in attitude over time with a study that lasts longer. This may help develop more concrete

solutions to combating stigma, and provide insight into help-seeking attitude formation (Obasi

and Leong, 2009). While more studies are being done in the future, there are remedies to many
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of the barriers that African Americans face when experiencing mental health issues. Extended

mental health insurance coverage for poverty stricken minority families would help make

treatment more affordable (Obasi and Leong, 2009), but ultimately what this community needs is

education (Turner, Jensen-Doss, and Heffer, 2015).

The largest area of change that needs to be focused on is, educating about mental

health. Education can start at a young age in school and help deteriorate the negative stigma

associated with mental illness. The importance of changing stigma is explained through the

Theory of Planned Behavior. This states that “a person’s intention to perform a behavior is a

function of their attitudes, society norms, and the perceptions about the ease or difficulty of a

behavior” (Turner, Jensen-Doss, and Heffer, 2015, p.615). Through this theory we can see that a

person’s attitude about mental illness will directly affect their behavior in seeking

treatment. Education should start in the schools to build for a better understanding in the future,

but can also be used in the media and have an effect now. Advertisements on television and

social media outlets can also assist in breaking down the negative stigma associated with mental

health sickness and treatment (Turner, et al., 2015).

Promising Practices

When seeking mental health services in higher education African American students have

limited access these to mental health services. Research has found multiple ways institutions can

meet the needs of their African American student population: these may include religious or

spiritual outreach, educational awareness about mental illness regarding African Americans, and

providing professionals, that are the same race/ethnicity and gender of their student client

(Williams & Cabrera-Nguyen, 2016). These are efforts that need to be continued and/or

increased by the university and the community.

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Spiritual Resources

In order for institutions to meet the needs of African American students they should

implement religious or spiritual outreach. According to Williams & Cabrera-Nguyen (2016)

churches have served as a major support system within African American communities. In their

research they determined that students who received support from a religious or spiritual leaders,

when they were younger, were more inclined to seek and use mental health services as young

adults. These students also indicated that ministers are their first-line of mental health assistance

when faced with a serious personal problem (Williams & Cabrera-Nguyen 2016). This

information shows that African American students traditionally seek assistance regarding

personal issues from religious or spiritual leaders. They further discussed how young African

American adults view community resources and leaders as more accessible, reliable, and credible

when discussing mental health information. This demonstrates that institutions who implement

informal resources, like a church, can better meet the needs of their African American

students. Institutions that incorporate religious or spiritual resources in mental health discussions

will be able to better support their students by encouraging students to use a more specially

designed mental health service if needed.

Educational Programing

Institutions can meet the needs of their students by providing additional educational

programs that are geared specifically towards the affects mental illness has on African American

students. Williams & Cabrera-Nguyen (2016) suggested that due to the age of students in higher

education and their access to technology institutions should incorporate their mental health

messages into social media outlets instead of traditional outlets, such as brochures, to improve

the understanding of mental illness within the African American community. Students in higher
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education spend a large amount of time on social media, therefore, a more effective way for

institutions to get their message across to students could be by engaging students in a more

interactive and relevant channel.

Williams & Cabrera-Nguyen (2016) further suggested that when presenting information

regarding mental health issues it is important for the individual presenting the information to be a

similar race/ethnicity as well as have a similar background. According to Williams & Cabrera-

Nguyen (2016) health and mental health research has determined that messages targeted to a

specific group of people have been more effective in increasing awareness when the information

is presented by an individual similar to the specific group. These messages have a more

powerful impact on the reality of mental illness and mental health services for African American

students.

Institutional Faculty and Staff

Institutions can also meet the mental health needs of African American students by hiring

professional staff members who have similar race/ethnicity and gender of their student

clients. According to Williams & Cabrera-Nguyen (2016) research has shown that young

African American adults are more inclined to utilize mental health services when the

race/ethnicity and gender of the professional are the same as the student. Researchers also

indicate that the general student body at institutions across the country are becoming more

diverse, however, the same diversity is not apparent among mental health professionals on

college campuses (Williams & Cabrera-Nguyen 2016). As previously mentioned African

American students are more comfortable speaking to someone who appears to be similar, as well

as, from a similar background. It is important for institutions to have diverse mental health
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professionals as well as additional resources on their campus to meet the needs of all their

students.

In conclusion, it is important for universities to understand the mental health needs of

African American students. In order for professionals within universities to assist students from

this community they need to understand where the mental health stigmas stem from. By

understanding the stigmas professionals can help these students by supporting them through

different forms of communication, making themselves more available in religious contexts, and

the university can hire more African American counselors.

Demographics

Northern Illinois University (NIU) is made up of a moderately diverse student body. The

University lists values that it holds important, one of which being “A community of diverse

people, ideas, services, and scholarly endeavors in a climate of respect for the intrinsic dignity of

each individual” (Northern Illinois University Statement of Vision and Mission, para. 3). This

value reflects NIU’s mission of bringing in a diverse student body and providing resources to

respect each of them. According to Northern Illinois University, there are 14,079 undergraduate

students that are currently enrolled. These students are 57.0% White, 15.9% Black, 15.4%

Hispanic/Latino, and 5.0% Asian (Northern Illinois University Fast Facts). Out of these

ethnicities, the African American community holds the second largest group at the University.

Institutional Context

Northern Illinois University has resources and organizations set in place to help African

American students succeed in the classroom and in life (Northern Illinois University Center for

Black Studies). One of these organizations is the Black Male Initiative (BMI). BMI has over 80

members currently enrolled and assists African American male students towards
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graduation. This is accomplished through development programs, which aim to build better

leaders through service to the community and opportunities later in life. Another organization is

the Success and Succeed Plan (S-Plan). The S-Plan focuses primarily on providing African

American students with peer mentors to help them succeed in college. Upperclassmen are

matched with new students who are the same ethnicity. This provides new students with a peer

who they can turn to with any questions or confide in during their first year. This program can

nurture the mental health of African American students by pairing them with someone who had

similar experiences as incoming freshmen. Additional to these organizations provided by the

Center for Black Studies there are other student and Greek organizations that assist African

American students to be successful and help build relationships (Northern Illinois University

Center for Black Studies).

Current Outreach

There are many outlets in which a student at Northern Illinois University can receive help

with mental health issues. The Northern Illinois University Counseling and Consultation

Services webpage provides information about the various resources students can use when

seeking assistance (Northern Illinois University Counseling and Consultation Services). The

first available option to students is the ability to have walk-in consultation appointments. Walk-

in appointments are useful to all students because they have the ability to seek counseling

without setting up an appointment. Individual appointments can also be set up, but are only

offered on a limited basis to students (Northern Illinois University Counseling and Consultation

Services).

If a student is not comfortable with individual counseling, there is an opportunity to ask

for group counseling. The Counseling & Consultation Services (CCS) division of student affairs
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assigns a counselor to moderate a group of chosen students (Northern Illinois University

Counseling and Consultation Services). These students can be chosen in a variety of ways based

on the issue that is being addressed. The CCS describes the benefit of group counseling by

stating, “the group is able to give support and encouragement, offer feedback and different

perspectives, and/or gently confront the person about what they are experiencing. In this way,

people can begin to address their concerns both inside and outside of the group” (Northern

Illinois Counseling and Consultation Services, para. 4).

Specific Services for African American Mental Health

There are multiple outlets for African American students to receive academic and

personal help, as well as services for all students to receive mental health support. However,

Northern Illinois University does not offer specific programming or resources for African

American individuals needing mental health support. On Northern Illinois University’s

Counseling and Consultation Services website the link for “diversity services” directs students to

the links for the various diversity centers webpages. On the Center for Black Studies webpage

there is a section notated as “additional resources” where Counseling and Consultation Services

is listed. However, if a student is looking for services specific to their ethnicity and mental

health they will not be able to find anything. This is problematic because African American

students struggle with mental health and suicidality differently than other populations (Snowden

1991). The Garrett Lee Smith Campus Suicide Prevention grant will help close the gap between

the lack of services for minority students by creating educational programming geared towards

minorities different needs (Garrett Lee Smith Campus Suicide Prevention, 2016).

Methods
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As part of our research we wanted to get a well-rounded idea of how NIU served students

who were in need of mental health services, especially African American students. We analyzed

four different areas including individual interviews, a focus group made up of undergraduate

students, a visual analysis of documents, office space, and the National College Health

Assessment.

Individual Interviews

We interviewed three staff members and a current student on campus to gain a better

understanding of suicide prevention and mental health awareness within the African American

community at Northern Illinois University. We asked each staff member a series of questions

regarding resources currently offered to African American students as well as stigmas and

barriers these students face regarding mental health (i.e. in Appendix B). We interviewed the

Director of the Center for Black Studies (CBS), Dr. Gena Flynn. We also spoke with Erica

Wade who is a Licensed Clinical Professional Counselor (LCPC) within NIU Counseling and

Consultation Services. The last two interviews we conducted helped us gain perspective from a

former and current student at Northern Illinois University. The former student we met with was

James Alford, who is an Intern in the Center for Black Studies. The current student also works

for NIU and is involved with African-American organizations on campus such as S-Plan, B.M.I.,

and M.O.V.E. We will refer to the current student worker as John Doe throughout the document

to protect their confidentiality.

Focus Group

We attempted multiple different approaches at recruiting students for our focus

group. We spoke with the director of the CBS asking her for students who she thought would be

good participants, we made an announcement during a class that is held in the CBS, we asked
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James Alford to invite students he thought would be good participants, we asked a CBS student

intern to reach out to friends, and finally we sent out an email to 39 students of different CBS

student organizations that we found through huskie link. We explained to students through email

and word of mouth the purpose of the needs assessment, why we were conducting a focus group,

and how the information they provide us will be used. From all of these approaches we were

still unable to recruit students to a focus group that we hosted at three different days and

times. We finally went to the CBS and recruited five students who were in the lobby waiting to

attend the Black Student Union meeting. The focus group lasted for 60 minutes discussing a

variety of questions on resources, stigmas, and specific outreach methods (i.e. in Appendix A).

Observational Analysis

For additional inquiries on materials related to mental health and suicide prevention, we

began by examining the different resource centers on campus. We also gathered different

pamphlets that were made available to students that visited these centers. The first center that we

visited was the NIU Campus Life Building (CLB). It is located on Lucinda Road, across the

street from the NIU Holmes Student Center and Health Services. Lucinda is a main road through

the campus and is frequently passed by students. When you first walk into CLB, there is a large

lobby with a shelf of pamphlets on the wall. Located in the far end of the lobby next to the stairs

is a sign that directs you to each office in the CLB. The Counseling and Consultation Services

office is located on the second floor in an area that was easy to find without asking for

guidance. There is an office assistant’s desk directly upon entry next to a waiting area. In the

waiting area, there were popular magazines and different pamphlets related to mental health,

along with plenty of seats.

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The second building that we visited was the Center for Black Studies. This building is

located on the edge of campus next to the parking garage. There is a small lobby upon entering

the building with different pamphlets and flyers located on the walls. These flyers described

different organizations for African-American students and a few of the pamphlets had

information regarding mental health.

National Survey

The National College Health Assessment, is a national collegiate survey that helps

institutions gather data on how students receive information, and what information students are

needing to hear more of (American College Health Association, 2008). The survey is focused on

mental, physical, and emotional health, and is used to help create programming for students, so

that they are receiving the most out of their college experience (American College Health

Association, 2008). We were provided with survey results from the years 2009-2017 from

Evelyn Comber, the assessment specialist through NIU’s Wellness Promotion Office. Evelyn

Comber was also able to provide us with survey results based on racial demographics, age, and

gender. We then used the results of certain questions to determine if students are wanting to

receive more information on mental health.

Results

After collecting our data, we found three consistent themes: availability of resources,

stigma, and outreach. Once we found our themes we started to analyze our data more in-depth so

we could see what evidence each collection method specifically related to.

Availability of Resources

In this study our definition of availability of resources means what kind of resources can

students easily locate, and how many of the resources are easily accessible for all students. We
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found in the literature that resources are hard to find within the African American community,

especially resources specifically aimed at assisting for that community (Alegria, et al., 2002). We

also found that to be true in our own research.

Individual Interviews

When discussing the resources made available to students through the Center for Black

Studies, Dr. Gena Flynn mentioned the various social, professional, community service, and

mentorship programs the resource center offers. However, when asked about specific resources

the center provides regarding mental health she mentioned that since their students do not

actively seek counseling, their faculty and staff members are the main resource for their

students. She described a few situations when students would come to the resource center and

speak with staff members about stressors academically or personally. Dr. Flynn explained that

the resource center staff will encourage students to go to Counseling and Consultation Services

depending on each situation (G. Flynn, personal communication, March 2017).

During the interview with James Alford, he explained that at the center, mental health is

indirectly talked about through pamphlets on the wall, but no one directly talks about mental

health problems within the African American community. He said that people will only use

resources and go to find resources if they themselves are experiencing a mental health crisis or if

they know someone who has (J. Alford, personal communication, March 2017).

When we asked Ms. Erica Wade, LCPC, about the availability of resources on campus,

she discussed the different centers that are located on campus. While these centers are useful,

Ms. Wade said that students’ need an increased visibility about the types of resources that are

being made to them (i.e. increased outreach). Ms. Wade also shared that for outreach there is a

large emphasis on going to where the students are instead of waiting for them to come to
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counseling. This can be done by going to their residence halls and spreading information by

word of mouth (E. Wade, personal communication, March 2017).

Observation Analysis

The two offices we visited were the Center for Black Studies and the Campus Life

Building. The Center for Black Studies is located on the border of the NIU campus, next to the

parking garage, and can only be seen from Lincoln Highway. Students walking from their

residence hall through campus would not be able to see the center clearly. After walking into the

Center for Black Studies, the lobby is located down the hall. There was nobody present at the

entrance to direct students on where to find information. There were pamphlets and flyers

located on the wall, but were not in any specific order.

The second building we visited was the Campus Life Building. This building is located

next to the Holmes Student Center and Health Services on Lucinda Avenue. Although the

Campus Life Building is made visible, it does not describe what the function of the building

actually are. Upon walking into the lobby there are pamphlets readily available, although they

are not in any specific order. There is a clear sign that directs you upstairs to the Counseling and

Consultation Services (CCS) on the second floor. When entering the CCS office there is a

service desk where a receptionist directed us to the lobby and answered any questions we

had. Pamphlets were spread across the tables in the waiting area, as well as popular

magazines. The lobby felt inviting and comfortable to any visitors.

The majority of the pamphlets we received were from the Campus Life Building. They

were located primarily in the lobby of the building, along with academic resources. The first

pamphlet we noticed was for the Psychological Services Center (Psychological services

center). Included in this was the location of the building, what type of services are offered,
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standards for service, and the hours they are open. Overall, it is very descriptive for students

seeking help. Another pamphlet that was available was for behavioral health services through

the KishHealth System (Our services: Behavioral health services [Brochure]). Provided is a

website along with multiple locations on the back. There are also brief summaries of the

different services they provide for adults and children. The other article we found at the Center

for Black Studies is a brochure for LivingRite Behavioral Health Services (Behavioral health

services [Brochure]). Inside it describe the services offered and areas of specialty regarding

mental health. The last pamphlet we found at the Campus Life Building was also located at the

Center for Black Studies which was a card for the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline

(2005). The front of the card provides a phone number and the back describes warning signs to

look for in somebody at risk of committing suicide (National Suicide Prevention Lifeline,

2005).

Focus Group

During the focus group discussion, the participants discussed briefly about the resources

that they know are currently available at Northern Illinois University. When we asked the focus

group about resources that they were aware of, the participants discussed how they knew about

the Counseling and Consultation Services office being on-campus but did not know where the

exact location of the office. This is problematic because if a student needs to meet with a

counselor and does not want to discuss it with friends or staff within the Center of Black Studies

they may not seek out the assistance they need. The participants viewed the Black Student Union

as an important resource when it came to promoting mental health awareness. A few of the

participants described a number of events they attended that were hosted by the Black Student

Union they focused around having an open discussion about mental health within the African
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American community. One participant described an event they attended that was focused on

self-care and the importance of seeking help when necessary (Focus Group, personal

communication, April 2017).

Stigma

Throughout the literature stigma is very present as a barrier for help seeking behaviors

amongst the African American community (Turner, Jensen-Doss, & Heffer, 2015). During our

interviews and observational analysis, we discovered how deep the stigma runs within the NIU

community.

Individual Interviews

When meeting with Dr. Flynn we discussed the stigma around mental health within the

African American community. Dr. Flynn described that mental health and suicide are not openly

discussed within the community because it is not viewed as appropriate to admit you are having

personal issues let alone discuss these issues. Dr. Flynn mentioned that individuals in the

community learn from generation to generation to either turn to family, the church, or keep your

feelings bottled up. Dr. Flynn expressed that even though there are these negative perspectives

about mental health, the Center for Black Studies is working change this ideology (G. Flynn,

personal communication, March 2017).

Another interview that provided insight, was when we spoke with James Alford. James

discussed with us that mental health is not talked about, it just does not exist in the African

American community. He went on to say that African Americans would rather be thought of as

anything else other than “crazy”. He explained that in order for the mental health stigma to go

away, African Americans need to see people in their community receiving resources and talking

about their experience with mental health. He also talked about how he is concerned with how
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many students from Chicago are potentially undiagnosed, and not being treated for PTSD. He

explained that there is a huge problem of not discussing mental health within his community, and

he hopes that one day the stigma will go away (J. Alford, personal communication, March 2017).

During the interview with Ms. Wade, one of the first issues she brought up was the

stigma behind seeking mental health counseling. In our talk, she did not see ethnicity as being

an indicator of having a negative stigma on seeking counseling, but stated that it was holistic of

all students. Breaking the negative stigma was the at the foreground of our conversation because

it holds many students back from receiving the help they need. Ms. Wade said that one of the

most important ways to break negative stigma is for students to see other people like them going

in and meeting with counselors. It was also discussed that stigma can be created through family

upbringing, such as religious beliefs (E. Wade, personal communication, March 2017).

When interviewing John Doe there were responses congruent to the remarks made during

our other interviews with professionals in counseling at NIU. John Doe stated that seeking

mental health makes people feel like something is wrong with them and they don’t want to be

seen differently by their peers. Although mental health isn’t talked about much in the African-

American community, John Doe stated that it is now being discussed more than in the past. He

commented that a musician is currently helping break the negative stigma by coming out to the

public with his battle with Bipolar disorder. Kid Cudi is a contemporary music artist who is

open about his battle with mental disorders to the media, as well as discussing it in his

lyrics. John Doe said that it makes it easier for the African-American community to have

meaningful conversations about mental health when a prominent figure they can relate to isn’t

afraid to begin the discussion (J. Doe, personal communication, March 2017).

Focus Group
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In the focus group the participants reaffirmed the stigma that is associated with mental

health within the African American community. When we asked the focus group about the

stigma of mental health within their community one participant answered, “If you see a therapist

then you must be crazy” (Focus Group, personal communication, April 2017). All of the other

participants immediately agreed with that statement. Another participant mentioned that it is

hard for students within the community to seek help because it would be embarrassing to be seen

by peers going to Counseling and Consultation Services. All of the participants were able to

agree with the idea that people are not supposed to share their business with others and if they

are experiencing difficulties that their problems can be solve through church. Towards the end

of the discussion one participant mentioned that they felt mental health is becoming a less taboo

topic to discuss. They believed that there are more discussions and events focused around

mental health and self-care, but there is still more work that needs to be done to create more

conversations about mental health (Focus Group, personal communication, April 2017).

Outreach

Outreach is important in a number of different ways. Through outreach efforts students can

discover what resources are available, and the institution is trying to increase these outreach

efforts.

National College Health Assessment

We analyzed data from the year 2009 and 2017, comparing eight different questions on

mental health. These questions were in two different sections of the survey, information the

students received, and information the students wanted to receive. The topics surveyed were

depression/ anxiety, eating disorders, grief and loss, and how to help others (American College

Health Association, 2008). We found that in 2017 students were wanting more information on
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mental health related subjects than they were in 2009. We also found that students receive less

information than what they want on topics in 2017. Overall students are wanting more

information on mental health, which validates our interviews with students and professional

staff, about how they would like mental health to be talked about more often.

2009 Students Want Information

Depression/Anxiety Eating Disorder Grief and Loss How to Help Others

No 43% 71% 52% 32%

Yes 54% 28% 47% 67%

Table 1 (American College Health Association, 2008)

2017 Students Want Information

Depression/Anxiety Eating Disorder Grief and Loss How to Help Others

No 39% 60% 50% 32%

Yes 60% 39% 50% 64%

Table 2 (American College Health Association,

2008)

2009 Students Received Information

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Depression/Anxiety Eating Disorder Grief and Loss How to Help Others

No 52% 63% 46% 65%

Yes 48% 37% 54% 34%

Table 3 (American College Health Association, 2008)

2017 Students Received Information

Depression/Anxiety Eating Disorder Grief and Loss How to Help Others

No 42% 78% 85% 46%

Yes 57% 21% 14% 53%

Table 4 (American College Health Association, 2008)

Individual Interviews

During our interview with Dr. Flynn, we discussed how the Center for Black Studies is

working to connect with their students and discuss mental health and suicide prevention. Dr.

Flynn described that the center has implemented new program initiatives to incorporate mental

health discussions into preexisting community discussions. The resource center is also including

the Black Counselors Association, which is comprised of graduate students within the counseling

program, in these discussions on mental health. Dr. Flynn explained that including the Black

Counselors Association will help breakdown the stigmas around mental health because students
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will be able to relate with students who had similar experiences (G. Flynn, personal

communication, March 2017).

While speaking with James he alluded to the fact that outreach from counseling is not

done unless a crisis occurs. He explained that when one of the men in the Black Male Initiative

(BMI) committed suicide, Counseling and Consultation Services made themselves available at

CBS and BMI meetings to assist grieving students. He explained that if there is not a crisis no

one at the center talks about mental health. If a student presents with a mental health problem

they refer the student to counseling, but sometimes there is not much follow up to that

conversation (J. Alford, personal communication, March 2017).

In regards to providing outreach to students on campus, Ms. Wade discussed the different

organizations and programs that have put in place in the past. She highlighted the different

organizations on campus, such as Black Male Initiative and the Success and Succeed Plan (S-

Plan), as ways for students to connect to others that are similar to them. We also talked about

how campus housing and hall directors play a major role in educating students on mental health

issues and where resources are available. As far as current outreach, a program called “Let’s

Talk” was put into place to give students the option for a drop-in service to discuss mental health

issues without an appointment. After our recent Presidential election, an open space was

provided for students to discuss the impact it has on their lives now and in the future (E. Wade,

personal communication, March 2017).

It was important for us to gain insight from a current student throughout the process of

analyzing outreach at NIU. John Doe confirmed what Ms. Wade and James said about the Black

Male Initiative and the Success and Succeed Plan in regards to where students find outreach. He

also shared the opinion that outreach needs to be brought to students at events and in high traffic
 24

areas. In addition to making outreach opportunities seen at events, the University can partner

with organizations and hold annual events. John Doe said that students respond well to annual

events because it creates turnover and a following each year (J. Doe, personal communication,

March 2017).

Focus Group

During the focus group we asked the participants about how the university can continue

to reach out to students and have discussions about mental health and suicide prevention. One of

the participants suggested that Counseling and Consultation Services have a counselor who has

an office in the resource center. The participants felt that by having a counselor within the

center, it will allow the students to visit the counselor in a space they are familiar with and is not

seen as a designated space for just counseling. This will eliminate the embarrassment a student

can feel if they were to go to Counseling and Consultation Services. Another participant

suggested having staff from Counseling and Consultation Services attend more events that are

hosted by the student organizations within the Center for Black Studies. The participants

believed that by having more of a presence at their events would allow students the opportunities

to meet the staff in an informal setting, and allow them to begin building relationships with

students. Finally, a participant mentioned that it is up to Counseling and Consultation Services

to put in the work to penetrate their community and to be more present at the center. The

participant referred, to our efforts as researchers to conduct the focus group, and how students

are not willing to just show up to an event to talk about mental health and suicide

prevention. We found this to be true because our three attempts at conducting a focus group

failed until we finally decided to go to the Center for Black Studies and recruit these students

(Focus Group, personal communication, April 2017). These were a few suggestions the focus
 25

group came up with in regards to the university reaching out to the African American student

population.

Recommendations and Conclusion

After thorough research, we found that the students want to talk about mental health more

often. The students and professional staff want to eliminate the stigmas surrounding mental

health, and they feel the best way to do that is through communication. Many individuals that we

interviewed expressed that if people talked about mental health more often people within the

community would be less afraid to talk about their own mental health (Focus Group, personal

communication, April 2017; J. Alford, personal communication, March 2017; J. Doe, personal

communication, April 2017).

One suggestion that James Alford, the intern at the Center for Black Studies, suggested is

hosting a symposium for African American mental health. This would provide a platform for

new research to be discussed, and for keynote speakers to present themselves as role models to

students (J. Alford, personal communication, March 2017). One suggestion that was brought up

during the focus group, was to have a licensed professional counselor in the Center for Black

Studies. This allows students to have easier access to a counselor as well as provides students

with a space they already feel comfortable with, because it is a space they already frequently

visit. The students also suggested that if representatives from different departments, including

Counseling and Consultation Services, came to more of events hosted by organizations within

the Center for Black Studies to just hang out and get to know the students, then the students

would feel more comfortable going and speaking with someone about mental health. The

students explained that this would help them feel more comfortable because they would feel like
 26

they would be talking to the individual as more of a friend, not just another counselor (Focus

Group, personal communication, April 2017).

An important subject that continued to arise during our interviews was that students need

the faculty to come to them. Students are not likely to want to go into a counseling center

unprovoked, so we need to go to them to give information. Ms. Wade stated that the residence

halls would be a good place to go to inform students about mental health resources (E. Wade,

personal communication, March 2017). NIU can organize a plan to have faculty visit each

residence hall once a semester to give information about mental health on campus. Doing this

would allow students easy access to information, as well as becoming acquainted with the

professionals who can assist them. Openly discussing mental disorders would also normalize it

and create an area for discussion.

The overall theme, in terms of recommendations, that we gathered from our research is

that having a mental disorder needs to become normalized across campus. It can’t be something

that we only talk about in small groups after an incident occurs. This leads back to the

importance of communication when normalizing mental disorders. Having a prominent figure in

the community speak up about a mental disorder they are fighting would make students more

willing to join the conversation. This is proven when the student worker we interviewed, John

Doe, described how the musician Kid Cudi helped him see that mental disorders affect a large

scope of people (J. Doe, personal communication, April 2017). Normalizing mental disorders

will break the stigma and make students feel more comfortable seeking help in the future.

As the researchers for this assessment we feel it necessary that the student’s voices be

heard. They deserve to have the opportunity and the platform to discuss what they need and how

their needs should be met. The research that we have conducted shows that not all of these needs
 27

are being met in the area of mental health. Faculty, as well as students, notice this need, and are

becoming more comfortable discussing it. To create sustained change, we as an institution must

first open the door for conversation and educate students on the issue at hand; then after the

communication patterns have been established we can begin normalizing mental health, which

will reduce the stigmas within the community. Once the stigmas are reduced more and more

students will able to get the help they need instead of burying their emotions, or becoming

ashamed of how they feel. The African American community at Northern Illinois University,

will become mentally healthier the more that relationships are formed between departments and

the more normalized mental health becomes at the institution.

 28

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 30

Appendix A

1. Let’s begin with introductions. Please tell us your first name and what student

organizations you participate in at NIU?

2. Please share how you gain information about campus resources available at NIU?

3. How are topics related to mental health and suicide discussed within your community?

4. What do you think are some of the stigmas or barriers to seeking mental health services

in your community?

5. How can we encourage help seeking behavior for students regarding mental health?

6. What might be ways for NIU to better meet the needs of your community regarding

mental health and suicide prevention?

7. What are effective ways to deliver outreach programming to your community?

8. How do students like to receive information about resources on campus?

9. What about receiving information via technology (apps, social media, etc)?

10. Anything else you would like to share?

Appendix B

1. How you do you gain information about resources on campus? And specifically about

mental health?

2. How are topics related to mental health and suicide discussed within your community?

3. Have there been any instances of mental health issues within the center and how did the

center handle it?

4. What do you think are some of the stigma and barriers to seeking mental health services

in your community?

5. How does CBS encourage help seeking behaviors regarding mental health?
 31

6. How and what can NIU do to help the African American community regarding mental?

7. In your opinion what is the best way for students to receive information?

8. Is there anything else you would like to share?