Community College Mental Health Navigators: A Pilot Program to Improve Access to Care

The California Community College (CCC), the largest system of higher education and provider of workforce training in the nation, serves approximately 2.1 million students across its 116 campuses. CCCs work to reduce barriers to academic success by providing mental health services (MHS). However, CCCs provide MHS on a short-term model because of limited staffing and high demand with most campuses placing a restriction of six to eight sessions per academic term. A referral list of local agencies is typically provided for students who need continued care, though students often do not know how to explore options or navigate their health insurance benefits. During the 2020-2021 academic year, an MH navigator program was piloted at four community colleges in a San Francisco Bay Area county. Participants included 10 students with academic/career interests in social work, nursing, and the social sciences. Fall Semester 2020 focused on increasing students' knowledge on mental health topics, while Spring Semester 2021 focused on experiential learning through case management of student clients. The navigator pilot program showed promising results with navigators gaining practical experience and exposure to mental health careers while assisting their peers from campus-based to community-based care. Future efforts will focus on cultivating stronger relationships between navigators and MH liaisons. Doing so will help staff develop greater familiarity of the navigator's role, thus ensuring an increase in usage of its services and allowing the student-client a smoother transitioning experience from campus-based to community-based care.