In September 2020, ACE along with its partner TIAA Institute, surveyed nearly 300 presidents at colleges and universities regarding their pressing concerns of the COVID-19 pandemic. These presidents were presented with a list of 19 concerns and asked to select a maximum of five concerns they assessed to be the most pressing for them.

The top five concerns selected by presidents were (1) mental health of students, (2) long-term financial viability, (3) enrollment numbers for the Spring Semester 2020, (4) sustaining an online learning environment, and (5) fundraising. Overall, the top concerns by presidents at public four-year institutions, private four-year institutions, and public two-year institutions were mental health of students.

Mental health is a serious challenge facing our students. According to the National Alliance on Mental Health, 44 million people in this country live with mental illness and one out of every five people struggle with a serious mental illness. Mental health represents a person’s social, psychological and emotional well-being. It has an impact on how a person acts, feels, and thinks. Mental health also helps assess how a person makes decisions, relates to people, and handles stressful situations (Mental Health.gov).

As an intervention for professional learning to address mental health in our educational institutions, The Holmes Education Post and Einestine Technology Services have developed an online mental health awareness curriculum with emphasis on bipolar disorder. The curriculum provides training for college students learning to become teachers, employees, and managers of organizations. This curriculum is useful to educational institutions, businesses, law enforcement, and health care.  By clicking on this link, you can review a two minutes video of our Online Curriculum on Mental Health.

In addition, The Holmes Education Post has written a book on “Your Answers to Bipolar Disorder: A Guide for Every Individual and Organization.” The book serves as a reference guide to the online mental health awareness curriculum with emphasis on bipolar disorder. The book also provides answers on how to assist individuals living with bipolar disorder and includes useful and resourceful information for organizations working with individuals diagnosed with the brain disorder and other mental illnesses.

Dr. Ronald Holmes is the author of 22 books and publisher of “The Holmes Education Post,” an education focused Internet newspaper.  Holmes is a former teacher, school administrator, test developer and district superintendent.

Click on this link to see a description of all Dr. Ronald Holmes’ books.