UCD Student Mental Health and Suicide Prevention Project

Project Overview

A proposal for a major project reviewing the student mental health and wellbeing ecosystem was brought by the Dean of Students to the University Management Team Student Experience Group in 2021 where it was approved. A Steering Group overseeing the project was formed and a senior project manager recruited in Q2 2022. The Steering Group undertook an initial review of the current practice in the University, benchmarking it against the 2020 HEA National Student Mental Health and Suicide Prevention Framework and its 40 point Action Checklist.

Where gaps were identified, work packages were established to address them. A UCD SMHSP Interim report was compiled detailing an overview of the work carried out to date, and containing the project Steering Group’s interim recommendations. These recommendations are based on the project learnings to date, and provide a solid foundation for the project’s next phase which will be to present a series of costed actions needed to implement the draft recommendations.

Watch an overview of the project, delivered by Niall Dennehy, Project Manager, to the HEA Wellbeing Conference in June 2024. (opens in a new window)A report on the conference, including recordings of all speakers is available here.

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Project Structure

Working Groups were established in August 2022 to address the gaps identified in the Steering Group’s initial review. Work packages were identified for each group as per summary briefs below and categorised by estimated delivery timeline. Each Working Group was composed of faculty and staff from UCD, and external stakeholders, with experience and expertise in the relevant area.