University of Iowa expands student crisis line to faculty, staff

IOWA CITY — More than two years after launching a 24/7 crisis and support line for University of Iowa students, the campus in January expanded that phone, text and online chat service to faculty, staff and postdocs — as part of an ongoing UI effort to “prioritize the mental health and well-being of employees.”

“Mental health is a critical component of success for everyone at the university,” Joni Troester, senior assistant vice president and deputy chief human resources officer, said in a statement.

In its first year of operation, 382 UI students used the crisis line, according to UI spokesman Steve Schmadeke. That usage spiked 52 percent to 580 students in the 2023 budget year that ended June 30.

In expanding the crisis line services, the university is continuing its partnership with CommUnity Crisis Services — a 54-year-old Iowa City-based service agency that offers not only mental health services but also a food bank, youth crisis stabilization, and financial support to those in need.

“There was no additional cost to expand the Support and Crisis Line to employees,” Schmadeke said. “We partnered with CommUnity Crisis Services to inform faculty, staff, and postdocs of this new resource.”

The UI Division of Student Life, Office of the Provost, and University Human Resources are splitting the $24,800 cost of the support line, which “extends a helping hand with free and confidential support, offering access to crisis resources around the clock,” Tanya Villhauer, assistant dean of well-being and basic needs at UI, said in a statement.

The line also initiates transportation and in-person intervention, as needed, and can refer UI employees to the UI Employee Assistance Program — which has been offering confidential, short-term counseling with licensed therapists for more than three decades.

“CommUnity is well-trained in handling general crises across multiple audiences,” according to Schmadeke. “In this case, they’re able to refer UI employees back to the UI Employee Assistance Program or other campus and community resources.”

Like student use of the crisis line, the number of employees and family members who used the Employee Assistance Program increased last year from 2,051 in fiscal 2022 to 2,787 in fiscal 2023.

And CommUnity in 2022 reported fielding 69,303 help line contacts — 30,248 of which discussed thoughts of suicide — nearly tripling the center’s 23,799 help line contacts in 2021.

Those increases represent a surge in campus and community mental health care needs in recent years — with students across Iowa’s public universities writing to the Board of Regents in September requesting it seek $1 million from the state for expanded mental health resources.

“Increased funding is necessary to better expand counseling services to students, lower wait times to meet with mental health professionals, and broaden options for support to better students’ academic and personal needs,” according to the student letter.

In proposing funding for the regent universities this session, Gov. Kim Reynolds excluded any funding toward the $1 million mental health request.

Vanessa Miller covers higher education for The Gazette.

Comments: (319) 339-3158; vanessa.miller@thegazette.com