Since its founding in 2015, NC State’s Mental Health Ambassador (MHA) program has provided peer-to-peer health education to reduce the stigma and anxiety students may have surrounding prevention services. MHAs are a group of undergraduate and graduate students passionate about mental health awareness and breaking down barriers for all students to access support or treatment on campus. 

The program is one piece contributing to positive mental health that is making a measurable impact on the NC State campus.

When NC State participated in the national Healthy Minds Study in 2023 and students were asked about their overall wellness, the university scored multiple percentage points ahead of the national average for other U.S. institutions in several categories.

Prevention Services Recovery and Outreach Support Employee Lilly Kirn ‘25 and CARES Coordinator Lilly Neal ‘19, both MHA program alumni, continue to advocate wherever possible for mental health awareness. Student Behavioral Case Management at NC State (also known as NC State CARES) provides support for students in distress or those who have been identified as exhibiting concerning or worrisome behaviors.

For Kirn, the MHA program supports the gaps between the student body and faculty, and, for Neal, it lives in the conversations about mental health both on and off campus. 

Being a Mental Health Ambassador

The most central part of Kirn’s day-to-day activities as an MHA was always effective communication. She shared that “students get connected with us in a variety of ways, as we have referral pathways within many resources on campus. Specifically for MHA, we do outreach events constantly. One of the amazing things about our program is that we can do true boots-on-the-ground involvement with our community to spread accessibility and awareness.”

Neal corroborated, “I’ve seen how impactful peer-to-peer education and support can be. MHAs are going out to campus buildings, classrooms, clubs and organizations to share about the CARES program and other on-campus resources. I wish more folks could see just how much the ambassadors influence negative attitudes surrounding mental health each and every day.”

Neal’s current role as a CARES Coordinator involves working with students experiencing complex psychological barriers, whether mental health concerns, medical issues, personal crises or any other roadblock to academic or personal success. 

“The most meaningful part of my role is building rapport with students, especially those who may have been initially hesitant to seek help or weren’t sure where to look for it,” Neal expressed. “A more challenging aspect, though, is meeting students during some of the most difficult moments in their lives and supporting them as best we can in those moments.”

Kirn currently works closely with NC State Prevention Services to develop educational campaigns and materials for their social media channels while also preparing to enter a master’s program for clinical mental health counseling. She is still motivated by accomplishments made by the MHA program and continues to mentor new ambassadors.

“Being able to take the valuable knowledge we learned from partnering with the JED Foundation to create our own event titled Glow Up for Mental Health was incredibly inspiring,” she said. “Our event has now been successful for two consecutive years, and I had the privilege of being one of the student leaders and keynote speakers.”

Young Alumni in the Mental Health Sphere

The transition from commencement to the workforce is one that students often dread, no matter how well prepared they are. “As students become alumni, it’s important to maintain routines that support mental health, like setting boundaries, building community and recognizing early signs of burnout.” Neal emphasized.

“Stay connected with the support systems you built in college and lean on those folks in your times of need, but remember to seek professional care when needed.” 

Neal shared resources students can access after they graduate including the Community Counseling, Education, and Research Center, which offers low-cost virtual counseling across North Carolina. For support outside of North Carolina tools like MiResource, PsychologyToday, and the National Alliance on Mental Illness provide professional help.

Many licensed mental health clinician alumni also stay involved in the mental health sphere on campus directly, acting as communal advocates and resources for current and future students to gather advice and holding positions as embedded counselors within the Counseling Center on campus.

The MHA program also has their own network of alumni. “Our network has changed the trajectory of many students’ careers through mentorship in areas including clinical psychology, counseling, social work, public health and more,” Kirn said. “Alumni also continue to spread the word and impact of our essential services, such as the CARES and Alcohol and Other Drugs Prevention and Education programs.” 

Addressing Future Challenges

When thinking about common indicators that a student might be struggling, Neal said to keep an eye out for “a drop in class attendance, social withdrawal, significant mood or behavior shifts, and difficulty managing daily responsibilities.”

Kirn added, “People tend to think that those who are struggling simply have a lack of motivation. We must continue to listen to their needs and communicate them higher up to create real change in policy regarding mental health.”

Neal and Kirn are resolved to continue meeting students where they have a need. Neal shared, “Support should be interwoven into every aspect of our daily life and expanding peer-to-peer support programs can only better prepare students to look after themselves and each other, both during college and post-graduation.”