Understanding your scores
Scores are based on the stage of implementation responses for each required item. Each stage of implementation response is assigned a numerical value:
- Not Yet is rated as 0
- Taking Steps is rated as 1
- Good Progress is rated as 2
- We’re Close is rated as 3
The most frequently selected response rating for each item (the mode) is selected to generate a score that reflects the responses of all users within a campus.
Each domain score is calculated by adding up the point value of the most frequently selected ratings for all required items. This sum is divided by the number of total possible points, and multiplied by 100 to generate a percentage. I Don’t Know responses for required items and all ratings for recommended items are not included in the scoring equation.
The scoring system is intended to help your post-secondary institution quantify the current state of alignment with the Standard and track your implementation progress over time. Understanding that the Standard is an aspirational document, remember that it will take time to achieve full alignment on any one dimension, let alone all five! Engaging with the Standard; implementing new policies, procedures, programs, and services; and tracking this progress by using the Campus Mental Health Action Tracker are all part of the ongoing journey towards improved student mental health and well-being.
To put the dimension scores into context, consider the % displayed for each dimension, the answers to the assessment overall, and the priority ratings. Then, locate the level of implementation that best describes your institution at present:
NOT YET
Your institution may have 1 or 2 required SHALL items in place, but has not taken any action steps yet related to the majority of requirements of the Standard.
Your post-secondary institution has a basic awareness of, and good intentions toward, student mental health and well-being – but the responsibility for student mental health largely rests with individuals themselves and groups outside of institutional leadership. Your institution has basic health and safety procedures in place, but lacks systematic or formal mechanisms for expressing institutional-level commitment to student mental health and well-being.
Your institution’s leadership has shown some intention toward the idea of developing a student mental health framework, but has not yet completed engagement or planning in a concrete manner. Your institution has not pursued any activities and may not be sure how or where to start.
TAKING STEPS
Your institution may meet, or be close to meeting, several required SHALL items - but is overall still making early progress on many of the Standard requirements.
Your post-secondary institution recognizes its role and responsibility in supporting student mental health and well-being and is taking some steps toward developing a framework of policies, processes, systems, and supports to facilitate this. You have general health and well-being policies in place, and respond as needed to crises or opportunities to address student mental health. Your institution may have developed a mental health strategy or plan or framework, but so far have not moved into the implementation phase.
Your physical and learning environments may reflect some consideration for the factors that contribute to a safe, supportive, and inclusive environments, but for the most part, your institution has not considered the interplay of socio-ecological and psychosocial factors. Support for student mental health tends to be generic, optional, and not coordinated across the institution.
By and large, your institution hasn’t yet developed data collection, performance measurement, evaluation and reporting processes for student mental health initiatives. You undertakes basic administration/ record-keeping, but don’t typically undertake performance measurement or evaluation in this area. Accordingly, your institution is not yet ready to sustain and continuously improve your student mental health and well-being framework just yet.
MAKING GOOD PROGRESS
Your institution may meet some or many required SHALL items, but is not quite able to say “yes, we have fully implemented this” for all dimensions of the Standard.
Your post-secondary institution has taken effective action to develop and implement policies, processes, systems, and supports for student mental health and well-being. Senior management shows leadership across many areas of framework development and implementation, with some prevention focus. Policies and procedures recognize it is everyone’s responsibility to promote and enhance a supportive learning environment. When planning, management regularly seeks feedback from students and other stakeholders.
Your physical and learning environments reflect good consideration for the factors that contribute to a safe, supportive, and inclusive environment, including some consideration for psychosocial and socio-ecological factors. Your institution has some processes, programs, and supports for literacy, education, stigma reduction, early intervention, suicide prevention, and crisis management. These supports and programs are generally accessible but may include some under-developed areas (possibly due to under-resourcing).
Your institution has developed evaluation and reporting mechanisms, including good data collection processes, some elements of performance measurement, and sporadic evaluation. You generally use a variety of methods – some more rigorous than others - for data collection, and objectives and targets are, for the most part, informed by evidence and consultation. Your institution has also undertaken some action planning to achieve these objectives.
WE’RE CLOSE!
Your institution has met all required SHALL items of the Standard, and may be taking steps on one or more recommended SHOULD items.
Your post-secondary institution’s policies, processes, systems, and supports for student mental health and well-being are fully developed, with a student-centered focus evident throughout. Senior management shows ongoing, sustained leadership and accountability across all areas of the student mental health framework’s development and implementation. Together with representatives of all key stakeholder groups from the post-secondary community, they recognize the impact of intersectionality and explicitly and systematically review policies and procedures through multi-faceted lenses of equity, diversity, inclusion, health-promotion, and harm reduction.
Your physical and learning environments are safe, supportive, and inclusive of the diversity of students and their needs. Processes and programs for literacy, education, stigma reduction, early intervention, suicide prevention, and crisis management are thoroughly developed, with careful consideration of psychosocial and socio-ecological factors, and are well-communicated and understood by stakeholders. Crisis management protocols are well-developed and proactive.
Your institution’s evaluation and reporting mechanisms are well-established and sustained. You have documented data collection processes that use rigorous methods and fully align with confidentiality and privacy laws and principles. You have measurable and achievable performance measurement objectives and targets that are based on evidence, determined in consultation, and modified according to changing information. In addition, your institution has action plans to achieve these objectives that are inclusive and student-informed.
ABOVE & BEYOND!
Your institution has met all required SHALL items of the Standard, and has also met - or is making good progress on - all recommended SHOULD items of the Standard.
Your post-secondary institution’s policies, processes, systems, and supports for student mental health and well-being are thoroughly developed, integrated, and embedded across your institution. Student mental health policies and procedures undergo systematic reviews through multi-faceted lenses, which informs your institution's overall strategic goals, planning, resource allocation decisions, and community relationships. Yourplanning is student-voiced and student-centric, and engages an expansive range of stakeholders that includes the broad diversity of students, using cultural competency and cultural safety lenses. These same lenses are applied throughout all aspects of your framework’s implementation, evaluation, and continuous improvement.
Your physical and learning environments are safe, supportive, and inclusive, and your institution surpasses the requirements of the Standard in its consideration for a range of accommodations. Student mental health systems and programs are beyond well-developed and proactive – they are exemplary and based on a thorough assessment of socio-ecological and psychosocial factors at the institutional, interpersonal, and individual levels.
Your evaluation and reporting processes meet all requirements of the Standard, They include indicators at various systems levels, and lay out strategies for contextualizing results and effectively disseminating them across the campus community. Your institution has fully developed, effective action plans for achieving objectives that include timeframe, means, responsibilities, evaluation, and links to partners, and align with other relevant standards and accreditation criteria. You actively and regularly re-examine policies, programs, and services in light of new needs, issues, technologies, opportunities (e.g. partnerships), and new models of support. Your institution is actively engaged in knowledge production, sharing, and advancement in the area of student mental health and well-being.