Even though Penn provides many resources to provide help for stu- dents when they are in distress, we found that the stigma associated with
revealing any vulnerability or with any kind of indication of distress pre- vents some students from seeking help. We believe it is the responsibil- ity of all members of the Penn community—faculty, students, staff, parents,
partners, and families—to become more involved in looking after
and supporting each other, and guiding each other on where and how to
seek support and treatment. The new HELP Line, and the proposed website
and web-based application, will assist in that regard. Another important
initiative underway is Penn’s I CARE program, an experiential education
initiative launched by CAPS in the spring of 2014. It provides formal
training opportunities to faculty, staff, and students to support skills
in early identification, crisis intervention and referral to campus resources.16
The program has proven to be an effective model for educating members
of our community in how to care for each other. In less than one year,
more than 200 faculty and staff members and approximately 120 students
have completed the seven-hour program and given it high marks for its
effectiveness. CAPS is developing a modularized version of the program to allow them to expand this program. I CARE training has proven to be
an important new tool in and we urge that support be provided to develop
shorter modules and other tools to foster opportunities to build resilience,
awareness of warning signs of distress, and options to seek help.