HelpCase Study: Workforce and Student Wellbeing at Universities
When Dr. Alexis McLean joined LaGuardia Community College as Vice President for Student Affairs, she brought with her both deep professional experience and a personal understanding of mental health challenges. After navigating depression and panic attacks during a pivotal period in her own life, she learned firsthand the power of early support and the consequences when people don’t recognize the signs.
That understanding now shapes LaGuardia’s approach to supporting its workforce. “Student support is important,” Dr. McLean explained, “but you also have to support the people who support the students.”
LaGuardia is one of the most diverse colleges in the country, serving students from more than 100 countries. In a polarized sociopolitical climate, faculty and staff regularly absorb the stressors their students bring into the classroom. Many are experts in their academic fields but have never been trained to recognize mental health warning signs in themselves or in colleagues.
The college also saw a need to shift its long-standing partnership with NAMI-NYC, which had historically focused on student programming, toward supporting faculty and staff wellbeing.
Joining NAMI-NYC’s Workplace Mental Health Collaborative offered foundational mental health literacy and resilience training, so staff could recognize the signs and create a supportive culture.
Staff are expressing gratitude for being seen, valued, and supported. Leadership conversations increasingly include reminders about upcoming NAMI-NYC sessions and why they matter.
This early appreciation signals a deeper culture change: a workforce that feels acknowledged, cared for, and equipped with tools to support themselves and colleagues.
Dr. McLean is clear that workplace mental health is essential for organizational health. She emphasized the need for this investment to boost productivity, and morale, and ultimately improve student success. “Our ability to take care of our people directly affects retention,” she noted.
To join the NAMI-NYC Workplace Mental Health Collaborative or learn more about our workplace programs, fill out our form and we’ll be in touch.