UNCW Supports Community Mental Health Efforts

According to the National Alliance on Mental Illness, more than one in five adults in America experience a mental illness each year. Suicide remains the second leading cause of death among those ages 10–24. UNCW is doing its part to support these populations with outreach programs.

Serving Our Neighbors

The General Psychotherapy and Assessment Clinic was founded in 2018, shortly after UNCW launched its clinical psychology doctoral program. Partly supported by the Oaklawn Foundation, GPAC is a nonprofit training clinic and mental health treatment center dedicated to providing high‑quality, affordable care to adults in New Hanover County and the surrounding areas.

The center offers access to high‑quality, low‑cost services and provides on‑site training for UNCW doctoral students. GPAC has served hundreds of individuals both on and off campus since its founding, through individual therapy services and comprehensive clinical assessments. The center also engages in multidisciplinary collaboration, partnering with the UNCW Counseling Center and UNCW Athletics’ Seahawk Mental Health and Performance Program. Beyond campus, they work closely with community providers in Wilmington.

Associate Dean for Faculty, Policy, Research and Innovation and psychology faculty member Kate Nooner is the center’s founding director. Clinical Assistant Professor of Psychology Kirsten Allen is the current director.

Serving Our Youth

Youth suicide is a pressing public health concern, particularly in rural and underserved communities where access to mental health services can be limited. Deborah Tyndall, an associate professor in the UNCW School of Nursing, is working alongside school districts to address the crisis through one of the most accessible resources students know: the school nurse.

Research funded by the National Association of School Nurses revealed that although school nurses are often the first trusted adults students visit, many are not included in formal suicide prevention systems within schools.

The findings helped establish a partnership with Nash and Craven County Public Schools. SAFE-SN (Screen, Assess, Facilitate and Engage-School Nurse) is an intervention to equip nurses with training, tools and a screening approach to identify students who may be at risk for suicide.

The project recently received a grant of approximately $50,000 from the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention. The funding supports the first pilot of SAFE-SN in both districts. Area leaders, including Nash County’s Lead School Nurse Debra Terrell and Craven County’s Director of Health Services Luanne Forsyth, are collaborating with UNCW researchers to bring the program into everyday practice.

For Tyndall, the work reflects UNCW’s broader commitment to community engagement and real-world impact. “Our hope is that SAFE-SN will serve as a model that can grow beyond these districts,” she said.