In the higher ed world, the past several years led to increased distress but also less stigma to get help when and if you need it. Too often though, those in need of support aren’t sure where to turn or encounter barriers causing them to get overwhelmed or stuck.   

Fortunately, Colorado State University has many great resources to support health and well-being. To help students, staff and faculty find the right doorway at the right time, the CSU Health Network is launching HelpCompass.  

HelpCompass is an essential crisis navigation tool that helps students, faculty and staff connect to the right help in moments of need. Everyone encounters hurdles in life. In those moments of challenge, finding the right support is critical.  Accessible anytime at helpcompass.colostate.edu and 100% anonymous, this tool matches the Ram community to a concise list of relevant services and resources in just a few clicks and doesn’t require a login. The process involves answering a few brief questions to receive a list of the most relevant crisis support for yourself or someone else. 

“We want our community to know that it’s normal to need and ask for help. Whatever is on your shoulders, you don’t have to carry it alone,” Janelle Patrias, MSW, manager of mental health initiatives at the CSU Health Network. “As innovators in this space, we’re proud to introduce this crisis navigation tool that truly simplifies and normalizes help-seeking behavior.”  

HelpCompass is the result of a two-year research and development effort to redesign the way that campus communities discover and connect to crisis support resources in times of need. This new tool was developed by Grit Digital Health, the creators of YOU@CSU.  CSU is fortunate to have a special partnership with Grit Digital Health, a company created by CSU alum, Joe Conrad.  CSU has been a key development partner in the YOU@College platform that is now used at over 180 colleges and universities. The CSU Health Network has been a test site and helped facilitate research agreements between CSU and Grit Digital Health, which continue to this day. Conrad has generously gifted the university use of HelpCompass in addition to YOU@CSU for students and employees and Nod – the app to address loneliness. The developers believe this new platform can act as a “front door” to essential support services.   

“Building campus-wide awareness of HelpCompass allows students, staff and faculty to know where to turn when they’re grappling with a crisis or worried about a friend.” said Paige Beaufort,  VP of partner success at Grit Digital Health, the creators of YOU@CSU and HelpCompass. “A simple exposure to the platform, directly or through promotional materials, is normalizing in itself and increases the likelihood of accessing services in the future. Just like a fire drill or a blue phone box, knowing that HelpCompass is at their fingertips can help in any stressful situation streamlining the process to get to appropriate care.” 

HelpCompass is a completely anonymous crisis navigation tool that anyone can visit 24/7. This simple web-based tool decreases barriers and takes the guesswork out of finding the right supports by centralizing information and suggesting the most relevant university services and resources.