Alumni Association

CAPS' Red Folder initiative offers year-round support for mental health

Alumni Association gift supports Counseling and Psychological Services' ongoing mental health services; May is Mental Health Awareness Month

The Red Folder initiative, available online at redfolder.psu.edu, serves as a guide to help faculty and staff recognize and respond to the needs of distressed students and knowledgeably refer them to helpful resources. It is among the many resources available at Penn State to support student mental health and well-being.  Credit: CommAgency / Kayla Marrero. All Rights Reserved.

UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. — By offering a wealth of mental health resources, Penn State’s Counseling and Psychological Services (CAPS) serves a crucial role for the University community, both in May — marked as National Mental Health Awareness Month — and during the entire year. 

For example, CAPS's Red Folder initiative helps faculty, staff, student leaders and other campus leaders recognize, respond effectively to, and refer students who are experiencing varying levels of stress. 

CAPS launched the Red Folder initiative in 2020 to guide members of campus communities in becoming agents of change for student mental health. The initiative doesn’t ask faculty or staff members to take on the role of a mental health professional; rather, it gives people in the position to offer direct assistance, access to resources and best practices, so they can feel informed and empowered if the occasion arises. 

The initiative offers printed and online materials that detail three steps — Recognize, Respond and Refer — to guide Penn State faculty and staff who engage with Penn State students. The steps are further broken down by how they might apply for students experiencing low (green), moderate (yellow), or high (red) levels of stress. 

“Simply said, these skills could save a life," said Natalie Hernandez DePalma, a 2010 Penn State graduate and the senior director of CAPS, "and that alone underscores the value of the Red Folder.” 

The first step, Recognize, lists factors — some subtle — that can indicate someone may need support. The second step, Respond, provides a framework for assessing the most appropriate response, giving paramount importance to the safety of the individual, with additional tips including pausing, listening, and possibly consulting. Notably, it’s advised to ask direct questions and offer concrete advice, along with following up. The final step, Refer, helps determine who to contact when there’s concern for the welfare and safety of a student. 

The Red Folder initiative, and CAPS’ overall approach, fits into the importance that the University places on student safety, including mental health services. Based on any number of factors, this guidance could save a life, de-escalate a potentially harmful situation, or even avoid one altogether.

“Most people think of CAPS services at the intervention level, such as group, individual, and couples and relationship therapy,” Hernandez DePalma said. "However, our outreach and prevention services are just as elemental to our work." 

“We can all do better when it comes to helping students — and others overall — manage the stress that they are experiencing. Supporting them and building trust can help prevent higher levels of mental health distress that become an interference in people's daily lives." 

In 2016, the senior class chose contributing to CAPS as the class gift, and inspired by this, the Penn State Alumni Association's matched up to $200,000 in contributions — the largest commitment in the history of Penn State's class gift program. 

Alumni can help by raising awareness of mental health resources offered by CAPS, Hernandez DePalma said. “A great deal of Penn State alumni are still proudly involved with the University community. If they are a current faculty or staff member at Penn State, or know someone in the University community, they can simply help spread the word that the Red Folder exists." 

“Mental health distress prevention can be likened to other health prevention measures, such as brushing your teeth: small doses of daily prevention reduce significant risks that can have a lasting influence on a person’s health and life,” said Stephanie Stama, Penn State class of 2008, assistant director of community education and outreach, who spearheads CAPS' outreach and prevention efforts. “The mental health picture is parallel, where small doses of meaningful daily connection can increase a person’s sense of belonging, which subsequently reduces risks of feelings of depression and hopelessness." 

CAPS’ main office is on the fifth floor of the Student Health Center on the University Park campus, with an office in the adjacent building, on the third floor of the Bank of America Career Services Center. On the center’s website, CAPS provides a 24/7 crisis phone number and number for text messages, and a form for submitting confidential information. In addition to being available during business hours (Monday-Friday, 8 a.m.-5 p.m.), CAPS offers a Penn State Crisis Line (1-877-229-6400) and a Crisis Text Line (Text "LIONS" to 741741). Both are available 24 hours a day, seven days a week.  

To stay updated and informed, follow CAPS on Facebook and Instagram, and also sign up for a newsletter from the center. Those who are interested in supporting CAPS can visit this link.

Last Updated May 5, 2023