Celebrating a 5 Year Partnership

Five years ago, University of West Georgia embarked on an ambitious journey to revolutionize campus mental health support. Today, we're celebrating a partnership that has not only transformed how students access mental wellness resources but has also set a new standard for comprehensive, technology-driven mental health initiatives in higher education.

When UWG first brought Resiliency Technologies and the Sharpen® platform into its burgeoning wellness program in 2020, the vision was clear: create a comprehensive mental health ecosystem that could reach every student while providing precision support for those who needed it most.  

Working closely with the UWG Counseling team and quarterbacked by the university’s Chief Wellness Officer, Bridgette Stewart, what emerged was something even more powerful—a multi-layered approach that has touched the lives of over 12,000 students and generated groundbreaking research that's influencing mental health and digital therapeutic practices nationwide.

"The impact has been transformative," Stewart reflects on the initiative's scope. "We didn't just implement a program; we created a new culture of mental wellness on our campus."

UWG's implementation of Sharpen consists of three interconnected components, each addressing different aspects of student mental health:

1. The Universal Sharpen Toolkit provides all 12,000 UWG students access to over 100 psychoeducational modules covering 50+ mental health topics. The best part is the modules reflect the student voices through peer stories of resiliency.  With 1,788 active regular users, students are consistently engaging with content ranging from stress management to suicide prevention. The platform's 56% engagement rate—well above industry standards—demonstrates that students aren't just accessing these resources; they're truly engaging with them.

   
   

2. Sharpen Athlete takes a targeted approach, screening approximately 500 student athletes annually using the validated CAT-MH screening tool. The 2025 screening results revealed critical insights about students at risk for depression, anxiety and suicide ideation.  More importantly, those identified received immediate support through in-person counseling, along with customized digital interventions through the Sharpen platform, creating a seamless bridge between identification, triage and care.

   
   

3. The 17-Week SMHL Curriculum embedded Sharpen’s mental health literacy curricula directly into academic coursework, reaching Health & Community Wellness majors through a required semester-long course. The results were remarkable: students overwhelmingly recommended the course be required for all undergraduates, reported increased likelihood to seek therapy, and demonstrated enhanced ability to support struggling peers.

One student noted that the course helped them "realize it is more important to get help rather than hold it in," overcoming cultural stigmas around masculinity and mental health.

By featuring UWG staff and students in video content, the platform creates authentic connections that resonate with users. This localized content consistently shows the highest engagement rates, proving that representation matters in mental health literacy and prevention education.

Elena Spence presenting her poster at the 2024 Annual Meeting of the Southeast Chapter of the American College of Sports Medicine 

The partnership has generated multiple peer-reviewed publications, including studies published in the Journal of Sport Psychology in Action and the International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health. Conference presentations at the Society of Behavioral Medicine have shared UWG's innovative approaches with mental health professionals nationwide.

The partnership between UWG and Sharpen demonstrates what's possible when universities prioritize student mental wellness through comprehensive, evidence-based approaches. We are so grateful to the entire team for collaborating to create a culture where mental health literacy is as fundamental as any other aspect of education.