Bucks County Community College Earns PA CARES Designation

NEWTOWN, PA — Bucks County Community College has received the PA CARES designation for the 2026-27 academic year from the Pennsylvania Department of Education for its efforts to implement plans to support students' mental health and to prevent suicide.

PA CARES stands for "Connect, Access, Respond, Encourage, Support." The designation recognizes Bucks as a leader in implementing the state's Act 110 mental health and suicide prevention plan.

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The National Institute of Mental Health estimates that there are 1,100 suicide deaths annually among college students nationwide. Researchers at Prevent Suicide PA estimate that suicide is the second-leading cause of death on American college campuses.

"It is critical that institutions of higher learning proactively identify and implement policies, practices, and strategies for addressing mental health issues and preventing student suicide," said Lynette Kuhn, Ed.D., deputy secretary and commissioner for the Pennsylvania Department of Education (PDE).

"We recognize that student mental health plays a vital role in academic progress and personal well-being," said Samuel Coleman IV, Ed.D., Vice President of Student Affairs. "Bucks County Community College provides resources to support our campus community through a variety of challenges."

The college's Student Mental Health and Suicide Prevention Plan includes warning signs and risk factors of suicide, how to access counseling services at Bucks, local and national resources for suicide prevention, and much more. The plan can be accessed at bucks.edu/preventionplan.