Legacy of Mental Health Support for LSU Alumni Student-Athletes

LSU Athletics has long viewed mental health support as a standard component of the medical care all student-athletes receive. To meet this standard, LSU Athletic Training has become a national model collegiate program by successfully embedding licensed mental health counselors within the Athletic Department itself.

Providing access to counselors was the easy part. Building rapport and trust with student-athletes is where our program has really put the work in. Student-athletes must believe LSU Athletics holds mental wellness at high value and as part of the healthy development of a whole person.  

I’m proud to say we’ve met this mark in the years since our LSU Sport Psychology & Counseling (SPC) program’s inception. And we recognize that the work is ongoing. LSU Athletics continues to grow in its appreciation and understanding of mental health and addressing the impacts daily stressors have on our student-athletes.

Always looking ahead, we will now provide continuing support to our student-athletes after they have left LSU through an innovative referral system. As student-athletes transition into life after sport, we wanted to ensure they receive the elite mental health care they have come to expect at LSU. Through our cornerstone healthcare alliance with Our Lady of the Lake and a new partnership with Pro Football Hall of Fame Health, we’re now able to provide a lifetime of mental health support to our LSU alumni.

Read HERE about this historic achievement as we spend the month of October professing the importance of mental health awareness!