Supporting a Community of Belonging

Division of Student Affairs. Two students sitting outside smile and look off camera.

Supporting a compassionate community is a pillar of our value system at CSULB and a shared mission we aim to achieve.  

Each day at The Beach, we find ways to lead this effort by cultivating an intentional environment where all members of campus feel valued and supported, so we can be true innovators and models of a diverse, equitable, and respectful campus community for all.  

Leading the Charge

Student Affairs is leading the charge to prioritize mental health and well-being for our campus community through the release of a comprehensive mental health plan, Beach WELL. Centered around health equity, the plan focuses on five core objectives to enhance population health and prevention using bold proactive strategies to engage everyone in our community. With over 60 initiatives and action items, this plan demonstrates our continued commitment to an equitable and responsive Beach community. In 2022, Student Affairs launched several key initiatives supporting this effort. 

In collaboration with the University Police Department, CSULB established the first mobile crisis team in the CSU. The Campus Assessment and Stabilization Team (CAST) is a group of mobile mental health professionals who respond to urgent behavioral health needs and situations on our campus and in the surrounding community. CAST utilizes a humanistic, trauma-informed approach to support students, faculty, staff, or community members in need.  

New in spring 2023, Find Help Now is a health navigation digital tool assisting students, faculty, and staff. Connecting our community to the right help in their moment of need, the tool allows a user to navigate an array of recommended on-campus and county resources based on their needs for themselves, peers, and family members.  

In addition to CAST and Find Help Now, Student Affairs is tackling mental health priorities from all directions using a stepped care approach. Other strategies include peer-to-peer texting, uniformed syllabus statements, and multi-modal training opportunities for faculty and staff. As CSULB makes strides toward realizing its Beach 2030 vision, these innovative solutions help us become a more student-ready university where support is more available and intentional than ever. 

Community Through Shared Space

The new 424-bed, five-story La Playa Hall Student Housing Project is a meaningful example of CSULB’s efforts to cultivate a community characterized by a strong sense of belonging.

The residence hall slated to break ground in spring 2024 incorporates satellite offices for Counseling and Psychological Services to work hand in hand with Housing & Residential Life A 2,000 square feet multipurpose/tutoring room and music practice rooms are also included. 

A rendering of the new La Playa Hall student housing project.

Funded in part through a state grant aimed at increasing affordable student housing, La Playa Hall is expected to be similar in look and feel to the Parkside North Student Housing built recently. Rather than establishing the new residence hall as one solely comprised of affordable units, lower-rate options will be distributed evenly across campus among newly built housing.  

The newest addition to CSULB’s Hillside Village, located on the southwestern part of campus, La Playa Hall will bring students together in engaging indoor and outdoor spaces accessible to all.