A New Approach to Mental Health, Engagement, and Member Success

Fraternity leadership today is being asked to navigate a challenge that is both urgent and complex. Across the country, young men are struggling with stress, pressure, isolation, and uncertainty. Yet despite increased awareness and expanded resources, one reality continues to persist: many fraternity men are not seeking help when they need it. This is not due to a lack of care. It is not due to a lack of resources. It is due to something far more difficult to solve. The problem is not awareness. It is the gap between awareness and having the guidance to take action in the moments that matter.

The Silent Gap in Men’s Mental Health

A silent gap exists across campuses nationwide. Fraternity men exist in a unique environment. They are surrounded by brotherhood, leadership opportunities, fellowship, and shared experiences. They are often the most involved students on campus and support other organizations from student government roles to sports teams, advocacy groups, and philanthropic efforts. And yet, they are also often influenced by societal expectations to internalize their stressors and feel pressure to “hold it all together.”

Even when support systems exist, many do not take the first step. They may not know where to start. They may not feel comfortable. Or they may simply wait until challenges escalate.

The Moments That Matter Most

The most important moments in a student’s life do not happen in structured settings.

They happen:

• Late at night 
• During high academic stress 
• In moments of isolation 
• When something feels off, but not yet urgent 

These are the moments where students are not walking into an office. They are not asking for help.

And yet, these are the exact moments where outcomes can change.

A Different Approach: From Awareness to Action

To truly support fraternity men, we must move beyond awareness and into action. This requires a system that meets students where they are, providing privacy and comfort for them to self-reflect and process their stressors. Taking the first step is the hardest part. This approach is designed to reduce that friction. It also must connect them at the right time—before challenges escalate.

UBYou is a mental health app that was built around this principle.

Not as another app competing for attention, but as a behavior-driven support system designed to help students take action in real-life moments.

UBYou: Designed for Real Behavior, Not App Addiction

UBYou operates differently from traditional platforms. It is not designed to maximize screen time, built to create dependency, or to give the user another addictive social media experience. It is intentionally built as an as-needed resource.

Fraternity men use it during the semester in high stress periods where there are a few moments when they truly need support. This is exactly how the app works. Success is not measured by time spent in the app, but by what students do because of it.

Turning Reflection Into Action

At its core, UBYou helps students pause and reflect. They recognize when something feels off and turn to the app to take a small, manageable next step.  

That step may be a breathing exercise, a moment of self-reflection, or stepping back into their environment. There are options to also connect to campus or national fraternity resources on the app. In more serious moments, it can also guide students directly to professional or crisis support. This is where behavior change occurs. Not in theory. Not just in programming. But in real-time decisions made by students in the moments that matter most.

Reaching the Members Who Need It Most

Perhaps the most important outcome is who this approach reaches. UBYou supports the student who would not normally walk into counseling, the leader who feels pressure to stay strong, or the member who appears fine on the outside. These are often the individuals that traditional systems miss, and they are often the ones who need support the most.

UBYou creates a centralized layer that bridges both. It connects students seamlessly to campus-based resources and national fraternity support systems. This provides a single, trusted starting point. UBYou is not just a tool. It is an infrastructure that supports students across every environment they are part of.

Proven Impact in Fraternity Communities

At Florida Gulf Coast University, UBYou has been integrated into fraternity life as part of a broader effort to support student well-being and success. The results have been significant.

FGCU’s Interfraternity Council earned three national awards from the North American Interfraternity Council:

• Outstanding Community Impact Award 
• Outstanding IFC President 
• Outstanding IFC Advisor 

A central part of this success was the partnership with UBYou, helping elevate how fraternity men engage with mental health and wellness.

In a survey of Greek Life members at FGCU:

• 98.1% said they would recommend UBYou 
• 89.7% said it made them more likely to stay enrolled 
• 88.8% said it helped them manage stress 
• 86.9% said it strengthened their sense of belonging

These are indicators of behavior change across retention, engagement, and community impact.

UBYou is proud to partner with Alpha Tau Omega, supporting chapters across 18 states—here’s what chapter presidents are saying:

• “UBYou is one of the clearest ways we show we’re serious about supporting mental health, and members consistently say they value having it.” – Chapter President
• “I valued UBYou as president by using it in stressful situations. The big part that I liked about it was I was able to meditate and focus on my breathing with the help of UBYou, something I never did before.” – Chapter President
• “In coordination with our chapter’s mental health chair, UBYou has helped build an invaluable support network within the chapter. Further, the chapter’s use of UBYou was highlighted in our end-of-year report to IFC, helping elevate the chapter to honors status.” – Chapter President

The question is no longer whether resources exist. The question is:

Are we providing a system that members will actually use when it matters most?

UBYou represents a new approach. One that aligns with how fraternity men actually behave. One that supports them in real moments. One that turns awareness into action.

The strongest fraternities are not defined solely by brotherhood. They are defined by their ability to support one another when it matters most. The opportunity in front of national leadership is clear. Move beyond awareness and build systems that create real impact.

Ready to bring UBYou to your chapters? Start at https://www.ubyoucampuswellness.com

By Dan Pozner, Birches Health Head of Partnerships

On college campuses and in chapter houses across the country, sports betting has quietly woven itself into the daily routines of student life. What was once an occasional wager between friends has become something far more constant and concerning. And during massive, multi-week events like March Madness, the betting opportunities are nearly endless. 

As the head of partnerships at Birches Health, I am proud to have formed partnerships with many of the largest fraternities in the country over the past two years. And as part of those, I’ve been fortunate to speak with hundreds of college students at events across the country. Many have told me the stats around college students gambling that I cited in my presentation may be correct, but that within their specific friend groups or chapter houses, the numbers are much higher. Some even said that they can’t watch a game on TV anymore without having a bet on it. 

That normalization carries particular risks for this cohort. Neurologically, they are still developing the prefrontal cortex, the part of the brain responsible for impulse control, decision-making and risk assessment. That developmental stage can make college students especially vulnerable to behaviors that combine excitement, competition and the potential for financial reward.

Add to that the structural features of modern sports betting platforms: constant alerts, promotion notifications, live betting options and the ability to place wagers instantly from a phone. What once required a trip to a casino or a call to a bookie can now happen in seconds from a dorm room or even during class.

For most college students who bet, the activity remains casual entertainment. But for some, the line between recreation and compulsion blurs quickly. Some studies have shown that college students carry three times the risk of developing a gambling addiction, compared with the general population. 

A recent NCAA study asked college students if they’d know where to turn for help if they or someone they knew had a gambling problem. Only 10% said yes. 

Unlike alcohol abuse and drug addiction, problem gambling has been rarely discussed in campus wellness programs or freshman initiation educational sessions. Many students simply don’t realize that gambling disorder is a real, diagnosable behavioral addiction with established treatment options.

This gap between increasing prevalence and low awareness is part of what led Birches Health to develop partnerships with fraternities across the country. Birches is not just a treatment provider; we offer educational materials, custom content and communications, and live training sessions – all at no cost to our partners. And the goal is not just to treat the problems when they arise, but to reduce the likelihood of them developing in the first place. 

If treatment is ever needed, Birches has hundreds of specially trained licensed therapists across the country who understand the unique psychological patterns behind compulsive betting. And because behavioral addictions often overlap, that care can be tailored to address related issues such as pornography addiction, excessive video gaming and compulsive internet use. Treatment is confidential, available in all 50 states and can be covered by insurance. 

March is Problem Gambling Awareness Month, so this is an important time to think about the growing problem of gambling addiction among young men, and if there’s anything else your organization could be doing to combat it. Please feel free to email me directly at dan@bircheshealth.com if you are interested in discussing a free partnership with Birches Health. 

By Mathew Brodman, Stop the VOID Executive Board Member

Valentine’s Day is meant to be a time when we openly express love to those we cherish. For me, that love surrounds my wife Janet, our two children, our extended family, dear friends, and the many people who have touched my life along the way. I am deeply grateful for the joy of sharing love, laughter, and even fine chocolate(S) with those closest to me.

But I also know that for far too many, Valentine’s Day brings no celebration at all.

In my work, I have surrounded myself with parents whose hearts carry an unbearable emptiness—a hole within their heart that cannot be healed – parents who have lost a child to a FENTANYL poisoning. For them, Valentine’s Day is not about cards or roses. It is another reminder of a love that has nowhere to land, another day living with a VOID that never truly heals.

As a retired law enforcement executive, I am still in the fight. This fight is righteous! The fight is to simply save lives by educating others to protect our future! My inspiration to fight harder than ever comes from my true warrior, Daniel’s dad, Jaime Puerta. And then there is Steve, Jessica’s dad, a hard-core, old school retired homicide detective; and then Chris, Zach’s dad, a highly decorated fighter pilot, and Andrea, Ashley’s mom, and so many more. You see, Jaime, Steve, Chris, Andrea and countless others wake up every day carrying an unimaginable loss.  These parents cannot celebrate Valentine’s Day the way many of us can. Their love remains, but their child is gone. And that is why I continue this fight, and why I ask you to walk beside us. Hand in hand, we can save lives— and carry their legacy TOGETHER.

STOP THE VOID was created to shine a light on the deadly dangers of illicit fentanyl and emerging synthetic drugs through education, awareness, and legislative advocacy. We are a nonprofit organization working alongside private, state, and federal partners to provide knowledge, preventative tools, and meaningful change. VOID speaks for the sons and daughters, brothers and sisters, who no longer have a voice.

In 2026, VOID will focus significant efforts on college campuses and within Greek life communities to expand awareness and prevention. Our presentations have been redesigned to be engaging, impactful, and accessible—and they are offered completely free of charge. No cost. No misleading fine print. Our goal is simple: to reach as many students and faculty as possible and to protect as many lives as we can.

As you hold your loved ones this February 14th, I ask you to pause for just a moment. Hold them a little tighter. Hold them a little longer. And while the moment may not be right to talk about fentanyl, please take a second to think of Jaime, Steve, Chris, Andrea, and the countless parents carrying loss in silence. Say a quiet prayer. Send them strength.

YOU CAN MAKE A DIFFERENCE.

WE MUST MAKE A DIFFERENCE.

OUR FUTURE DEPENDS ON IT.

www.stoptheVOID.org
A NON-PROFIT 501(C)(3) CORPORATION

By Dr. Lori Hart, Director of Educational Initiatives, Holmes Murphy Fraternal Practice

I’ve had the opportunity to experience sorority and fraternity life through many different lenses: as a member, undergraduate officer, alumna, Foundation donor, regional officer, international officer, campus professional, speaker, trainer, consultant, national fraternity staff member, and even as staff for an insurance broker. I liked to think I had seen it all—until my son joined a fraternity. Suddenly, I had a whole new, refreshing perspective on a world I thought I knew.

I’ll be honest, I was hesitant. Not because I don’t love fraternal organizations, but because my son was a second-semester freshman on a full Army ROTC scholarship looking to join a fraternity. I assumed the Army fellowship would be enough—but I was wrong. As a freshman in college, he was seeking a bit more fellowship, social connection, and fun—things ROTC simply doesn’t provide.

He joined his fraternity, got initiated, and one week later became Risk Manager. For someone expecting a social experience, he quickly realized he was managing the fun. He served his term, and then ran for office again, this time as Philanthropy Chairman, because he wanted the fraternity to make an even greater impact in the community. As someone who understands the “product,” I couldn’t be happier with his experience.

Last week, I hugged my son as he returned for the spring semester. A full year of fraternity life behind him. As we talked about the upcoming semester, it was clear that much of his plans and excitement centered around his fraternity: events he was looking forward to, spring break with his brothers, and a philanthropy week he was organizing. Of course, there were things he wasn’t looking forward to…like recruitment. And he got a quick pep talk on the importance of recruiting the next generation. 

I hugged him, shed a few tears, and sent him from his home where he grew up to his college  “home.” By definition, his home is now a university he loves, ROTC, and a residence with fellow cadets—but it was clear in our conversation that the “home” where he spends his volunteer time and pours his energy is his fraternity.

What a privilege it is to be in the business of building these fraternity “homes.” This is the place where parents entrust their children as they transition into adulthood. These physical and metaphorical homes provide young people a space to grow up, form lifelong friendships, network for internships and jobs, have fun, and figure out the next stage of life.

What a privilege we all share—to help build these “homes” for young people. Thank you for being a home builder.

Our team at Holmes Murphy is proud of the work we do to protect fraternal homes, literally and figuratively. If we can ever be of assistance in helping protect your home, please reach out.