NCAA, Hilinski's Hope Partner to Improve Screening of Athletes' Mental Health

The NCAA Sports Science Institute is partnering with the Hilinski's Hope foundation in an effort to improve mental health awareness at NCAA schools, per Ivan Maisel of ESPN.com. 

"The NCAA Sport Science Institute is proud to partner with Hilinski's Hope to identify effective strategies for increasing the adoption and implementation of best practices for understanding and supporting student-athlete mental wellness at all NCAA-member institutions," the NCAA's chief medical officer, Dr. Brian Hainline, said in a statement.

Hilinski's Hope was created by Mark and Kym Hilinski, the parents of the late Washington State quarterback Tyler Hilinski, who died by suicide one year ago. Per Maisel, the foundation has already worked on the campuses of Washington State, Eastern Washington, Colorado and Idaho.

Mark and Kym Hilinski released a statement Monday:

"This Wednesday will mark one year since our beloved Tyler died by suicide. He was a bright, spirited, and caring soul. We had no idea he was suffering. Neither did his two brothers, his family, his closest friends, teammates or coaches. To honor his life and put a spotlight on mental health among student-athletes and destigmatize mental illness, we launched Hilinski’s Hope Foundation."

Per Mark Hilinski, the foundation has raised around $300,000 in pledges and donations.

"Kids and coaches who wanted to help didn't have the resources or training on what to do," he told Maisel on Sunday. "We want to de-stigmatize it. If this is the stuff going on, let's give them the tools to deal with it."