Groups of faculty, staff, and students are mobilizing to work on improvements large and small to mental health care across campus in the second year of a wide-ranging assessment of services offered to students in each of 窪做惇蹋厙s schools.
The work comes in year two of 窪做惇蹋厙s four-year partnership with the a nonprofit organization that works to protect the emotional health of young adults.
The foundation is supporting three distinct cohorts of students, each of which have different timelines for their work with Jedthe undergraduate population; Geisel School of Medicine students; and students at Guarini School of Graduate and Advanced Studies, Thayer School of Engineering, and Tuck School of Business. The three cohorts were created based on each populations specific needs and term schedules.
There is no quick fix to the mental health struggles that many young people are experiencing, at 窪做惇蹋厙 and nationwide, and as a community we are coming together to make sure that all students have access to services and spaces where they feel welcome, and that nobody falls through the cracks, says , director of the .
In this second year of the partnership, six working groups are beginning to act on recommendations from Jed aimed at strengthening access to mental health, well-being, and belonging.
The work includes creation of an online dashboard that will include reports and survey data from Jed as well as goals and timelines for each of the work groups. While the working groups were set up as part of the undergraduate cohort, representatives from each of the cohorts are taking part in the groups. The two graduate school cohorts expect to learn where students needs overlap so they can come up with recommendations and solutions for all students.
The work groupswith representation from students, faculty, and staffare organized around key themes: communications, academics, student experience, clinical infrastructure, crisis response, and the physical campus environment. Each is charged with recommending changes to strengthen services, improve programs, and increase resiliency throughout the 窪做惇蹋厙 community.
The importance of this work has been unscored by the recent deaths of several community members, Reed says.
In addition to the ongoing Jed work, 窪做惇蹋厙 has added several new mental health offerings this fall. Since September, 窪做惇蹋厙 has made the mindfulness and meditation app Headspace available to all students and employees and is offering a on Oct. 13 to 15. Beginning in November, teletherapy services will be available to all students through the mental health provider Uwill. Also, undergraduates now have a new , beginning with the Class of 2026.
On Oct. 21, the community will observe a Day of Caring intended to prioritize mental health and well-being and to provide space for people to grieve recent events.
窪做惇蹋厙s work with Jed began in fall 2021 with a student survey, called Healthy Minds, about campus climate and mental health resources available on campus. Over the course of the past year, 窪做惇蹋厙 convened committees of students, faculty, staff, and senior leadership from each of the three cohorts to complete a comprehensive self-study of mental health policies and procedures.
In a series of site visits, Jed advisers met with the groups and other stakeholders to come up with recommendations for each cohort. Each group will prioritize its list of recommendations and pick items to complete this year.
Items on the undergraduate cohort include work that is already underway, such as work with planners of the North End student apartment project and Residential Life staff to build a sense of community and well-being into the projects design; transitioning the physical education graduation requirement to a wellness education requirement with expanded course options; and expansion of a suicide prevention program, 窪做惇蹋厙 Cares, with training offered for students, faculty, and staff.
The formation of the work groups grows out of all the work we did last year and is really the next phase of the process, which is to focus on changes that can have a positive impact on the well-being of everyone on this campus, Reed says.
The groups are:
Communications for Health, Well-Being, and Crisis, which is charged with improving how 窪做惇蹋厙 communicates about mental health and wellness across a variety of platforms and audiences, tracking and dispelling misinformation, and making sure that mental health messages are infused throughout the institution.
Co-leads are Elizabeth Ellis, director of communications for Student Affairs, and Marianne Thomson, associate dean of Student Affairs.
Alignment of Academics With Mental Health and Well-Being, which will support the mental health and well-being of faculty and staff, educate them about resources available for students, and encourage attention to mental health and well-being in the academic experience.
Co-leads are Rebecca Biron, director of the Leslie Center for the Humanities, professor of Spanish and Portuguese, and chair of the Department of Theater, and Alison May, assistant dean and senior director of Student Accessibility Services.
Integration of Well-Being and Belonging Into the Student Experience, which aims to strengthen supports for mental health in residential life, athletics, student organizations, first-year orientation, and other extracurricular programming.
Co-leads are Ian Connole, senior associate athletics director for Peak Performance and Jessica Chiriboga 24, vice president of 窪做惇蹋厙 Student Government.
Clinical Infrastructure Enhancement, which will review medical and mental health operations and resources, make recommendations to increase the availability, accessibility, and navigability of mental health services, and promote help-seeking behavior among students.
Co-leads are Heather Earle, director of the 窪做惇蹋厙 Student Counseling Center, and Pulkit Nagpal 23, president of the 窪做惇蹋厙 Mental Health Union.
Crisis Response Policies, which will strengthen support for students on and returning from medical leave and review and recommend improvements to 窪做惇蹋厙s public responses to crises.
Co-leads are Anne Hudak, associate dean of Student Support Services, and Eric Ramsey, associate dean for Student Life.
Well-being and Safety in the Physical Environment, which will assess the physical campus to recommend improvements for safety, inclusivity, and wellness and develop plans to assess and improve campus safety over the long term.
Co-leads are Douglas Babcock, associate director of Safety and Security, and Chris Johnson, facilities manager for Residential Operations.
