On campuses across the country there is a growing consensus that the mental health of the student body must be a topic of open conversation. Many colleges and universities offer free, confidential counseling services, and the stigma associated with behavioral health is being challenged by student activists.
While the atmosphere surrounding campus mental health is changing, the issue of how to deal with students in crisis remains a sticking point. Administrators are caught between a desire to support students, and concerns regarding student safety and their own liability.
In the newest Focus newsletter, CAFE TAC examines a policy prescription from the Bazelon Center that offers a model for how to create a campus mental health system that promotes awareness and understanding of mental health, supports students through counseling and accommodations, and treats every individual student fairly. Does this model policy point the way forward for campus mental health? Find out in Focus 35: A Model Policy to Support Students with Behavioral Health Needs.