As CAFE TAC has examined in previous Focus newsletters, the issue of accommodating and supporting students with mental health needs in colleges and universities is a troublesome one. All too often, students in mental health crisis are asked to temporarily leave campus with little or no say in the matter. Once they attempt to return to their studies, those students face an arduous process, with many barriers; and when they do finally come back, the campus community can be ill-equipped to facilitate their reentry and continued participation in college life.
In the latest Focus newsletter, CAFE TAC shares a first-hand account from a former student and mental health advocate that faced the challenges of getting through school with a mental health diagnosis directly. She explains what it was like to be asked to leave, how difficult it was to return, and the way in which opaque leave policies can deter students from seeking the help they need.
To view Focus 43: Campus Mental Health and Leaves of Absence: A First-Hand Perspective click here.