NEW STUDENT MENTAL HEALTH CARE SYSTEM
starting August 2021
THE PROBLEM IS THE FACULTY
AN OVERVIEW AND ASSESSMENT OF THE STRUCTURE OF STUDENT MENTAL HEALTH CARE AT W&M UNDER THE LEADERSHIP OF KATHERINE ROWE
Student mental health care has three subsystems.
1. President Rowe has struck a long-term deal with VCU to put their resources at the disposal of William & Mary. On April 7, VCU Health at William & Mary opened at 332 N Henry Street. This building is the first step in the president's plan to substantially increase the College's capacity to deliver medical care to faculty, staff, students, and the community. The partnership with VCU goes well beyond mental health.
2. The Counseling Center and Dean of Students office will continue their operations.
3. The creation of a Task Force for Mental Health and Wellness and the mobilization of the Active Minds chapter creates a new student mental health care community. Like any other community, it will promote and protect dialogue and offer educational resources and administrative support. In this community, the peer organization, meaning the students, assume a leadership role in responding to student mental health concerns and student needs.
Subsystems 1 and 2 are up and running. To respond to student needs and concerns, Subsystem 3 is needed. It has been designed and is awaiting faculty approval. One the VP Student Affairs has that approval, both the Task Force and Active Minds chapter can swing into action.
1. President Rowe has struck a long-term deal with VCU to put their resources at the disposal of William & Mary. On April 7, VCU Health at William & Mary opened at 332 N Henry Street. This building is the first step in the president's plan to substantially increase the College's capacity to deliver medical care to faculty, staff, students, and the community. The partnership with VCU goes well beyond mental health.
2. The Counseling Center and Dean of Students office will continue their operations.
3. The creation of a Task Force for Mental Health and Wellness and the mobilization of the Active Minds chapter creates a new student mental health care community. Like any other community, it will promote and protect dialogue and offer educational resources and administrative support. In this community, the peer organization, meaning the students, assume a leadership role in responding to student mental health concerns and student needs.
Subsystems 1 and 2 are up and running. To respond to student needs and concerns, Subsystem 3 is needed. It has been designed and is awaiting faculty approval. One the VP Student Affairs has that approval, both the Task Force and Active Minds chapter can swing into action.
Overview of Task Force / Active Minds Proposal
WHAT IS REQUIRED IS FACULTY ENDORSEMENT
OF THE TASK FORCE/ACTIVE MINDS PROPOSAL
As a general rule, Vice Presidents cannot act on issues that cross lines of responsibility with the faculty without the faculty's knowledge and approval. If a VP undertakes an educational initiative, ideally, the faculty will not just approve, but participate. The point is, without at least approval, the Vice President cannot act.
THREE MENTAL HEALTH CARE SUBSYSTEMS
LEADERSHIP AND RESPONSIBILITY
The President of the university oversees the entire system. She directly supervises and leads the alliance with VCU Health. The Counseling Center and Dean of Student Affairs report to the Vice President for Student Affairs. The VP Student Affairs also chairs the Mental Health and Wellness Task Force. The Active Minds chapter is independent, though for it receives guidance, advice, and material support from the VP Student Affairs, and it accepts certain responsibilities to that office. The faculty have a crucial (ineliminable) role in ensuring the soundness and quality of the educational components of these two subsystems. The VP Student Affairs reports directly to the President.
The President of the university oversees the entire system. She directly supervises and leads the alliance with VCU Health. The Counseling Center and Dean of Student Affairs report to the Vice President for Student Affairs. The VP Student Affairs also chairs the Mental Health and Wellness Task Force. The Active Minds chapter is independent, though for it receives guidance, advice, and material support from the VP Student Affairs, and it accepts certain responsibilities to that office. The faculty have a crucial (ineliminable) role in ensuring the soundness and quality of the educational components of these two subsystems. The VP Student Affairs reports directly to the President.
Student concerns and complaints
I will summarize three sets of concerns the students have raised at William & Mary.
1. Concerns about persisting problems in the student mental health care system;
2. The belief that the College is not responsive and does not seem to care about student mental health but prioritizes instead its public image;
3. The belief that no one listens to them on mental health, that they are isolated, and no one understands what they are going through.
1. Concerns about persisting problems in the student mental health care system;
2. The belief that the College is not responsive and does not seem to care about student mental health but prioritizes instead its public image;
3. The belief that no one listens to them on mental health, that they are isolated, and no one understands what they are going through.
Response to students, including new health care subsystem
In response, I will make three points.
1. Student concerns about deficiencies in student mental health care are valid. The problems the students point to were identified long ago. They were also properly addressed through faculty-led action long ago. This effort was illegitimately undermined and reversed by an overreaching administrator.
2. The belief that the College is not responsive to their concerns is also correct. However, the reasons for the lack of responsiveness are more complex than the students imagine. Also, the administration--that is, the president--is taking significant action on mental health for which it does not receive credit because these actions address more fundamental issues playing out on a longer time scale.
3. In response to student concerns, a new mental health care subsystem has been designed and can be in operation when the students arrive on campus next month, assuming it receives the approval of the faculty. The new system addresses directly the three major concerns the students have regarding their mental health care.
4. I will show that student complaints make sense and deserve sympathy, that their pleas for help are legitimate, their frustrations are understandable, and, most importantly, that they deserve an immediate response. Inaction cannot be justified. Action takes the form of creating the Active Minds chapter working in concert with, and overseen, by the Task Force for Mental Health and Wellness.
1. Student concerns about deficiencies in student mental health care are valid. The problems the students point to were identified long ago. They were also properly addressed through faculty-led action long ago. This effort was illegitimately undermined and reversed by an overreaching administrator.
2. The belief that the College is not responsive to their concerns is also correct. However, the reasons for the lack of responsiveness are more complex than the students imagine. Also, the administration--that is, the president--is taking significant action on mental health for which it does not receive credit because these actions address more fundamental issues playing out on a longer time scale.
3. In response to student concerns, a new mental health care subsystem has been designed and can be in operation when the students arrive on campus next month, assuming it receives the approval of the faculty. The new system addresses directly the three major concerns the students have regarding their mental health care.
4. I will show that student complaints make sense and deserve sympathy, that their pleas for help are legitimate, their frustrations are understandable, and, most importantly, that they deserve an immediate response. Inaction cannot be justified. Action takes the form of creating the Active Minds chapter working in concert with, and overseen, by the Task Force for Mental Health and Wellness.