Addressing the Mental Health Needs of our Community |
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April 26, 2016, Volume 62, No. 32 |
We are reaching out to you to solicit your support in addressing the mental health needs of our community.
As many of you are aware, our Task Force on Student Psychological Health and Welfare concluded its year-long study in 2015 (Almanac February 17, 2015), and we have implemented its recommendations. The President has asked the chairs of the Task Force, Rebecca Bushnell and Anthony Rostain, to immediately reconvene the Task Force to determine as expeditiously as possible what additional steps can be taken to help ensure the health and well-being of our students. In the interim, we have extended the hours of Counseling and Psychological Services (CAPS) in the evenings on Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Thursdays to 7:30 p.m. and on Saturdays from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., and we have lent additional support to Student Intervention Services and the Student Health Service for case management, triage and depression screening.
We are heartened by the extraordinary partnership of many student groups, such as Penn Wellness, Active Minds, Penn Benjamins, RAP Line and the organizers of this year’s inaugural all-Ivy Mental Health Conference, among others. We appreciate as well the constructive engagement of the Faculty Senate, and our staff across the schools and centers, in gathering as a community around the mental health challenges we face.
Here are a few important steps you can take to help:
• Become familiar with the resources available on campus, be alert to any signs of student distress and help guide students to the assistance they need. A guide for Penn faculty and staff, What Can I Do?, is being mailed to all faculty and staff for desk reference.
• If you or a student ever need immediate assistance, remember that we have a 24/7 University help line: 215-898-HELP.
• If you are holding class or meeting with students, please take some time now to let them know that we, and you, are here to support them. Encourage them to talk about their concerns, be attentive and share with them what you know about resources available to them.
• Consider contacting the Office of the Vice Provost for University Life or CAPS to participate in training programs or become a VPUL Wellness Partner. Faculty who would like to serve as Wellness Ambassadors (a pilot program being launched on the recommendation of the Faculty Senate, with a training session scheduled for May 4) may contact the Vice Provost for Education.
The health and well-being of our students are paramount. We are committed to do all that we possibly can to ensure that students have the support they need and to build a community where we look out for one another. We hope you will join us in making Penn a model for advancing student mental health.
—Vincent Price, Provost
—Craig Carnaroli, Executive Vice President
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