Media contacts:
Lee Carty, 202-467-5730 x 121, leec@bazelon.org
Karen Bower, 202-467-5730 x 132, karenb@bazelon.org
For Immediate Release
May 16, 2007
Bazelon Center Offers Educational Institutions
a Model Policy for Addressing Student Mental Health Issues
Washington DC, May 16, 2007--The Bazelon Center for Mental Health
Law today released a model policy to help colleges and universities
develop a non-discriminatory, non-punitive approach to students
in crisis because of mental health problems. The document offers
a response to serious mental health problems among college and
university students and schools' lack of consensus on what to
do when such students are in crisis.
" Supporting
Students: A Model Policy for Colleges and Universities" was developed
by Bazelon Center attorneys after consultation with mental health experts, higher
education administrators, counselors and students. It is a collection of best
practices that all colleges and universities can adopt.
"We want to send a clear message to students that it is
safe to seek mental health services," said Bazelon Executive
Director Robert Bernstein.
In the 2006 National College Health Assessment, 43.8% of the 94,806 students
surveyed reported they “felt so depressed it was difficult to function” during
the past year, and 9.3% that they had “seriously considered suicide” during
the year. Students also named depression as one of the top ten impediments
to academic performance.
Most campuses today have counseling services that are confidential
and free of charge. However, when students are in crisis, particularly
if they manifest self-injurious thoughts or behavior, colleges
and universities often are unsure of how to address these issues.
Some are concerned about potential harm and legal liability.
“ Too often colleges and universities respond to students
with mental illnesses in punitive ways, requiring them to leave
or evicting them from school-sponsored housing,” says Bazelon
Center senior staff attorney Karen Bower. “Such punitive
measures discourage students from seeking help and isolate them
from social and professional supports at a time of crisis, increasing
the risk of harm.”
“ While this policy is not an attempt to address the full range of activities
and services that educational institutions should undertake to promote student
mental health,” says Bower, “it offers a fair and humane approach
to dealing with students who are in crisis.”
The Bazelon Center policy offers guiding principles for how
to deal fairly and non-punitively with students in crisis and
how to support those whose mental health problems may be interfering
with their academic, extracurricular or social lives. It also
lists potential approaches to various situations and examples
of accommodations that schools can make to enable such students
to continue their education successfully.
“ We truly believe that colleges and universities can
do more to promote personal and academic success for all students,” said
Bower.
The Bazelon Center for Mental Health Law is the leading national
legal-advocacy organization representing adults and children
with mental disabilities. Development of the model policy was
partially supported by funding for the UPENN
Collaborative on Community
Integration from the
National
Institute on Disability and Rehabilitation Research
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