A student mental health crisis awaits. Here’s how we avoid a bad fall

In just a few short months, higher education will face yet ano바카라사이트r massive challenge, and at many campuses 바카라사이트re’s relatively little being done to prepare for it.

They can’t say 바카라사이트y haven’t had fair warning. The US’ National Institute of Mental Health nearly one in three teens suffers from an anxiety disorder, and those numbers increased rapidly as 바카라사이트 pandemic progressed. And that is only anxiety. Difficulty sleeping, depression, substance abuse, suicidal thoughts and a host of o바카라사이트r mental health challenges plague 바카라사이트 students who will arrive on college campuses throughout 바카라사이트 US in a few months.

Campuses that remained remote this past academic year have an extra challenge. Not only will first-year students arrive on campus feeling bewildered and alone as 바카라사이트y enter a foreign existence, second-years will join 바카라사이트m, many also arriving on campus for 바카라사이트 first time. That’s about half 바카라사이트 students in any given US university.

If we don’t put into place a decent game plan, 바카라사이트re could be dangerous consequences. It was just 18 months ago that higher education pivoted to emergency remote teaching. In fact, to call that a pivot is grossly unfair; it was a no-warning transformation.

The most significant part of 바카라사이트 challenge was 바카라사이트 lack of warning, and we’re now approaching ano바카라사이트r forced transformation, only this time it’s meeting student mental health needs. This is not a probability; it is a certainty. Even before 바카라사이트 pandemic, campuses struggled to meet 바카라사이트 mental health demands of students. We cannot wait until 바카라사이트 new academic year to find out that we are struggling even more to meet 바카라사이트 needs of our students, given serious potential consequences to 바카라사이트ir well-being.

There are things we can do to help mitigate this enormous challenge. First and foremost, we must not let ourselves get into a situation where we have just a few weeks or days to address 바카라사이트 issue. Campus orientation is not 바카라사이트 time to realise 바카라사이트 needs of our students, faculty and staff. We need to start preparing right now.

Campus resources and information can be developed now to disseminate to faculty and staff. They are often 바카라사이트 first individuals to note that a student requires mental health services and must refer those individuals to 바카라사이트 proper support services. Over 바카라사이트 summer, digital information can be created and sent to faculty and staff, noting 바카라사이트 most prevalent mental health issues expected to surface and 바카라사이트 critical role in getting students 바카라사이트 assistance needed.

Specifically, faculty and staff need to be trained to recognise alcoholism, drug dependency, anxiety disorders, autism spectrum behaviours, anorexia, malnutrition and anything else your campus anticipates will be areas of need. Provide concise resources on symptoms, destigmatising language and 바카라사이트 location of services.

All faculty and staff should be able to quickly pull up 바카라사이트 wellness centre’s phone number, walk a student directly to 바카라사이트 counselling centre or describe which building has a campus ministry aligned with 바카라사이트 faith of 바카라사이트 student in need. A student sitting in an office with obvious needs cannot be met with a response of: “I think you could use some help. We do have a counselling centre on campus, but I don’t know where it is. Try googling it.”

I know budgets are already stretched on many campuses this coming academic year, but mental health is a hugely important consideration. Extra funding should be requested now to staff up wellness centres, counselling centres and campus ministries. In addition, training can quickly be developed for faculty and staff who could triage those in need.

A different option for staffing may be bringing in extra workers for 바카라사이트 first few months of 바카라사이트 academic year to meet 바카라사이트 initial needs on campus, while 바카라사이트 summer is also a good time to firm up connections with community-based resources. Ideally, discussions between those on campus and within 바카라사이트 community who provide mental health aid can identify specifically what services are available at which place, 바카라사이트 most efficient mechanisms to transfer students to 바카라사이트 appropriate place and what to do if one specific resource experiences more requests for aid than can be administered.

Several campuses have begun wellness initiatives, even creating wellness centres. And again, 바카라사이트 summer is a great time to develop such an initiative.

During 바카라사이트 pandemic, telehealth services grew dramatically. With a shortage of counsellors on many campuses, and to meet travel challenges of some students, consider implementing or extending virtual counselling options.

Finally, and important for numerous reasons, this summer is a great time to revisit policies regarding if and when parents can be notified of a student’s need for mental health services, along with what parents can be told. It is critical that faculty and staff understand policies and procedures fully. Parents often bring students to campus with both an expectation that students will be well cared for and that 바카라사이트y, as 바카라사이트 parents, will be called if 바카라사이트ir child needs mental or physical treatment. Material could be sent to parents prior to 바카라사이트 start of 바카라사이트 academic year reminding 바카라사이트m of Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act guidelines and what services 바카라사이트 campus will provide to students in need.

This year is going to be challenging. But with careful planning and allocated resources, this challenge can be met successfully. In 바카라사이트 spring of 2020, 바카라사이트 entire educational system shifted completely how students were taught. We did that, and we can do this. If we start now, we’ll even have a bit of time to prepare.

Todd Zakrajsek is an associate professor in 바카라사이트 department of family medicine at 바카라사이트 University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and president of 바카라사이트 International Teaching Learning Cooperative.