It’s not that I think students from low-income families shouldn’t get mental health assistance; I just don’t think it should be the job of schools beyond a certain basic level. I would happily pay more in taxes for universal healthcare, but in the meantime I don’t favor making schools responsible for both providing the care and absorbing the cost.
Back to the OP’s question, though: I did tour a school this summer that said their students can get ten sessions with a mental health counselor whenever they need them. Unfortunately the school is probably not what you are looking for, in that it was a for-profit school that specializes in video game careers.
Most schools, I suspect, will keep fairly quiet on what support they offer and/or offer only limited support, because being known for providing good mental health services may attract greater numbers of kids who have already had issues (and therefore such kids may be more likely to need MH services again and/or are more likely to drop out of school due to MH issues). While no school wants to be known for doing nothing, I just don’t see them wanting to spend money on healthcare or lose tuition and/or prestige with a high dropout rate.
Excellent points, thank you. So glad to hear what a positive response the college and local hospital had to your kid’s suitemate’s crisis and that s/he is doing well. Can I ask what school that was?
I’m not sure why you mention my suggestion about counselors practicing virtually all over the country. It sounds like you’re suggesting that a counselor having to be licensed in the student’s state of residence is an issue, but if that’s the case then I think you miss my point. Yes, a counselor does have to have a license to practice in each state where they work, but the fact that you no longer have to drive to them means you can choose from ANY counselor in the state you reside in, not just who is in close proximity to you. It increases access and choice immensely, especially for students without cars.
Not sure if that’s true that a strong program would attract those with preexisting issues, but I think mental health issues can and do arise often in the college setting even if the kid had no prior history.
I’m not looking for a healthy climate because my D has issues, I want to do what I can to help prevent them and I think (hope) all schools would realize that good mental health supports (not just therapy) is something that helps all their students. Just like K-12 is seeing how important social/emotional development and supports are for all their kids. Again, not just therapy which I agree can get cost-prohibitive. But having other supports in place can help students before things get to a point of needing clinical intervention.
That would be a good start. I see Princeton Review has something called “Best Health Services” and “Best Counseling Services” lists but the online links don’t work for me.
Appreciate the suggestion from you and others to look into community and virtual services available outside the school. Definitely would want that if we had an emergency and school services were too long a wait, or we needed more long-term care etc.
Because it is an important clarification for people with need. Availability and access can still be a challenge, unfortunately. We are in the midst of a mental health crisis and schools are struggling with how to deal with the problem.
Just want to mention in our experience, both from the perspective of students and a professor in the family, that much of the accommodating and support for students who are struggling, depends on the professor. A school can seem accommodating but it almost always comes down to the professor. A medical professional or psychiatrist can get involved, a dean can get involved and they can request that a professor accommodate, but the student deals mainly with who is teaching a class. Registering with the Office of Disabilities does offer some protection but the student still must negotiate with the prof and the prof still has some measure of discretion.
I am wondering if the OP is putting a lot of energy into exploring mental health resources, with a kid who so far doesn’t have major mental health issues. Even for kids who do have diagnoses, or medical problems, my feeling is that they have the right to attend wherever they want to attend, for academic or social reasons. You can make it work.
It is not hard to find yoga, tai chi. meditation, nutrition workshops and so on. It is however, often difficult to find a therapist, especially in the context of COVID.
I am unclear on whether the focus here is for mental health, in a clinical sense, or on the wellness that we all need. Either way, again, I would focus on academics, cost, size, location, sense of community and whatever “vibe” you an ascertain from afar.
We had short lists of schools, and only schools we had visited. I don’t know if COVID or cost or time prevents you from visiting, but the best way to address your concerns may be in-person visits, and a shorter list of applications helps mental health in high school!
Not sure all schools “keep quiet” about it. I think many LACs see it as one of the selling points — things you get with your private school tuition, along with small classes and access to professors.
For instance, when we toured Whitman, the guide pointed out:
the tutoring center where students struggling academically could find help by appointment or drop in (no additional charge)
the counseling center where students could see a therapist one-time or on an ongoing basis as needed (no additional charge)
the writing center where students could get papers proofread and edited (no extra charge)
the availability of a hospital near campus in case of emergency
To me, all these fell in the same category of support “perks.” A school isn’t going to keep quiet about its tutoring services for fear of attracting too many students who might need them. Same is true of mental health services. They still get to pick the students they will admit, after all.
You need your kid’s cooperation on the “manageable course load” front. Many of the kids I know who have crashed and burned have taken brutal course loads- by choice- and are resistant to alternatives. Every kid does NOT need to be pre-med. Every kid does NOT need to double major in EE and applied math. NO kid needs to do Honors- at the colleges that require a senior thesis in order to do so.
I hear about the punishing schedules that some kids push themselves into (triple majors- when did that become a thing? And who needs Econ AND Urban Planning AND Mandarin?) and there is so much denial there.
We can all help our kids by lowering the temperature. College is not a marathon (maybe outlaw marathons too , just kidding) where the prizes go to the kid with the roughest, toughest endurance race. It really and truly is enough to graduate with a degree in something. It really and truly is OK for a kid to have friends, socialize, participate in a crafts project at a college club “just because” and not to put it on a future resume as “Future Business Leaders of America forging an alliance between traditional handwork and monetization”.
Any college can be a pressure cooker if a kid is determined to make it so.
Yes totally agree! But it has been a real battle to assure my D that she does not need to take AP everything in high school, straight A’s are not required, and not to stress because she isn’t published in a science journal (like some of her classmates).
I often feel guilty for moving to our district years ago so she could go to the “better” schools. What I didn’t realize then was that the kids put a lot of pressure on themselves to overachieve. Some of it I see is from the parents, but a lot of it is just what’s normal at their school. It was only after Covid hit that they really started talking about the social-emotional needs of the students, prioritizing mental health, etc. I’m glad they’re finally doing it, but wish there was more built in to the school’s structure and services earlier on to let the kids know that academics aren’t everything.
Which is why I’m hoping to help her find a college with a healthier environment. I think if the other students already have a good work/life balance, that would have more influence on her than whatever I try to tell her. And if the school has built in wellness programs and mental health supports, and truly encourages students to use them, I think it makes it easer for all the students to feel that it really is okay not to run themselves to the ground.
I guess I’m trying to gauge both. Mostly the wellness factor to get a sense of the school’s priorities and their supports and just plain messaging that they want their kids to maintain a healthy balance in their lives. But I also want to know what mental health supports there are in case someone needs more. Because if they have those supports in place, it not only helps that kid in crisis, but also demonstrates that they understand what at least some of their students will need and are prepared to support them.
Those are exactly the types of supports I’m talking about. That is so great that they were highlighted by the tour guide!
[Edited to note I was replying to @CMA22 's description of Whitman]
I would hope so, but I’ve also read some CC threads where students are discouraged from talking about their mental health struggles for fear the admissions office wouldn’t want to admit someone who would be hard to support. I’ve read advice that they should wait until they’re admitted before saying anything, then register with the disabilities office.
I hope that’s not true (it is discriminatory if it is), and I hope one good thing about this pandemic is the schools realize how widespread mental health issues are and how important it is to to support their student’s well-being. So maybe more schools will start to advertise these “perks.” I know it would help sell their schools to parents like me.
That’s a good point. I hope the schools with stronger policies means there is buy in from the faculty too, as good policies and supportive admin don’t necessarily mean the prof is able or wants to implement them.
Haha yes! This is why I’m trying to help her narrow the list now. We will definitely visit any schools she is admitted to, just trying to see if we can cut some schools now so she has fewer applications. Thanks!
I wonder how much of the mental health crisis on college campuses (and high school) is related to unrealistic expectations. If you read the stats of kids on chance me threads on CC you might understand why. And what always gets me is that a B, is always due to mental health struggles or extenuating circumstances, like it’s unheard of getting a B just because. This all was happening well before COVID. The colleges do try to counter this tendency for overachievement by putting limits on amount of credits one can take per quarter (particularly the first quarter) for example, but they do tend to treat college students as adults that are responsible for their own well being. Most colleges offer many wellness opportunities and encourage the students to participate. They can’t make them participate. I don’t know where I’m going with all this because I too struggle with how to counsel my kids and the other high schoolers I interact with. The teenage brain is very susceptible to mental illness and I worry for them. The least I can do is model and teach brain hygiene: sleep, nutrition, exercise and social connection. There’s also mental stimulation and learning but that’s a given when you’re in high school or college.
I do suspect that social media (including CC) contributes to this. They/we look around and it seems like “everyone” is doing everything perfectly, despite many only showing a curated view of themselves online. I remember when I first had kids, it was so hard looking at everyone’s perfect baby moments on Facebook while my colicky baby had me in tears, I had to stop.
You’re right, modeling healthy habits/priorities is probably more powerful than just telling them. And maybe having this discussion on a college forum full of overachieving kids/parents (at the height of application season!) will help too.
At our pre-COVID) local School Committee meeting, that focused on the mental health of high schoolers. the overwhelming consensus was that the main culprit is social media.
After a year when so much of life was online, I cannot imagine that things have improved in that regard.
I honestly don’t know how you’ll fess this out without talking to current students. At Colgate, kids are having a hard time getting into health services for anything but of course that’s not the official word. Bowdoin really is terrific for non-mental health medical issues. S19 never has a problem getting in quickly for strep test or a sprain or something like that. Students are saying that the mental health services on campus aren’t quite as up to snuff with a longer wait but that has been addressed and has been much better as of late. Not perfect.
So my suggestion? Ask the students. I think lack of enough mental health services is rampant and I don’t know how much importance I would put on it even though it’s clearly important. I just don’t know how many schools you’re even going to find that do this really well. I do agree that colleges with yoga, mediation options and a wellness center provide options for the kids who work hard and stress out but are also proactive in trying to support their own mental health. And schools without the grinding, competitive atmosphere might want to be taken off the list if you have any of those!
