Bump for 2019
If your child has a pre-existing diagnosis and is currently receiving treatment (therapy or medication or both), definitely get in touch with the school’s counseling center (email or call) and find out how it works, what services they offer (individual therapy, group therapy, psychiatrist on staff, etc), how quickly students can get in, what to do in case of a crisis, etc. Most schools offer therapy/other mental health services that are already paid for via the school fees, so these are absolutely meant to be used when needed. If your child is 18, they can sign a release to let the counseling center talk with their current therapist/psychiatrist, so that care can be consistent. (A release signed by your adult child is also needed if you want to be involved in your child’s care.) If you get the impression that the university’s counseling center is understaffed/has long wait times/not able to offer your child the type of care they need, then you can be proactive about finding a provider for your child in the local community…or perhaps finding a way to continue care with a current provider. Having a support system in place can be really helpful! And even for students without a current diagnosis, making sure they know where and how to access counseling services, and reassuring them that there’s nothing wrong with needing to talk with someone during a big transition like starting college, might help to ease some of the stigma around therapy, along with us adults being open and willing to talk about our own experiences with anxiety and such in college.
Great post. A lot of the OPs points also are relevant for any student with a medical condition. For mental, emotional, behavioral issues, it’s important to know what on campus provisions exist as well as knowing how physical medical issues are treated. It just adds to the crisis to have to find out what to do when something is happening