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Summary: A group of Yale law school students formed the Mental Health Alliance to address the issue of lacking resources for students experiencing mental health problems while in school.
A group of Yale law school students have formed the Mental Health Alliance after realizing that the school lacked sufficient services for those with mental health problems. Students face long waits to get an appointment with a therapist on-campus, no mental health coverage off campus with the student insurance plan, and an overall feeling of being isolated.
Read Yale Law School Releases Report on Students’ Mental Health to learn more.
The Yale Law students started an informal group in 2014 before forming the Alliance to raise awareness of mental health problems in law school and the legal industry and ultimately eliminate barriers that the students face when seeking help. Alliance board member and first-year student Bethany Hill said, “Even students who are prepared to seek counseling or treatment often find themselves confronted with a number of obstacles, including limits on insurance coverage, lengthy wait times to see a mental health service provider, or fears that seeking treatment will negatively affect future job prospects.”
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One of the first things the group did was quantify the problem by asking roughly 300 students. Of those students, 70 percent admitted to experiencing a mental health challenge while in law school and 30 percent of those were unable or unwilling to seek help.
The group successfully petitioned for more staff in the counseling center to reduce wait times and is looking for alternative options like Skype and phone counseling to address the high cost of a supplemental insurance.
See Yale Law School Announces New Grading System.
Second-year student Sophia Wong said, “While students are still very stressed they do seem more willing to talk about mental health issues and support classmates who are struggling. Nonetheless, many law students remain hesitant to seek mental health services of treatment because they are concerned about disclosure requirements for the bar exam and background checks for government positions.”
Source: http://www.nationallawjournal.com/id=1202757013230/Yale-Law-Students-Lobby-for-Better-Services
Photo: yaleinsider.org
