What does your school do to promote mental health? Forum

[Slimpee]

Hey TLSers, I hope you're all having great semesters!

I'm on my school's SBA and working on some mental health initiatives. I would really appreciate hearing about what various schools are doing to promote mental health awareness. Examples: flyers and posters promoting awareness, advertising the counseling service (if available), special programs highlighting the mental health issues that can arise during 1L and later, counseling services in the law school itself, etc.

-Does your school/SBA have a Wellness Committee?
-Are mental health issues discussed at your school?

Responses will a huge help in developing future mental health initiatives at my school. Thank you!

(Feel free to respond here or PM me)

[jess]

.

[Sapientia]

puppies

[lobolawyer]

Yoga classes and 2 free massages per semester.

[Ded Precedent]

Anti-depressants and crying.

[shock259]

One professor does a meditation session every few weeks. Counseling/therapy is free through the university (but the law school doesn't promote this). They do a stress management meeting near finals. That's about all I can think of. Basically, not a whole lot.

[ben4847]

Unlimited free therapy!
(Still, I'd rather have Yale's stress puppy...)

[mi-chan17]

Our SBA has a wellness committee that puts on a wellness event every week, and we have access to the local bar's counseling services as well as the university's.

Starting next year, the administration is undertaking an initiative to re-work how 1L students get supported academically, socially, and vocationally in an effort to improve mental well-being. We will see how that goes; hopefully well, but no one really has any idea.

[sambeber]

I go to Georgetown. For all the other plusses and minuses widely discussed on the board, this is an example of an area where, judging by earlier posters, a big school can bring its big resources to bear on a particular issue. It's these kind of things that, while not determinative of most people's choice of school, are at least worthwhile to consider (if the particular issue is important to you). For instance, off the top of my head I can think of:

Yoga classes
Therapy at the law school and referrals to local specialists
Therapeutic dogs around exams
Near-daily meditation and mindfulness meetings
A holistic program called "Lawyers in Balance" that runs the whole semester
"Contemplative Law Society" student group
A monthly "Wellness Newsletter"
Massage services at the gym on campus
Health and wellness fairs once a year/semester

[LeDique]

One professor does a meditation session every few weeks. Counseling/therapy is free through the university (but the law school doesn't promote this). They do a stress management meeting near finals. That's about all I can think of. Basically, not a whole lot.

To add to this a bit, the free university counseling is limited to 6 individual counseling appointments per year, and after 6, you just have to pay unless you have the university's student health insurance. There's also groups, some of which are drop-in and some of which are referral, and the most relevant is a grad school stress group (drop-in, I think). I know at some point last semester I got e-mails about a law school stress group. The Dean of Students mentioned to me the that university counseling center is looking to be more involved with us though.

I genuinely don't know because I don't do it: wouldn't TELOS sort of qualify?

We don't have a wellness committee on our SBA.

[howell]

I cannot recall my T2 state law school ever mentioning any kind of mental health initiative. If I hunt on my school's website, there is a link to the main university's "programs" which included counseling and other services.

[cinephile]

We supposedly have mental health services, but they're really just referrals to clinics that don't accept our student health insurance, so it's not much help.

[sundance95]

Thursday kegs.

ETA: Okay, I'm pretty sure there's free counseling too.

[ben4847]

My school tries to ease stress by having predictable grading based on a fixed curve.

[kapital98]

My school tries to ease stress by having predictable grading based on a fixed curve.

[Slimpee]

Thanks for the responses!

My school is just getting started so we are looking at lots of different ways of improving mental health awareness.

We've looked at getting therapy dogs, doing wellness events, increasing the visibility of the free counseling service, etc.

Anyone else wanna chime in with what has and has not worked at your school?

[dailygrind]

I would kill for the free massage. Or maybe I'd pay like 50 bucks for it. Whatever.

[dudders]

we have access to the local bar's counseling services as well as the university's.

GW apparently reports use of their counseling services as part of their report for your bar application, so I don't consider that "promoting" mental health. Maybe just promoting stress.

[reformed calvinist]

we have access to the local bar's counseling services as well as the university's.

GW apparently reports use of their counseling services as part of their report for your bar application, so I don't consider that "promoting" mental health. Maybe just promoting stress.

Wait, seriously? Damn. Do they give the bar your DSM-IV number too? Wtf.

[dudders]

we have access to the local bar's counseling services as well as the university's.

GW apparently reports use of their counseling services as part of their report for your bar application, so I don't consider that "promoting" mental health. Maybe just promoting stress.

Wait, seriously? Damn. Do they give the bar your DSM-IV number too? Wtf.

I don't know exactly what they do and don't disclose; it probably depends on what your bar wants from them re: C&F. The school as an institution reports on you (grades, disciplinary, etc.), and since counseling services are part of the school, I'm sure they're obligated to report whatever it is the bar is asking, and that you consented in some way by applying to the damn bar and requesting that your school sends this information. I wouldn't be surprised if it's the same at other schools.

I learned this at something official during 1L (orientation? health and wellness fair?). I don't remember, but it was from someone official, like a dean or someone from the counseling center. They basically said use the free DC bar visits first, because it's up to you to self-report them ... not that you should lie to bar anyway if whatever you did there/went there for is within the context of their C&F.

[I.P. Daly]

we have access to the local bar's counseling services as well as the university's.

GW apparently reports use of their counseling services as part of their report for your bar application, so I don't consider that "promoting" mental health. Maybe just promoting stress.

I thought most state bars require the applicant to basically sign a HIPAA release, and than the bar contacts the school about mental health issues...

[Mattalones]

My school brings in a therapy dog and offers massages. Classmates also have sex with each other sometimes.

[reformed calvinist]

we have access to the local bar's counseling services as well as the university's.

GW apparently reports use of their counseling services as part of their report for your bar application, so I don't consider that "promoting" mental health. Maybe just promoting stress.

Wait, seriously? Damn. Do they give the bar your DSM-IV number too? Wtf.

I don't know exactly what they do and don't disclose; it probably depends on what your bar wants from them re: C&F. The school as an institution reports on you (grades, disciplinary, etc.), and since counseling services are part of the school, I'm sure they're obligated to report whatever it is the bar is asking, and that you consented in some way by applying to the damn bar and requesting that your school sends this information. I wouldn't be surprised if it's the same at other schools.

I learned this at something official during 1L (orientation? health and wellness fair?). I don't remember, but it was from someone official, like a dean or someone from the counseling center. They basically said use the free DC bar visits first, because it's up to you to self-report them ... not that you should lie to bar anyway if whatever you did there/went there for is within the context of their C&F.

Time to take that leave of absence...

[mi-chan17]

we have access to the local bar's counseling services as well as the university's.

GW apparently reports use of their counseling services as part of their report for your bar application, so I don't consider that "promoting" mental health. Maybe just promoting stress.

Wait, seriously? Damn. Do they give the bar your DSM-IV number too? Wtf.

I don't know exactly what they do and don't disclose; it probably depends on what your bar wants from them re: C&F. The school as an institution reports on you (grades, disciplinary, etc.), and since counseling services are part of the school, I'm sure they're obligated to report whatever it is the bar is asking, and that you consented in some way by applying to the damn bar and requesting that your school sends this information. I wouldn't be surprised if it's the same at other schools.

I learned this at something official during 1L (orientation? health and wellness fair?). I don't remember, but it was from someone official, like a dean or someone from the counseling center. They basically said use the free DC bar visits first, because it's up to you to self-report them ... not that you should lie to bar anyway if whatever you did there/went there for is within the context of their C&F.

Huh. That kind of sucks. This apparently was left out in my mental health orientation bit as a 1L....or I just wasn't paying attention.

I thought the bar makes you HIPAA release all your mental health stuff, though, so maybe it doesn't make a huge difference? I have no idea, I only know that in theory we can go to GW's counseling people. I guess I'll start telling my mentees that if they need to talk it out, DC bar should be stop one.

[ben4847]

I dunno what y'all are telling mental health services...