Mental Health Task Force Seeking Help

In the spirit of increased communication, here is some more information about the Student/Staff Task Force on Mental Health. The task force has identified a few key areas in need of improvement. First, we plan to increase awareness of the mental health resources available to the student body and lower the stigma attached to their use. Second, we wish to make quality-of-service improvements such as decreasing wait times for appointments and increasing the availability of long-term care. Third, we hope to increase communication between mental health providers and other members of the MIT community, while continuing to respect patient confidentiality.

Before making our final recommendations (which should be completed in the spring term), we plan to gather more input from various groups on campus. The task force is a diverse group, containing undergraduates, graduate students, a GRT, members of the MIT Medical Mental Health Service, the Director of Counseling and Support Services, Dean for Student Life Larry Benedict, and others. Yet we understand the need to work with others beyond our small group. If you would like to give us input, please e-mail , or look for the student surveys which should appear early next term. For more information and periodic announcements, feel free to add yourself to .

David A. Mellis ’02
Co-Chair,
Student/Staff Task Force on Mental Health