5 Mental Health Articles for Providers – June

2 min read

Sage: A Mental Health Resource Tool

The team from the Healthy Minds Network at University of Michigan and Boston University hits it big again, this time with a tailored mental health resource for students. The Healthy Minds Network conducts a national student survey on student mental health. Following survey completion, students can visit Sage to receive a curated list of mental health tools and resources based on their responses to the survey. Director Daniel Eisenberg shares more about the mission of HMN and the launch of Sage here.

Campus Chaplains Support Student Mental Health

Alongside the changing college mental health landscape, campus chaplaincy is also evolving to become more non-denominational. Chaplains are increasingly working with students on identity issues and general life stressors that are magnified when a student comes to campus. Vice’s investigative article discusses how campus chaplains trained in pastoral care and counseling may be an added resource for students as colleges work toward managing surging mental health care needs.

Ghost Insurance Networks & Padded Directories

The Mental Health Parity Act requires insurers to offer comparable mental health and medical coverage. Despite this, insurance companies make locating in-network mental health providers extremely difficult by denying claims, limiting coverage, and padding insurance directories with clinicians who aren’t accepting new patients. Insurance companies are also paying mental health clinicians less than other medical professionals for similar services. This article dives deeper into the ways insurance companies are violating the letter and spirit of the Parity Act.

How to Create a Healing Space

As clinicians, we strive to create calming, soothing spaces that allow our clients to open up and share with us. Much of creating this space has to do with how we relate to and communicate with our clients. However, there is also critical importance to the physical design of the therapeutic space. Elements such as the layout, furnishings, and light in the therapist’s office can have an enormous impact on the therapeutic relationship and the emotional tone of sessions. Read on to learn about how to optimize your healing space.

Gaps in Mental Health Treatment for International Students

This article published in Inside Higher Ed describes how international students are less likely than their domestic peers to seek mental health treatment. This difference is attributed to the stigma associated with mental illness in the home countries of many international students, as well as the common misconception that seeking mental health treatment would impact an international student’s visa status. They describe a study that found that international students were also less aware of the existence of available mental health services on campus. International student advisers are encouraged to emphasize how help-seeking is a strength, rather than a deficit. Advisers are also suggested to discuss confidentiality within counseling and to reinforce how counselors are trained in cultural competence.

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