DEAR FACULTY, STUDENTS, AND STAFF,
The Council of Graduate Schools (CGS) and The Jed Foundation (JED) on April 29 released a report, “Supporting Graduate Student Mental Health and Well-being: Evidence-Informed Recommendations for the Graduate Community,” which provides an evidence base for future action to support graduate student well-being, along with recommendations for key stakeholders. The report’s findings and recommendations are intended to provide a starting point for discussion and action for all campus groups with a vested interest in the quality of graduate education.
We at the Bloomberg School are proud to endorse the report’s statement of principles.
The Bloomberg School is committed to raising awareness of the mental health needs of our community, particularly our students, and to the promotion of our collective well-being. Prior to the pandemic, we were already working to implement recommendations from the JHU Student Mental Health and Well-being Task Force, including work with the Student Mental Health Grad Network (MhGN), inclusion of mental health and well-being resources in CoursePlus templates, and increased collaboration with JHU and University Health Services Wellness Office. During the pandemic, our School’s COVID Mental Health Task Force, made up of faculty, staff, and students across the school, worked to provide tip sheets, communicate resources, and reduce stigma during the many pandemic-related challenges. This group also collaborated with the school and the MhGN to design and deploy mental health workshops across our departments and offices. This work has also contributed to the current resources being developed and deployed as part of a COVID India Task Force.
Looking forward to this summer and fall, we anticipate new challenges as we return to campus, and believe student mental health and well-being should continue to be a high priority. We are working to communicate resources and training, and to implement strategies outlined in the CGS/JED report. Because the report gives guidance to Deans, Chairs, and faculty, we wanted to amplify this important report and restate our own commitment to student mental health and wellbeing.
Sincerely,
Ellen and Dani
Ellen J. MacKenzie, PhD ’79, ScM ’75
Dean
Bloomberg Distinguished Professor
Dani Fallin, PhD
The Sylvia and Harold Halpert Professor and Chair
Department of Mental Health
