Dartmouth's mental health services, centered around the Counseling and Human Development Department in Dick's House, provide students with a variety of therapeutic options, from topic-specific support groups to individual counseling.
Dartmouth's basic health care plan, included in each student's tuition, covers these services.
The mental healthcare staff at Dick's House -- which consists of psychiatrists, psychologists, social workers and fourth-year psychiatry residents -- counsels students in need of short-term care. Those who need long-term care are referred to local professionals.
This term, Dick's House offers four support groups that each meet one evening a week.
One, the undergraduate general support group, is geared toward students who are returning to Dartmouth from a medical leave or have struggled with symptoms of depression.
The survivors of sexual abuse group explores the challenges faced by students who have been sexually abused as children or adults.
Two separate choices groups, one focusing on abstinence and the other focusing on moderation, deal with chemical use.
Student interest dictates which support groups Dick's House offers in a given term. Groups offered in past terms have dealt with body image and eating concerns; difficulties faced by grieving students; racial identity; and issues facing lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgendered students
Dick's House mental health professionals adhere to stringent rules dictating patient confidentiality.
"We can not talk to anyone [about a student's case] without the student's written permission," said Mark Reed, Dick's House Director of Counseling. The only circumstance under which mental health practitioners are legally required to break this confidentiality is if they perceive potential harm to patients or others.
Dick's House psychiatrists prescribe medication to approximately 20 percent of the students they see, according to Reed. Students are charged for such medication and the extent of their insurance coverage depends on the specific insurance plan of a student.
Dartmouth's basic health plan, purchased by about 40 percent of Dartmouth undergraduates, covers the entire cost of medication.
Not surprisingly, Dick's House was not always what it is today. Dartmouth's mental health services have evolved from a primarily clinical service to a department actively engaged in community outreach.
Staff members serve as liaisons with residential clusters and affinity groups. They also meet with student groups to discuss issues related to mental health and to help raise awareness of Dartmouth's psychological services.
"[Through outreach] we talk to people who might never walk into the office," said Heather Earle, a psychologist at Dick's House. "We do a lot of preventative work I value a great deal."
Dartmouth's outreach program has at times proved very successful. Dick's House, according to Reed, even gets many referrals from maintenance workers, who find vomit in wastebaskets -- a sign of the eating disorder bulimia.
Around 1995, the office of Counseling and Human Development created an official liaison position and hired Nancy Pompian, Student Disabilities Coordinator, to fill it.
Pompian's job involves helping students students coping with mental health issues to obtain accommodations, such as increased time on tests or more two course-load terms.
"We inform and support students in getting the help they need," Reed said.
A Dick's House mental health practitioner is on call 24 hours a day, seven days a week. Counselors can be reached through the Counseling and Human Development office during business hours and through Safety and Security at any time.
