WPI’s Evolving Mental Health and Well-Being Response

WPI’s Mental Health & Well-Being Task Force (MHWBTF), led by Jean King, Peterson Family Dean of Arts & Sciences, and Matt Barry, assistant director of Student Development & Counseling, gathered feedback from the community about mental health concerns. MHWBTF has completed its work and shared recommendations for how to best support wellness on campus. The reports, posted on the WPI Be Well Together web page [www.wpi.edu/student-experience/resources/be-well-together], form the foundation of work by the Mental Health Implementation Team (MHIT).

Led by Senior Vice President of Student Affairs Philip Clay and Director of Emergency Management Ron Bashista, MHIT is charged with evaluating and ensuring progress on recommendations from the MHWBTF reports and other sources, including the Riverside Trauma Center. Clay and Bashista worked with partners across campus to manage the university’s COVID response and will employ the same partnership model in MHIT.

Initial work by MHIT will be conducted by sub-teams focused on priority areas that emerged from the initial student-centered report completed in January. These include student life; academics; programs, training, and services (including the Center for Well-Being); first year experience; and communications.

Sub-teams are composed of staff, faculty, and undergraduate and graduate students, and will liaise with parents. MHIT’s work will expand to address the needs of underrepresented student populations as well as faculty and staff. Updates will be shared with the community through the Be Well Together website and biweekly email.