Eric Wood, director of counseling and mental health, will be featured as an expert and special guest at a Washington, D.C., think tank on student mental health this month.
The Presidents’ Convening on Student Mental Health March 20-21 will assemble higher education leaders from across the country to focus on strategies for student well-being and explore ways to address increased mental health concerns. The prevailing question to be answered is, “What is the role of higher education in the emotional and behavioral health of students?”
“I’m presenting on innovations in college mental health and the importance of changing the narrative of our field from previously being pessimistic to now imaginative and proactive,” Wood said. “I’m also stressing the importance of collaborations with community and campus partners.”
Wood has established this Collaborative Care Model at TCU and has experienced success.
The event is sponsored by the Ruderman Family Foundation and, in partnership with Georgetown University, is conducted by the Mary Christie Institute, a national thought leadership organization dedicated to improving the emotional and behavioral health of teens and young adults with a particular focus on American college students.
“The main hope is for leaders to imagine all that can be accomplished on a college campus. Schools have the infrastructure, facilities and access to students who live and/or ‘work’ on-site,” Wood said. “These dynamics create so many opportunities if we are willing to connect with community providers who have established programs and other campus partners who have various expertise.”
Wood will present on the event’s closing panel with Sylvia Burwell, former Secretary of Health and Human Services. Also speaking is honored guest U.S. Surgeon General Vivek Murthy.
Learn more about the Presidents’ Convening on College Student Mental Health and Wellbeing.