SGA and Student Life Publish a Mental Health Resource Folder

When students are faced with academic and life challenges, it can produce feelings of isolation and hopelessness that can in turn affect their performance in the classroom and disrupt their lives in unhealthy ways.

To help address this issue at Tech, the Undergraduate Student Government Association (SGA) has partnered with the Division of Student Life to create a Mental Health Resource Guide. Recently distributed to all faculty and academic advisors, the guide is designed to provide tools for identifying concerning behaviors and getting students the help or resources they need.

"I hope this folder will allow staff and faculty to feel better equiped to navigate a difficult situation with a student's and their own well-being in mind," said Rachael Price, an undergraduate and advocate of the resource guide. "We are all a part of the Georgia Tech community, and when it comes to intervening to improve mental health and prevent suicide, there should be no 'us versus them' mentality."

The guide consists of a folder that is easy to carry and readily accessible. In the folder, faculty will find find common indicators of distress, guidelines on responding to a student of concern, conversation tips, and campus and community resources. Individuals can also refer to the folder for emergency resources in the case of serious safety concerns.

“While this resource guide is created from the expertise of our mental health professionals, it is not intended to be used as a diagnostic tool,” said John M. Stein, vice president for Student Life and the Brandt-Fritz Dean of Students Chair. “Rather, we hope it will serve as a quick reference guide for anyone seeking insight and information to better support and refer our students.”

The folder was developed by SGA in partnership the Division of Student Life and was made possible through funding provided by the Brandt-Fritz Dean of Students Endowment. Folders were distributed the first week of fall semester to faculty and academic advisors across campus. To request a hard copy, or for more information, contact Student Life at studentlife@studentlife.gatech.edu.