This episode will focus on higher education and the mental health and wellness challenges that colleges are facing — and what student support should look like now, as pandemic impacts continue.

Colleges and universities are facing a crisis in mental health today — with nearly 40 percent of college students experiencing depression, according to a 2020 study, 34 percent reporting anxiety, and 13 percent saying they had thought seriously about suicide in the last year. The pandemic exacerbated the crisis, but there are other factors driving the surge.

Join us as we talk with two experienced mental health leaders from large university campuses. We'll ask what they're seeing this year, what colleges are doing to manage the surge in demand for services, and what innovations they've embraced to meet students where they are. We'll explore what campuses can do to create environments that prioritize and sustain health and wellness — and how can they assemble the resources, staff, and administrative structure needed to make it happen.

Host: Francesca Purcell, Senior Lecturer on Education and Faculty Director, Higher Education Program, Harvard Graduate School of Education

Speakers:
- Ernesto Escoto, Director and Clinical Associate Professor, Counseling and Wellness Center, University of Florida (UF)
- Nicole Green, Ed.M.'99, Executive Director, Counselin

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Education Now is an HGSE webinar series that responds to the dramatic changes in the field of education in the wake of the Covid-19 pandemic. Each episode is designed to prompt observations and insights that are thought-provoking and actionable.

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