Laws Limit Options When a Student Is Mentally Ill

[DeepModem Mom]

NYT: Laws Limit Options When a Student Is Mentally Ill
By TAMAR LEWIN
Published: April 19, 2007

Federal privacy and antidiscrimination laws restrict how universities can deal with students who have mental health problems.

For the most part, universities cannot tell parents about their children’s problems without the student’s consent. They cannot release any information in a student’s medical record without consent. And they cannot put students on involuntary medical leave, just because they develop a serious mental illness.

Nor is knowing when to worry about student behavior, and what action to take, always so clear.

“They can’t really kick someone out because they’re writing papers about weird topics, even if they seem withdrawn and hostile,” said Dr. Richard Kadison, chief of mental health services at Harvard University. “Most state laws are pretty clear: you can only bring students to hospitals if there is imminent risk to themselves or someone else, so universities are in a bit of a bind that way.”

But, he said, some schools do mandate limited amounts of treatment in certain circumstances....

http://www.nytimes.com/2007/04/19/us/19protocol.html

[aquart]

1. "Limited amounts of treatment."

Yeah, that'll work.

[WinkyDink]

2. "College student" is not a synonym for "minor child". A h.s.grad who is WORKING instead

is not considered a "minor child" if he's 18, "mentally ill" or not, supported by his parents or not, creepy writer or not.

College attendance doesn't afford 18+-year-old adults FEWER rights than non-matriculation does (although it sometimes offers MORE, such as in previous military drafts).