Overview

MDRC is partnering with the Washington Student Achievement Council, the cabinet-level state agency focused on raising educational attainment in Washington State, to investigate how to strengthen Washington State policy regarding students’ basic mental health care needs. Contracted virtual mental health services, in which colleges give contracts to online health providers, have the potential to augment existing campus and community care options with more flexible appointment times and locations, and with providers from diverse backgrounds that can speak to students’ varied needs.  MDRC is partnering with selected Washington colleges that are already using contracted virtual mental health services to learn about college staff members’ and students’ experiences; share lessons that can be helpful to colleges, states, and policymakers; and identify opportunities for building more rigorous evidence on how to meet college students’ mental health care needs. MDRC is also interviewing state-level higher education agencies across the United States to learn about systemic reforms to student mental health services nationwide.