Thank You – She Went From Multiple Therapy Sessions Per Week To Radio Silence

Katie DuBois (COL ‘had a plan. She was working her way to law school, all the while enjoying her college experience. Senior Associate Dean Anne Sullivan stresses that students can request to take a MLOA any time in the course of the semester with the endorsement of Counseling and Psychiatric Services. Director of CAPS Philip Meilman, Ph, estimates that CAPS will see roughly 25 the total percent undergraduate population by the time of graduation. In consonance with Associate Dean Sue Lorenson, in recent years, the university has seen an increase in MLOAs. Then, as time passed, it became ain’t at a dangerous level,’ … for me, I’m almost sure I was falling into pieces, she said.

Just four weeks before the 2013 fall semester, the start of her junior year, DuBois realized that she could not return to Georgetown.

Georgetown saying, ‘Okay, that’s what’s best for you.’ There really was no guidance.

You don’t look for to admit that you can’t handle it, she said. Normally, since you see it as a failure, it’s hard, or at least I did. Dean Lorenson explained why an academic dean may not think to advise a student to take a leave of absence. Now let me tell you something. For the most part there’s an intersection between a student’s individual academic problems and a student’s health or mental health problems, she said. While her eating disorder weakened her, duBois may have slipped through the cracks of the system for so long as long as, her academics remained strong.

Ben Saunders (SFS ‘had the MLOA paper ready to sign. For Director of the Academic Resource Center Jane Holahan, Saunders’ mentality is a growing trend among American students. Saunders’ acute depression took hold of his life, as his third year at Georgetown began. For example, he couldn’t hold a conversation with friends. He couldn’t focus in class, much less learn the material. He couldn’t ignore it any longer. Staying on campus, you’re preparing to have to be prepared for operating as best as you can, and is positive. Needless to say, Michael Raleigh, who entered the College with the class of 2015, felt as if he didn’t have a say in his story, unlike DuBois or Saunders. On top of that, he claims he left campus primarily as long as CAPS coerced him. CAPS realizing that. As a result, academic concerns aside, Raleigh feels as if So it’s personally an undesirable option.

I’ll have to take time off and get more depressed, he said, I’d say in case I do get medical leave. Meilman insists, however, that MLOAs are always voluntary at least on CAPS’ end. Instead, she explained, a more common occurrence is when a struggling student is at risk for an academic sanction, like suspension if a student fails multiple classes, in which case the dean’s office may suggest medical leave in lieu of failing. Dean Lorenson said the main time the university can impose an involuntary medical leave of absence is when the student is a danger to in my opinion I’ve maybe seen that once.

While forcing students to take a MLOA is illegal, as a matter of fact.

In 2011, parents of a disabled student filed a complaint against Georgetown with the Department of Education’s Office of Civil Rights.

They alleged that the university discriminated against the student depending on her disability when it subjected her to certain conditions as a requirement for reenrollment following a medical leave of absence. On top of this, duBois made it back to the Hilltop.

Did you know that the university really feels that so it is a great opportunity for students to get the support and and after all come back. It’s a very rare situation when a student ain’t able to return, she said. I’m sure you heard about this. Whenever conforming to Director of Student Health Education Services Carol Day, most students do. No info what I’m doing the university has no clue. Now that she has taken a semester off, she ain’t allowed to see a therapist or psychiatrist through CAPS a rule that she wasn’t made aware of. CAPS, however, did give her lots of referrals. Had to stop because of expense and travel problems, duBois saw a therapist in Woodley Park over the summer for $ 140 per session. This is the case. Part of coming back meant that DuBois had to have a personal treatment plan for her ‘longterm’ recovery in place. DuBois’s plan involved Skyping her therapist which was not a realistic alternative to personally counseling. DuBois didn’t need to deviate from her plan. Then, even after making charts of exactly how many credits she’d need and mapping out the logistics of graduating on time, she realized in her decision process that those important factors paled in comparison to her wellbeing.

For Raleigh, his pressures are less personal and more institutional.

He has even considered transferring at the recommendation of his dean.

In his encounters with other students in similar situations, the consensus was that barriers whether within CAPS, financial aid, or housing have hindered the process of moving on. Saunders is working with the Georgetown University Student Association to improve CAPS, the MLOA process, and perhaps even add a totally new case manager, that he believes could make a huge impact in the ‘well being’ of returning students. You are not eligible to preregister for classes in the usual way, you have to wait until everyone else is done and find whatever classes you can, Therefore in case you are off.

Is also particularly concerned with registration, day thinks the timeline can be a poser for students. Dean Lorenson notes that students on leave don’t necessarily need to wait to register for any longer being that they are not active students deans will work with them to get into classes. Day believes more support targeting the group of returning students every semester my be beneficial. Housing troubles add an additional layer of stress that can be fixed. CAPS until this past summer, and I had been back since January, she said. DuBois also stresses the need for stronger support once students return. Now look. There needs to be stronger follow up, 100 percent. The actual question is. Should they require a treatment plan for someone to return to school who had surgery?

What about not letting the student who took a semester off continue with her CAPS therapist even if she had to pay for it.