Mental Health Committee

(Updated January 2024)

Our mental health plans revolve around working to solve issues we know exist and highlighting ignored problems within the current system. These are the projects our Committee has worked on/is currently working on during the 2023-2024 academic year. The most up-to-date list of projects and meetings is available in the spreadsheet below.

Co-Chairs: JJ Dega ’26 & Jon Pazen ’25

Members: Jessica Chiriboga ’24, Kiara Ortiz ’24, Anthony Fosu ’24, Chukwuka Odigbo ’25, Aarushi Jain ’25, Sydney O’Connor ’27, Roger Friedlander ’27, Ian McKenna ’27, and Samay Sahu ’27.

We commit to Supporting mental health on campus. Here’s how:

Below, you can find some of our current projects for the 2023-2024 Academic Year. Consult the Committee Progress Tracker at the bottom of this section for a full list of our projects and priorities.

Extending Gym Hours: The Committee is working with staff and students to extend the hours of Alumni Gym and auxiliary workout spaces.
Removing potentially harmful signage in Blobby (COMPLETED): The Committee worked with Dartmouth Library staff to remove potentially emotionally harmful statistics on gender-based violence and drinking in Baker Lobby. The graphics have since been replaced with resources for those seeking support.
Fostering Campus Partnerships: The Mental Health Committee works with Campus Partners on an ongoing basis in the following offices: Counseling Center, Academic Skills Center, Office of Greek Life, Dartmouth Peak Performance, Student Athlete Advisory Committee, Mental Health Union (MHU), MHU Peer Support, and Affinity Groups, with new collaborations beginning this term. During 24W, the Committee will convene student focus groups to talk about Mental Health on campus.
Offer RADical Hope as a PE/Wellness Requirement: The Committee is working to implement a four-week mental health program called RADical Hope. This program is student-led and equips students with skills to manage the demands of College. Each of the four weeks centers around the following topics: 1) How Do I Connect? Strengthening Emotional Intelligence; 2) What Matters To Me? Principles & Priorities; 3) Why Am I Stressed? Building Resilience; & 4) Where Do I Go From Here? And How Do I Get There? The Committee is working to implement this on campus, likely as a PE/Wellness Credit.
Creating wellness spaces throughout campus, both indoors and outdoors (IN-PROGRESS): The Committee is looking into improving student wellness by making improvements to outdoor landscaping, using a portion of the American Eagle Future Together Grant received by Student Body President Jessica Chiriboga ’24.
Approving and beginning the project implementation process for our 2023-2024 IdeaLab Grant Recipients. (IN-PROGRESS): The Committee will seek approval of five (5) new IdeaLab Grant Recipients, and one (1) ongoing IdeaLab project from the previous academic year. Those projects will be announced pending Senate Approval.

Along with this sheet, you can also view the Student Life Committee Projects, as well as the Mental Health Committee’s Projects from 23F.

2022-2023 Accomplishments and Ongoing Projects:

Offer a free mindfulness app to undergraduates (COMPLETED): During the 2021-2022 academic year, our Mental Health Committee launched a pilot project of the Calm App to 100 undergraduate students. This pilot project, and another pilot by the Student Wellness Center (incentivized by DSG), directly led to Dartmouth College offering the Headspace App to all students, staff, and faculty across the institution.
- We have worked with the Dartmouth Library to have study rooms reservable for Uwill appointments. More information on this to come over winterim 2022.
Universal 24/7 teletherapy services for every undergraduate student (COMPLETED): Former Student Body Vice President Jessica Chiriboga ’24 and former Student Body President David Millman ’23, alongside previous Student Body President Jennifer Qian ’22 and Vice President Maggie Johnson ’22, and former MHU Co-Presidents Pulkit Nagpal ’23 and Brian Kim ’23 initiated the search for 24/7 teletherapy with Dr. Earle of the Counseling Center. Months of student and staff advocacy led to an institutional partnership with Uwill, launched on November 1, 2022. Under this plan, students with an active Dartmouth email will have access to free, unlimited teletherapy sessions available 24/7 and world-wide. Uwill will ease some of the capacity burden on Dick's House and provide long-term counseling and crisis care.
- Our Mental Health Committee is playing an active role in advertising Uwill with posters, flyers, table tents, and lawn signs. Our request for Uwill lawn signs led Uwill to add lawn sign designs to their onboarding kit for universities in the future to use!
Creating and Designing a Wellness Room in the Student Wellness Center in Baker-Berry Library to provide space for students to rest (COMPLETED):
- Former Student Body Vice President Jessica Chiriboga ’24 received a $10k grant from American Eagle’s Future Together grant program to create positive change in Hanover, NH. DSG’s Mental Health Committee worked to design the room, which opened on January 11, 2023 from 2-4 PM.
Maintain a Wellbeing Resources Map on the Student Wellness Center (COMPLETED): Former Student Body Vice President Jessica Chiriboga ’24 created a Wellbeing Resources Google Map for the Student Wellness Center in winter 2022. The map is actively updated by our committee.
Create a Mental Health and Wellness Resource Guide (COMPLETED): This guide is now available under our Resources page. This guide will be updated on a termly basis and sent during Week One of each subsequent term.
Wellness spaces throughout campus, both indoors and outdoors (IN-PROGRESS): Our Mental Health Committee is looking into increasing student wellness by making improvements to outdoor landscaping, using a portion of the American Eagle Future Together Grant.
Increased sun lamp access on campus (IN-PROGRESS): During the 2021-22 academic year, our Mental Health Committee purchased sun lamps for student use and encouraged their circulation in the Dartmouth Library and among Dartmouth Athletics. In spring, sun lamps became available through Dartmouth Athletics’ Peak Performance program. Starting in fall 2022, sun lamps are now available to rent at Baker-Berry Library for two weeks ($1.00/day overdue fee, non-renewable). We are actively working to increase sun lamp access in residential communities.
Rooms to take teletherapy appointments (IN-PROGRESS): We are working to allow students to book private rooms for teletherapy appointments, like Uwill, in the library and other campus locations.
- We partnered with the Dartmouth Library to make two Library rooms available for private teletherapy appointments. To book a private study room in the library for a teletherapy appointment, click here.
Vouchers for transportation to counselors in the Upper Valley: One of the biggest barriers for students is inaccessible long term care, and we would try to pilot a program to correct this.

DARTMOUTH-JED CAMPUS PArtnership.

The Dartmouth-JED Campus Partnership recently culminated with the Commitment to Care Plan. The Mental Health Committee has been actively reviewing the plan, and will begin to seek collaborations to implement the working plan. The Committee hopes to serve as advisors for long-term goals such as academics and institutional resources.

After the JED strategic plan is released, leverage the Student Government's status and budget to advance recommendations and implement solutions.

Audit institutional progress towards the Commitment to Care Plan and partner with others to hold the College accountable (IN-PROGRESS).
Served as an active communicator about the JED process to the student body (COMPLETED).

Re-assessing institutional mental health policies.

Enhance campus communication around campus counseling (IN-PROGRESS), including the number of students who utilize it, wait times, and an accurate student-counselor ratio.
Accurate and unbiased misconceptions and reality document about current resources to share with campus.

Collaborating with students and student groups.

Fund student-led projects that address mental health through our IdeaLab for Mental Health, founded in 21F by Student Body President Jessica Chiriboga ’24 (IN-PROGRESS): The IdeaLab for Mental Health provided FIVE $1,000 grants for student-led projects addressing mental health and wellness at Dartmouth in Fall 2022, for implementation of student projects in spring 2023. Our grantees will be announced soon!

Meet twice a month with the Mental Health Student Union (IN-PROGRESS).

Meet with the Student Mindfulness Group and other mental health advocates.

Monthly mental health focus groups and/or roundtables: We could host student focus groups to develop best practices for publicizing mental health resources.
Partner with influential alumni in the mental health advocacy and services realm (IN-PROGRESS): We have met with representatives from the Alumni Council, Dartmouth Association of Latino Alumni, and Women of Dartmouth. We are actively looking to engage in more conversations and collaborate with alumni.

Support the Dartmouth Athletics’ Student Athlete Advisory Committee (SAAC) and their mental health initiatives.