For many years, Local 33 has fought for better access to mental health care services. Waiting times to see a therapist have been as long as several months, session cap policies have been unclear, and our members have often found that the care available through Yale Mental Health and Counseling is not sufficient to meet our needs as graduate students.

Last year, some graduate students seeking mental health care services were referred to the Magellan Mental Health Network, a network of local providers outside of Yale. In an email to all students in April 2018, Director of Yale Health Dr. Paul Genecin acknowledged that this new program resulted in “dramatically improved waiting times.” In May 2018, it was announced that Yale Health was “planning to continue the Magellan option for students in the 2018-19 year.”

If you were using the Magellan Network last year and would like to continue doing so, call Yale Mental Health and Counseling to set up your reauthorization. If you are seeking mental health care at Yale for the first time, or were not referred to Magellan last year, you may want to ask fora referral during your intake appointment.

Local 33 has repeatedly called on Yale to make access to the Magellan Network permanent. We believe that access to high-quality, affordable mental health care services is essential, and we want to ensure that Yale provides equitable access to good mental health care for all graduate students.

We are interested in hearing your experiences with Yale Mental Health and Magellan access. If you have an experience or information you would like to share or have experienced problems accessing care, email us at mentalhealth@yaleunions.org.

Yale Mental Health and Counseling: (203) 432-0290 (Ask to speak to Dr. Paul Hoffman with questions or concerns about navigating Magellan access.)