Dr. Paul Hoffman has been a clinical psychologist at Yale Health for the last thirteen years. This year, he is serving as the acting chief of Yale’s Mental Health and Counseling Department. The Layer asked him a few questions about his new position, as well as his experience at Yale MHC over the years.
First, could you describe the changes you have already made to the Yale Mental Health and Counseling since becoming the interim director of the department?
We piloted walk-in, same-day intakes during the month of September, and they were very successful, so we expect to expand this option in the 2020-2021 school year. We have also significantly reduced the amount of time it takes to be matched with a therapist after an initial evaluation. We have added two new therapists recently as well as a new psychiatrist.
Looking forward, are there other changes you are planning to make as director?
I would like to increase our overall presence on campus by forming partnerships with organizations, residential college heads and deans, FroCos, and cultural houses. I want to keep working on increasing the size of our staff as well as our clinical program. I am also committed to increasing the diversity of our staff.
During your time at Yale MHC, how have you seen the department’s relationship with the student body change?
As the volume of students turning to MHC for support each year has been rising by double digits, it has been a challenge to keep up with demand, not just at Yale but at colleges and universities nationwide. While we have been doing as well as possible to keep up, students have still had to wait for therapy, and their understandable frustration has formed a narrative that can be negative towards Mental Health and Counseling when we are really working toward the same goal. I know many students value the experience they have had at MHC and have developed strong relationships with their treaters that have greatly enhanced their experience at Yale.
What is something you would hope to change about the students' perception of MHC?
I hope that students start to see that we want to work with them to solve many of the issues they are facing and that we are all working together. I would like students to know that we hear and understand their concerns and we very much appreciate hearing from them. We hear the desire for improved access and this one area is one of my top priorities. I would also like students to know that we have an extremely hard-working and talented team of clinicians and staff who dedicated to providing care to the students and often go above and beyond to give the students excellent treatment.
In recent years, some Yale students have expressed frustration with both MHC and the general administration about insufficient mental health resources. Aside from the policy changes you have already made, are there other efforts to expand the department to better address the needs of the Yale community?
I do think that the administration at Yale supports and values the mental health of its students. It has committed added resources to MHC. Still, the increase in students seeking help currently is unprecedented, and it will take time for us to be able to fully catch up. I do believe there is a commitment to working to increase access and an understanding of the importance of having mental health resources. I also believe there is an understanding that we need to add further resources.
Finally, what is one piece of advice you would give to all Yale students to help them take better care of their mental health?
Prioritize face-to-face time with friends.
You can contact Dr. Paul Hoffman for more information at paul.hoffman@yale.edu
