Resources for Struggling Students at YSPH

Thank you for visiting this page. If you or a YSPH student you know is experiencing challenges, distress, or a crisis, you have come to the right place. Yale School of Public Health and the University offer a variety of resources and support services to assist students with their academic, personal, and overall well-being. We hope this page provides helpful guidance as you navigate available resources and connect with support.

If this is an urgent situation...

In case of a life-threatening emergency, please call 911. For other urgent situations, please see the resources immediately below.

YSPH Specific Resources

  • Office of Student Affairs

    The Yale School of Public Health Office of Student Affairs offers advocacy and assistance with student personal matters and academic concerns and is dedicated to ensuring that all students have the resources needed to flourish during their years at YSPH.

    If you don't know where to turn or have a concern about a student, please contact Frank Grasso, Associate Dean for Student Affairs: frank.grasso@yale.edu

  • Wellness Counselor at YSPH

    Brian Ibarra serves as the Wellness Counselor for YSPH, providing community programming and short-term individual therapeutic support to YSPH students. His office is located at 47 College, and he will be in person at YSPH an average of 3 days a week. Schedule a time to meet with Brian:

    • Email: brian.ibarra@yale.edu
  • Discrimination and Harassment Concerns

    Yale is a community committed to fostering an environment of diversity, mutual respect, and intellectual discovery in which all students can thrive. Acts of discrimination and harassment are contrary to the community standards and ideals of our university. Yale does not tolerate discrimination or harassment on the basis of sex, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, race, color, national or ethnic origin, religion, age, disability, or veteran status.

    If you have experienced discrimination or harassment, been witness to a situation, or just need to talk, we encourage you to seek support. When you have concerns or questions, you have a wide range of choices for support.

    The Discrimination and Harassment Resource Coordinator (DHRC) for YSPH is Mayur Desai (mayur.desai@yale.edu) and Randi McCray (randi.mccray@yale.edu)

    If you would like to talk with someone about sex- or gender- based discrimination including sexual misconduct, you can reach out to a Deputy Title IX Coordinator. Additionally, The Title IX at Yale website provides information on accessing support, reporting options, policies and definitions; and education and outreach including resources for pregnant and parenting students.

    The Deputy Title IX Coordinator for YSPH is Nila Lenna, nila.lenna@yale.edu

    Visit the Title IX website for more resources.

  • Financial Aid

    If you or a student you know is experiencing a financial hardship, whether it be from unexpected emergencies or systemic concerns, our Financial Aid office is available to talk through all student financial situations holistically and confidentially. You are encouraged to contact our Financial Aid Office, at ysphfinancialaid@yale.edu for our MPH students and phdms.publichealth@yale.edu for our MS/PhD students.

  • Poorvu Center for Teaching and Learning

    Students who find themselves struggling academically, as well as those reviewing academic writing, are encouraged to consider the offerings of the Poorvu Center. To see all that the Poorvu Center offers students, visit this website.

Additional University Resources

Title IX

Yale University is committed to fostering an environment of respect and belonging. An integral part of this commitment is ensuring a campus environment free of sex- or gender-based discrimination. This includes promoting a welcoming environment for pregnant and parenting individuals. At the Title IX Office you can access support and make a report.

Chaplain’s office

Chaplains from a variety of religious and spiritual traditions are available for confidential support and care. The very foundation of the work that they do at Yale is about creating an environment that feels welcoming to all people. Students often talk to chaplains about grief, adjusting to college or graduate school, building and maintaining relationships, vocation, and more. You do not need to identify as religious/spiritual to speak with a chaplain. Call 203-432-1128 to make an appointment or feel free to reach out to any of the chaplains by email. You can also sign up directly to Chat with a Chaplain here. Chaplains are available Monday – Friday from 9am – 5pm.

Office of International Students and Scholars

The Office of International Students and Scholars is here to help support students throughtout their Yale experience and beyond, be it questions about immigration status or transitioning to this new commuity and culture. They help with all things related to your time at Yale as an international student.

Sexual Harrassment and Assault Response & Education (SHARE)

SHARE is available to all members of the Yale Community who are dealing with sexual misconduct of any kind. They assist individuals who are dealing with current/recent and past experiences, as well as offer support to those who may experience something indirectly, such as supporting friends, family or loved ones, or witnessing something of concern. Additionally they have resources for individuals who may have questions about their own behavior. They offer crisis support, advocacy, referrals for care and counseling for students.

Student Accessibility Services

Student Accessibility Services (SAS) is the office at Yale responsible for responding, approving, and facilitating accommodations for students with disabilities. SAS works will all Yale students with disabilities and strives to create equal access in education to all students across the Yale community using accomodations that are appropriate and equitable.

The Good Life Center

The Good Life Center is the official student wellness center of Yale University, offering space for wellness-related meetups, peer-to-peer support The Center seeks to empower students with evidence-based skills for fostering mental, physical, social and emotional well-being.

Connect to Care (C2C)

We know mental health and wellness is important to you. There are a number of resources in the Yale ecosystem available to you. Connect to Care (C2C) is a new tool that can help you: (1) Self-reflect on whether you are satisfied with your current mental wellness, (2) Orient yourself to all the resources available, and (3) Find resources and next steps that might fit your needs best. Want to find a drop-in meditation session? Talk to a health coach? Join virtual group therapy? Check out C2C.