Mental and Emotional Safety

This conversation will focus on the ways in which current Harvard systems and structures support and/or present barriers to mental, emotional, and social safety. This embodies the thoughts, feelings, and emotions that enable a person’s optimal functioning and resilience at both the individual and collective levels, even in the case of novel, uncertain or stressful conditions.

Threats to this felt sense of safety can be triggered in different contexts, such as acute emotional distress; unlawful discrimination; mental illness; burnout; stigma; structural inequities; adverse life events; interpersonal conflict and violence; insufficient resources for basic needs; and environmental stressors.

This community conversation will seek a deeper understanding of Harvard community members’ mental health and wellness resource needs, and the common pathways they use to seek resources such as: preventive measures; community supports; crisis response; access to mental health treatment; concrete assistance; forums for ongoing discussion; transparent communication; mechanisms to protect confidentiality; and natural support networks.