Psychological Services recently expanded its treatment capabilities with the addition of a psychiatrist authorized to prescribe psychotropic drugs to students.
Dr. Jonathan Bolton, a full-time psychiatrist, joined the Psych Services staff last week; the University Resources Committee had approved funds for the expansion last year.
A psychotropic drug is a chemical that alters brain function, temporarily affecting mood, consciousness, behavior and perception. This includes drugs like Prozac and Xanax.
Psych Services will now have the authority to prescribe medications treating psychological illnesses such as clinical depression. In conjunction with the pharmacy at Health Services, this new policy has the potential to make it much easier for students to receive treatment and medication for a variety of mental illnesses.
Psych Services currently limits each student to five sessions with an on-campus psychotherapist per year before referring students to an outside psychiatrist. However, according to Dr. Belinda Johnson, director of psychological services, this limit will not apply to students being treated by Bolton.
The logistics of deciding which patients Bolton will treat is still being worked out, Johnson said, but according to the Psych Services Web site, a referral from a staff therapist will be required before Bolton will treat students.
The pharmacy at Health Services can "fill any prescription for a Brown student that is written by a licensed physician," said Dr. Edward Wheeler, director of Health Services. Bolton's patients will then have the convenience of filling their prescriptions right on campus.
While the addition of Bolton to the staff coincided with the devastation of Hurricane Katrina and its possible psychological effects on Brown students from the affected area, the new service is not a specific response to the hurricane. The proposal for funding from the URC was already underway as of last year, and is just now being implemented, Johnson said.
"We wanted to make sure we were keeping pace with where we should be in terms of psychological services we offer," said Margaret Klawunn, associate vice president for campus life and dean of student life.
Bolton was unavailable for comment this week.
Some students were surprised to learn that Brown has the authority to dispense psychological medications. Cassidy Metcalf '08 said that she was "surprised at first," but sees the change as "a helpful outreach available to the Brown community."
