In a major organizational shakeup, the University’s two principal mental health providers will now report to a single administrator.

The change was proposed as part of an interim report of the Student Mental Health Task Force, the committee charged with recommending strategies for overhauling the University’s mental health services.

The Task Force interim report—which is slated to be released Monday—also calls for closer integration between the Bureau of Study Counsel (BSC) and University Health Services’ Mental Health Services (MHS), more mental health clinicians and improved approachability of Harvard’s mental health services.

University Provost Steven E. Hyman said in a written statement last night that he and Dean of the College Benedict H. Gross ’71, who together convened the Task Force, accept the committee’s interim recommendations.

“I believe that these steps, once taken, will significantly strengthen mental health services for our student community,” Hyman said in the statement. “Because Dr. [Paul J.] Barreira has kept me informed about the Task Force’s deliberations throughout, we have already been able to begin work in a number of key areas identified in the interim report.”

Undergraduate Council President Matthew W. Mahan ’05 said that while these concrete recommendations are a positive step towards improved services, the University must also address cultural causes of mental health problems, such as stress and methods of preventing them.

“Those are all good improvements, but they are the easiest and the ones that are most apparent,” Mahan said. “Not to belittle them, but they work on the problems that are most obvious, the problems that people have been talking about for a few years,” he said.

While the Task Force will not release its final report until April, Hyman and Gross pressed the Task Force to release preliminary findings early.

“Both Hyman and Gross really wanted—if we knew where we were headed—to have something sooner” than April, Task Force Chair Barreira said.

A source familiar with the report said Hyman and Gross wanted to publicize the group’s work “to prove that [the Task Force is] doing something.” Top administrators also pushed for the report in order to begin revamping the BSC, according to a source close to Gross’ office.

“This interim report is being issued because some concerns at the Bureau needed to be addressed immediately,” the source said.

FOLLOW THE LEADER

The report recommends creating a new “Mental Health leader” to coordinate and oversee all aspects of mental healthcare and outreach across the University.

The position would have twin roles: a clinical capacity involving oversight of all Harvard mental health services, including both the BSC and MHS, and an administrative capacity to coordinate campus education and outreach efforts.

Barreira said the new administrator will also be responsible for more efficiently allocating mental health resources across the University.