With a mandate to look at both the treatment side of mental health—principally at the University’s two main mental health care locations, the Bureau and MHS—and the outreach and prevention facet, particularly in Harvard’s residential Houses, the task force released an interim report on treatment recommendations, including the move for a centralized head, in February.

The final report of the task force, which will address residential and academic aspects of mental health care and prevention in addition to issues discussed in the interim report, had not been released when this story went to press, though a draft of this report was obtained by The Crimson.

Barreira stated that one of the group’s primary aims would be to reevaluate the position of the Bureau within the school’s care structure, to ensure that it functions as a complement to the MHS.

“We want to be able to keep the Bureau of Study Counsel focused on its role as one portal of entry for students to get help, but also to be able to use all the mental health services that are available to provide treatment,” Barreira said in December.

The task force was also charged with determining the most effective methods to increase awareness of mental health resources and to lower the stigma of seeking treatment.

“Somehow we’ve got to advance people’s education and awareness about getting treatment for a mental health problem,” Barreira said in December. “People want to pretend they don’t need treatment.”

THE VIEW FROM THE TOP

On July 1, Barreira will take over as Director of University Counseling, Academic Support and Mental Health Services, implementing the recommendations from the task force he chaired.

Barreira’s familiarity with the issues facing campus mental health services will inform his work from the start, Hyman said.

“He is in some sense a proven quantity through his very skillful leadership of the task force, which will allow him to hit the ground running, which is very, very important,” Hyman said in May.

Barreira’s job is vital not only for its ability to look at mental health services broadly, but also for its ability to integrate a leader whose attention is wholly devoted to improving the Harvard system, he added.

“The first and most important thing is that now we’re going to have some person who wakes up every morning thinking about the whole range of mental health issues—we just haven’t had that before,” Hyman said. “It’s really critical.”

Barreira will be responsible for allocating mental health resources more efficiently across the University, and creating a system which organizes diverse resources into a seamless system.

His role will also include organizing further training of faculty and residential tutors—including the establishment of tutors dedicated to mental health in upperclass Houses—and planning the annual Caring for the Harvard Community outreach events.

Beyond that, Barreira will aim to organize the disparate groups across the University meant to work with students with prevention or treatment of mental health issues, including the freshman wellness representatives, the Administrative Board and United Ministries.