Weill Cornell Medicine Wellness Qlinic: Adapting the Student-Run Clinic Model to Expand Mental Health Services and Medical Education

Abstract

The Weill Cornell Medicine Wellness Qlinic (Wellness Qlinic) is a student-run mental health clinic serving the lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and queer (LGBTQ +) community in New York City. Student-run clinics have successfully provided primary care to underserved communities experiencing barriers to accessing health care. Psychiatric evaluation and medication management have also been implemented in several student-run clinics, but providing sustainable psychotherapy services has been a challenge. In this paper, we present a student-run mental health program incorporating interdisciplinary trainees to provide robust short-term psychiatric treatment, including individual psychotherapy, medication management, and group therapy. Results of a chart-review study to evaluate patient engagement and treatment outcomes are presented. The Wellness Qlinic’s treatment model resulted in 90% patient retention and positive clinical outcomes for patients while addressing an education and training gap in LGBTQ + mental health for multidisciplinary mental health care providers.