UNC students can access these mental health resources on campus and beyond

In light of recent events, The Daily Tar Heel has compiled resources both on and off campus that provide therapy and other mental health services for students, with information on their policies and the options they provide.

UNC Counseling and Psychological Services

CAPS provides a variety of on-campus mental health support resources for all degree-seeking students and postdoctoral fellows who pay the student health fee. According to a statement from UNC Media Relations, CAPS is intended to be a possible first step in the process of identifying the kind of help a student needs, either immediately or long-term.

“Our number one priority at CAPS is the mental health and overall wellbeing of our students,” CAPS Associate and Clinical Director Avery Cook said in an email. “We serve as a possible first step in helping students identify the level of care they need."

For students seeking support from CAPS for the first time, appointments are not required. CAPS is open for initial services Monday through Thursday from 9 a.m. to 12 p.m. and from 1 p.m. to 4 p.m., as well as Friday 9:30 a.m. to 12 p.m. and 1 p.m. to 4 p.m.

When a student visits CAPS for the first time, they will have an initial assessment with a counselor who will determine the best course of treatment. In this assessment, the student and counselor will create a plan for the student to either be connected with a CAPS provider for brief therapy or be referred to an outside provider for long-term treatment.

Brief therapy is provided over a limited number of sessions to help students with issues that can be managed in a shorter period of time, including academic stress, some relationship issues, acute onset anxiety and depression, Media Relations said. If a student has a history of psychological needs, CAPS will refer them directly to an outside provider. 

If a CAPS counselor decides that the student would benefit the most from long-term treatment, CAPS will help with referral coordination to a community provider. The student will usually be given the names of three community providers and can also work with a referral coordinator if they wish, who will help provide assistance with insurance and transportation.

“We also want to make sure students know about all of the mental health resources on campus long before they start to feel overwhelmed or need help,” Cook said. “Bottom line, I want our students to know they are not alone.”

UNC Psychology and Neuroscience Community Clinic

The clinic is a community-based training facility for the doctoral program in clinical psychology. It provides assessments for adults and UNC students for learning disorders and ADHD, as well as therapy for children, adolescents, adults and couples. 

The clinic has two locations in Chapel Hill. The Evergreen House, located near the Swain Parking Lot on the UNC campus, primarily serves adults and students. The Finley Community Research Center and Clinic, located at 212 Finley Golf Course Rd., serves children, couples and families and is where the clinic conducts its assessment services.

Emily Walsh, a doctoral student in clinical psychology and a teaching fellow at the clinic, said in an email that the clinic does not accept insurance, but fees for psychotherapy are set on a sliding scale and range from $10 to $80 per session. Fees for assessments range from $900 to $1500 per assessment. 

Walsh said a formal referral from a provider is not required and students can email the clinic at clinic@unc.edu or submit an initial inquiry form. Services are not guaranteed. 

“Because we are a training clinic, we have limited availability and can only offer services to people who are a good fit for our trainees, based on a brief phone screen and at the discretion of the clinic director,” Walsh said.

UNC Center for Excellence in Community Mental Health 

The UNC Center for Excellence in Community Mental Health runs four clinics in the Chapel Hill-Carrboro Area: UNC Schizophrenia Treatment and Evaluation Program (STEP) Community Clinic at Carr Mill, UNC STEP Community Clinic at Vilcom Center, UNC Comprehensive Community Mental Health Clinic at Carr Mill and UNC Integrated Primary and Behavioral Health Care.

According to its website, STEP “provides treatment for individuals with severe mental illness, including schizophrenia and other psychotic disorders, bipolar disorder and major depression.”

To make a referral or schedule an appointment, individuals can call 919-962-4919 or use the clinic's referral form.

MindPath Care Centers - Chapel Hill

MindPath Care Centers is an outpatient mental and behavioral health care provider located at 401 Providence Rd., Suite 100. MindPath Care Centers also offers telehealth.

Services include psychiatric evaluation and medication management, family therapy and counseling and marital counseling. MindPath Care Centers also treats ADHD, anxiety, bipolar disorder, depression, eating disorders, grief, obsessive compulsive disorder, post traumatic stress disorder and trauma and substance use, according to their website.

More information on the intake process and how to schedule an appointment can be found on the MindPath Care Centers' website.

El Futuro

According to its website, El Futuro is a "nonprofit outpatient clinic that provides mental health services for Latino families.” Located in Durham and Siler City, El Futuro accepts new patients for therapy, psychiatry and substance use treatment. Mental health services are offered in English and Spanish.

New clients can come to the walk-in clinic in Durham on Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday from 9 a.m. to 12 p.m. and must bring their insurance card if they have one, but will still be served if they do not have health insurance. El Futuro also accepts referrals from providers and self-referrals.

For additional community mental health information, see this list of resources compiled by the DTH's Editorial Board.

If there are other organizations we should add to this article, we encourage you to send us an email at university@dailytarheel.com. 

@_ElizabethEgan

university@dailytarheel.com