Student Services
USC offers a wide array of mental health and wellbeing services for students. The following services are available to USC students of both the UPC and HSC campuses as well as online program degree students who participate in the USC Student Health Fee. Clinical therapy services are limited to students residing in California and may include counseling, psychiatric care, or both. To learn more about our USC Student Health offerings, visit studenthealth.usc.edu/counseling.
Drop-in “Let’s Talk” 30-Minute Conversations with a Counselor
Structured as a 30-minute private discussion with a mental health professional, “Let’s Talk” chats are non-clinical appointments that provide an opportunity for students to talk through coping skills for a problem, work on building a skill, or learn grounding techniques to manage a stressful situation. Available to all USC students throughout the U.S. and internationally. These services have no co-pay and are underwritten through the USC Student Health Fee. Book your appointment directly through MySHR. Culturally-specific “Let’s Talk” outreaches are also available for communities of color, LGBTQ community, and international students.
Single Session / Solution Session (clinical therapy services)
Sometimes a specific problem creates a stumbling block. Students in this type of situation can benefit from the perspective of a neutral, clinical professional in developing an approach toward problem-solving. One-hour single session, available to all USC students in California. These services have no co-pay and are underwritten through the USC Student Health Fee. Book your appointment directly through MySHR.
Initial Intake / Counseling (clinical therapy services)
When a student may be coping with a complex situation, a thorough initial conversation with a licensed clinician can help both the client and the provider chart a course for a treatment plan. This is conducted through an appointment, followed up by a recommended treatment plan. These services have no co-pay and are underwritten through the USC Student Health Fee. Book your appointment directly through MySHR.
Referral Appointment (non-clinical, care coordination)
Students seeking assistance may work with our care coordination team to find resources for care outside of California; this is also for students seeking resources for open-ended therapy services. These services have no co-pay and are underwritten through the USC Student Health Fee. Book your appointment directly through MySHR or call 213-740-9355 (WELL)
Treatment Planning
Short-term therapy in CMH / (clinical therapy services)
After an initial intake, a provider will be better informed to help a student with a treatment plan to meet their goals. For some situations, short-term therapy will be the right recommendation. These services have no co-pay and are underwritten through the USC Student Health Fee.
Group therapy in CMH / (clinical therapy services)
Human beings are naturally social creatures, so when it comes to figuring out what helps us make beneficial changes in our lives, other humans can hold an important key to reaching our goals. Group therapy can even be more effective than individual counseling for certain student needs. Counseling and Mental Health therapists meet with students to ensure that groups are going to be a beneficial part of students’ individualized plans. There are groups for common concerns such as depression, panic disorder, ADHD, social anxiety, eating disorders, support related to identity concerns, etc. Other groups build up helpful skills that can help address social confidence, loneliness, and low self-esteem, and life skills. Students have unlimited access to group therapy zzmade through CMH to ensure the selected group is the best match for the patient. These services have no co-pay and are underwritten through the USC Student Health Fee. View current group therapy offerings at studenthealth.usc.edu/counseling and complete a workshop interest form through MySHR to sign-up.
Extended Therapy Services / (Insurance-Based)
Some patients may best be served through a specialized treatment plan, which may be in coordination with other specialists in the Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences or with medical providers. To help meet the needs of this patient population, USC established the Psychiatry and Behavioral Health Services (PBHS) clinic in 2019. PBHS is located on the 5th floor of the Engemann Building on the University Park Campus, phone number 213-764-2800 It is a clinical practice of the Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences of the Keck School of Medicine of USC and is specifically established to meet the mental health needs of USC students. Check with PBHS for current information regarding appointments, copays and in-network participation through insurance plans, including the USC Student Health Insurance Plan (SHIP) provided through Aetna. It is recommended that patients interested in this service have an initial intake through Counseling and Mental Health Services (CMH).
Note: Medication management is available with the Psychiatry teams in both CMH and PBHS. Clients may ask about this option during an initial intake in CMH; during a medical appointment in Student Health; or inquire directly with either CMH or PBHS.
Workshops
(For All USC students, in all locations)
In addition to the “Let’s Talk” outreaches, workshops are also an excellent way to explore topics, build a skill, developing coping mechanisms, and build your personal toolkit for positive mental health and interactions with others. These services have no co-pay and are underwritten through the USC Student Health Fee. Sign up under workshops through MySHR.
View current workshop offerings here:
Therapy+
Services
(For All USC students, in all locations)
Therapy Plus is a collection of mental health products and services selected by Counseling and Mental Health Services. These extension services provide telehealth therapy, chat-based conversations with a trained responder, and asynchronous learning tools to help students learn skills, regulate emotional responses, and recognize critical stress and get help when intervention is needed. No additional cost to students who participate in the Student Health Fee. Includes UWill, Nod, and and Oasis Chat.
Urgent Crisis and Postventions
Students experiencing an urgent crisis should contact USC Student Health to connect with a counselor, through the 24/7 line 213-740-9355 (WELL) or walk in* to the centers (during hours of operation); support by phone is always available. Urgent concerns may involve a death in the family, a suicide concern, crime/sexual assault survivor assistance, or other high-risk concerns. Faculty and staff may always walk* a student over or call if a student is experiencing crisis during class or office hours. Current conditionals: on-site, currently, telehealth visits are the primary method of interaction due to Covid-19 safety protocols, so patients should be prepared to bring a mobile device for telehealth consultation.
When a community in the university experiences grief, loss, violence, or other collective trauma, Counseling and Mental Health professionals are available for on-site assistance to student communities for post-event interventions (postventions) to help process the emotional impacts of the event and help individuals find a path toward resiliency and recovery.
Faculty and staff may call the 24/7 line 213-740-9355 (WELL); or reach out to the school-based liaison from CMH to make arrangements.
Due to Covid-19 public health concerns, calling 213-740-9355 (WELL) is recommended at this time.
Counseling and Mental Health Services
Counseling and Mental Health Services provides a continuum of services to promote positive mental well-being among all USC students. The diverse team of more than 60 licensed professional clinicians, care coordinators, advocates and prevention educators work to promote an inclusive practice to promote a healthy and resilient student body.
Our work encompasses outreach and skill-building, prevention education, workshops, clinical therapy services, and crisis support for individuals and campus communities.
Our services are available through TeleHealth and through the 3rd floor of the Engemann Building at UPC; at HSC, services are available at the Eric Cohen Student Health Center in HC1.
Our people include diverse professionals from a broad range of licensed clinical backgrounds, with training in trauma-informed care; sports psychology; multicultural perspectives; LGBTQ perspectives; international student experiences; sexual assault survivor care and support; among other specializations. All clinicians share a deep understanding of the specific pressures that apply in a university environment, and the contextual concerns (socioeconomic, political, cultural, gender identity, religious) of students.
Our goals are to connect with students and provide guidance, expertise, and treatment (as appropriate) so they may progress toward their academic and individual goals during their time at the university.
Our partners include student service departments, student organizations, academic programs, and our colleagues in the Psychiatry and Behavioral Health Services clinical practice, located on the fifth floor of the Engemann Building.
All licensed clinicians are faculty of the Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Keck Medicine of USC.
USC STUDENT HEALTH | Keck Medicine of USC
USC Student Health is a comprehensive source for primary care, counseling and mental health services, preventive health services, and health promotion for all USC students on its two campuses: University Park (Engemann Student Health Center Building, floors 1-3) and Health Sciences (Eric Cohen Student Health Center in HC1). USC Student Health also serves as the campus public health organization, working in cooperation with the Los Angeles County Department of Public Health and other public health entities to ensure a healthy and safe campus environment. Accredited by the Association for Ambulatory Health Care, Inc., all health care providers of USC Student Health and fully accredited faculty of the academic medicine departments of Keck Medicine of USC.
DEPARTMENT OF PSYCHIATRY AND BEHAVIORAL SCIENCES
The Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences at the Keck School of Medicine is committed to excellence in three equally important areas: clinical care, education and research. The Department has a long record of clinical service to the residents of Los Angeles County, with a strong history of clinical activity in the public sector, particularly at the Los Angeles County + University of Southern California (LAC+USC) Medical Center. The Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences also has private outpatient and inpatient care at Keck Hospital of USC and the USC Norris Comprehensive Cancer Center and Hospital; and recently established a new private practice college mental health clinic, the Psychiatry and Behavioral Health Services clinic (PBHS) on the fifth floor of Engemann Building on the University Park Campus.
KECK MEDICINE OF USC
Keck Medicine of USC is the University of Southern California’s medical enterprise, one of only two university-based medical systems in the Los Angeles area. Encompassing research and clinical excellence, the medical system attracts internationally renowned experts who are faculty at the Keck School of Medicine of USC, the region’s first medical school. These same physicians practice at a network of more than 45 hospitals, clinics and affiliate hospitals in Southern California and provide care for more than 1 million patient visits annually.
Care facilities includes the renowned USC Norris Comprehensive Cancer Center, one of the first comprehensive cancer centers established by the National Institutes of Health (NIH) in the United States.
studenthealth.usc.edu
24/7 phone line: 213-740-9355 (WELL)
Questions?
Email us at studenthealth@usc.edu