Mental Health Care for Students in Massachusetts
Mental Health services are available via phone, video and in person by appointment. UHCS offers mental health walk-in hours daily.
Walk-in hours are available:
- Monday through Friday 11:00 AM – 2:00 PM
- Tuesday and Thursday 5:00 PM – 7:30 PM
Find@Northeastern
Mental health support is available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week from any location by calling Find@Northeastern: 877.233.9477 (in the U.S.), 855-229-8797 (Canada), +1.781.457.7777 (outside the U.S.). By calling Find@Northeastern, you will be immediately connected with a mental health clinician who can provide in-the-moment support and recommendations for next steps. Through Find@Northeastern, students have access to a variety of services including referrals to unlimited free therapy and access to the Headspace app.
Emergencies
Should you or someone you know have a medical or mental health emergency, please call NUPD at 617.373.3333 (or 911 off-campus) or go to your nearest Emergency Department.
College, from undergraduate orientation through graduate and Ph.D. programs, presents most people with new challenges and struggles that at times may impact health and success. Meeting with a mental health clinician can help.
How to have a mental health visit at UHCS
If you are interested in speaking with one of our mental health clinicians, call UHCS at 617.373.2772, option #2. You will be scheduled for a brief phone appointment with one of our mental health clinicians. In that call, you’ll be asked to share a little about what’s prompting your interest. You and the mental health clinician will review options and set up next steps. Next steps could include scheduling a counseling or medication appointment, support group, or a referral to ongoing therapy in the local community.
Can I walk-in and talk to someone?
Walk-in hours are available:
- Monday, Wednesday and, Friday 11:00 AM – 2:00 PM
- Tuesday and Thursday 5:00 PM – 7:30 PM
To see a clinician for a walk-in visit during the designated hours, presenet to UHCS and let the Patient Associate know you are looking to speak with a mental health clinician.
What do I need before my first scheduled visit?
For in-person visits: Please arrive 10 minutes prior to your scheduled appointment and bring your NUID. You can check-in for an appointment, with the kiosks, which are located on the right hand side of the reception area. Use your Northeastern username and password to check-in on the tablet. You
For telehealth visits: Please be available at the scheduled time to receive a call from the mental health clinician. It is important to be in a quiet, private space that is free of distractions during the visit. If meeting with the clinician via video call, it is important that you use a secure internet connection rather than public/free Wi-Fi. Limited telehealth visits are available at this time.
What if I need to change or cancel my appointment?
If you need to cancel or change your telehealth appointment, you must notify the clinician and/or UHCS in advance. Call UHCS 617-373-2772.
What happens after I schedule a telehealth visit?
At this time limited telehealth visits are available. You will receive an email to your Outlook Account at the time the appointment is created and again 15 minutes before the start of the appointment. Please check your SPAM folder if it is not in your inbox. The message will appear as below:
If there is no box saying, “Start Televisit,” check the top of the email you may need to do one of the following: expand the message, click to view the message in a browser, download pictures, or unblock content blocked by Outlook. If you have not received this email, can’t find it, or have any other issues, contact your clinician or the front desk as soon as possible
How do I find a private quiet place on campus for my telehealth visit?
The university has identified a variety of quiet spaces where students can study and have private conversations. If you have an appointment with UHCS and would like to find a private space, please review the study spaces website to see availability.
What happens during my inital telephone or walk-in visit?
In a telephone or walk-in visit with a mental health clinician (Licensed Mental Health Clinician, Social Worker, Psychologist, or Nurse Specialist in Clinical Psychiatry) will conduct a brief assessment (fifteen to thirty minutes). Please be open with your clinician so that they can effectively assess your concerns. Inform the clinician of your history, including previous illness, hospitalizations, and any and all medication you have been prescribed in the past. The clinician will review their understanding of your concerns, identify and address your immediate needs, and review a care and safety plan as well as recommendations, which may include:
- Scheduling a follow-up visit with a UHCS clinician for further assessment
- Scheduling a medication assessment
- Referral to ongoing treatment in the local community
- Referral to a student support group at UHCS
- Other helpful campus resources and supports
- Resources and self-care steps you may take to help manage your condition.
Why might I be referred to treatment in the local community?
UHCS offers brief assessment and follow-up visits. We will refer you to a local psychotherapist and/or medication provider if we determine that you would benefit from or if you would prefer ongoing treatment. Clinicians in the community are generally able to provide longer-term treatment, more consistent and flexible scheduling, such as evening, Saturday, weekly, and video counseling appointments. For more information about community mental health care, click here.
How long are mental health visits?
- Telephone triage calls – 15 minutes
- Walk-in and follow-up visits – 15 to 30 minutes.
- Medication assessment visits may take up to 1 hour.
- Student support groups are generally 1 hour.
Is my treatment confidential?
All services at UHCS are confidential. No information will be shared with anyone outside of UHCS without your consent. You may review more information about confidentiality and release of medical information here.
Does UHCS provide sick notes?
UHCS does not provide sick notes. Find more information on our sick note policy here.
What else do I need to know?
Some students may feel more comfortable with—or require— the help of a translator. Translator services are available. Please call UHCS and speak with a patient associate to find out more. If you have questions about COVID-19, please visit the Reopening website for more information.
What to expect when you call Find@Northeastern
Responsive, empathetic mental health support is available to full-time students, 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, from any location by calling Find@Northeastern at 877.233.9477 (within the U.S.), 855-229-8797 (Canada), or +1.781.457.7777 (International).
Calls to Find@Northeastern are answered by licensed master’s level mental health clinicians—people who are there any time, day or night, to provide support and to help you address your immediate concerns. They will also review a care and safety plan as well as recommendations for next steps.
These steps may include a referral to:
- Referral to unlimited in person or telehealth counseling within your local area. Please note that in person counseling appointments are currently limited due to COVID-19.
- Ongoing in person counseling
- Ongoing telehealth counseling
- Exploration of SilverCloud, a digital on-demand mental health and well-being platform provides students with customized strategies to manage depression, anxiety, sleep issues, stress, resilience, and more.
- UHCS services including follow-up visits, medication assessments, or a student support group
- Free Headspace account
Are calls to Find@Northeastern confidential?
All services offered through UHCS, including calls to Find@Northeastern, are confidential. No information will be shared with anyone outside of UHCS without your consent. You may review more information about confidentiality and release of medical information here.
What happens when I am referred to ongoing in person counseling?
If you and the Find@Northeastern clinician decide that a referral to ongoing, in person therapy is appropriate, the clinician will try to connect you by phone—in that moment—with a therapist in the local community. If the therapist you’re calling is available, you can speak with them directly and schedule an appointment for the coming days. If the therapist is not available at the time of the call, the Find clinician will help you leave a voicemail for the therapist to call you back and review scheduling options.
Referrals for in person therapy are available for full-time students in the U.S. and some parts of Canada. Please contact UHCS or Find@Northeastern for more details.
What happens when I am referred to ongoing telehealth?
If you and the Find@Northeastern clinician decide that a referral to ongoing telehealth counseling is appropriate, the clinician will connect you via phone with a Find Navigator who will submit the referral. A counselor will then get in touch with you to schedule your first appointment. From your first appointment forward, you can connect with that therapist on video in real time. Telehealth is conducted by licensed clinicians via a secure videoconference platform called Zoom, which is similar to Skype.
What if I am looking for specialized treatment?
Through Find@Northeastern, all Northeastern students have unlimited free counseling sessions without using insurance. Find@Northeastern clinicians treat a range of issues, but they do not provide specialized care such as treatment for eating disorders, neuro-psychological testing, treatment for substance use or medication management.
If you need to see a clinician who offers specialized care, Find@Northeastern will help locate an appropriate clinician who accepts your insurance.
What if I want a counselor with specific demographics/identities or who speaks a language other than English?
We make every effort to match you with a Find@Northeastern clinician who meets your demographic, identity, and language preferences; however, if one is not available through Find@Northeastern, we can initiate a referral through your insurance to find a clinician who meets your preferences.
How much will face-to-face and video counseling cost?
Full-time students enrolled in both the fall and spring semester, including N.U.In students, have access to unlimited free counseling. We make every effort possible to connect you with a therapist who will accept your insurance.
Why might I be referred to treatment in the local community rather than connected with a clinician at UHCS?
For students based in Boston, the clinicians at UHCS are here to offer brief assessment, follow-up visits and connection to ongoing care as needed. Clinicians in the community are generally able to provide longer-term treatment and more consistent and flexible scheduling, such as evening, Saturday, weekly, and telehealth (online) appointments.
I saw a therapist through Find@Northeastern last year and used all of my available ten sessions. How do I reconnect with a therapist for unlimited free visits?
As of fall 2021, Northeastern students are eligible for unlimited sessions through Find@Northeastern. If you are looking to reconnect with a therapist, call Find@Northeastern to discuss your current needs and to initiate a new referral. Let the Find clinician know if you are interested in reconnecting with the therapist you saw in the past. They will check to see if that therapist is currently available and if so, they will work to reconnect you with them. If that therapist is not currently available, they will assist you in connecting with another therapist.
What is SilverCloud?
If moments of anxiety or sadness sometimes stop you in your tracks, Find@Northeastern offers an online program to help you move past those feelings on your own and build resilience as you go.
SilverCloud, a digital on-demand mental health and well-being platform provides students with customized strategies to manage depression, anxiety, sleep issues, stress, resilience, and more. Several sessions are available in both Spanish and English. You can choose to self-guide or work with a SilverCloud coach who will support you throughout the process. It will help you build the tools and strategies that could improve your days – and your academic performance.
- Go to https://student.silvercloudhealth.com/signup
- Select Northeastern University from the drop-down menu
- Create an account using your Northeastern email address
- You will receive a confirmation email from SilverCloud, you must respond in order to complete the log-in process
Can I access Find@Northeastern after I graduate?
All full-time students graduating in May can access Find@Northeastern benefits, including the 24/7 support line and referrals for free visits, through the end of May. If you are looking for support options past May, we recommend you reach out to Find@Northeastern prior to May 31 to explore options available through your insurance.
Full-time students graduating in August and December can access Find@Northeastern benefits through the last month of their final semester. If you are graduating during these months and looking for support options past graduation, we recommend you reach out to Find@Northeastern prior to August 31st for summer graduates and December 31st for fall graduates.
I received a referral to a therapist through Find@Northeastern in the past but I did not connect with a clinician. I am interested in doing so now. How do I reconnect?
Reach out to Find@Northeastern to initiate a new referral and discuss your current needs.
How do I register for Headspace?
Headspace is available for all full time students through Find@Northeastern. To register for Headspace click here.