Navigating Caltech Student Health Services: A Comprehensive Guide

Caltech Student Health Services is dedicated to supporting the health and emotional well-being of its students. Through a combination of direct services, community-level interventions, and partnerships with external providers, Student Wellness Services strives to empower students to prioritize their well-being and achieve academic success. All enrolled students, regardless of insurance coverage, are eligible for basic medical and psychological care, crisis counseling, and occupational therapy at Student Wellness Services, through payment of the health fee.

Accessing Medical Care and Insurance

Health Insurance Requirements and Options

All registered Caltech undergraduate and graduate students are required to have health insurance. The institute offers a student health insurance plan, and most students elect to use this plan. For those with existing coverage, students have the option to waive the Caltech student insurance plan during the waiver period each year, provided they show proof of adequate alternative coverage. Students will be automatically enrolled in the Caltech plan if a waiver is not submitted.

Effective September 1, 2014, the student health plan will be managed by United HealthCare (UHC) for medical insurance and Delta Dental for dental insurance. The Caltech Anthem plan provides coverage (with deductible and copay) for most hospital and surgical costs, as well as the cost of outpatient treatment for injury, illness, and psychotherapy. Complete coverage and exclusion details can be found at hr.caltech.edu/studentbenefits.

Enrolling Dependents

If you're a registered Caltech undergraduate or graduate student, you're eligible for Caltech student medical insurance. For an additional charge, you may also enroll your spouse or domestic partner and eligible dependent children.

Accessing Your Health Plan Information

On the day your plan starts, you can register on our Sydney Health app or at anthem.com to access your health plan ID card. The Sydney Health app and anthem.com allow you to:

Read also: Caltech Tuition for Non-Residents

Use the Find Care tool.
Look up your benefits.
Discover health tips.
Visit a doctor virtually.

Health Care Benefits for Students on Leave

Students must be enrolled in order to maintain eligibility for coverage. Students on an approved medical leave can continue coverage for up to one year; the cost of the plan premiums will be the responsibility of the student.

In order to be placed on leave, the student must petition for leave, and get the concurrence of the Caltech Student Health and Counseling Center, Option Representative, Advisor, and the permission of the Dean of Graduate Studies. Students on medical leave are eligible for Caltech health care benefits.

Mental Health and Counseling Services

Counseling Services

Counseling Services staff is available for phone or walk-in crisis consultations during regular business hours. Phone consultation is available when the office is closed. This summary includes general information about your time in counseling-such as dates of service, presenting concerns, progress made, and any recommendations.If you need more detailed information than what is typically included in a treatment summary, please contact the Counseling Center at (626) 395-8331 and ask to speak with Karen Hernandez on your specific request.Processing Time: Records will be ready within 5 business days of receiving your request.Delivery Options: Please indicate your preferred method of release.

Crisis Support

The term "crisis" can mean different things to folks - in general, a crisis is a time of intense difficulty, trouble, or danger. It's often a time when our traditional problem-solving approaches fail to bring us back to equilibrium, and we can encounter feelings of hopelessness, sadness, frustration, confusion, and even panic.

Caltech provides several resources for students experiencing a mental health crisis:

After-hours crisis support: Available 24/7, including weekends and holidays, by calling (626) 395-8331 and pressing "2" when prompted.
Same-day crisis appointments: Call Counseling Services at (626) 395-8331 during regular business hours to schedule a same-day crisis appointment.
988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline: Call or text 988.
Crisis Text Line: Text HOME to 741741 from anywhere in the US.

TimelyCare: 24/7 Virtual Mental and Medical Health Services

TimelyCare serves as a 24/7 virtual extension of our health and counseling center resources. Through the TimelyCare webpage or smartphone app, Caltech students can now select from a wide-ranging menu of virtual care options from licensed physicians and counselors in all 50 states - at no cost and regardless of insurance coverage - including:

On-demand medical care
Appointment-based medical care
On-demand mental health support (TalkNow)
Appointment-based mental health counseling
Digital self-care content

TimelyCare is available even to students on medical leave.

Additional Resources

Occupational Therapy Resources

Starting October 7th, students can access the Overwhelmed to Organized online course on their Canvas page. This self-paced resource offers modules on key topics frequently addressed in Occupational Therapy:

Stress and time management
Getting better sleep
Building better habits

These modules provide foundational information and practical tools that students have consistently found beneficial. Each module is equivalent to a single occupational therapy session or workshop. You may find that completing these modules and applying the strategies is sufficient to meet your goals.

MINDapps

MINDapps is a curated app library that helps users find mental health apps tailored to their needs through a selection of filters. MINDapps is a collaboration between The Division of Digital Psychiatry at Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, a Harvard Medical School affiliate, and the American Psychiatric Association.This resource is not all-inclusive. It is provided as a convenience to members of the Caltech community, and does not constitute an endorsement or recommendation of any particular resource.

Read also: Applying to Caltech

Emergency Contacts

In case of an emergency, Caltech provides the following contact information:

IF THIS IS A LIFE-THREATENING EMERGENCY, CALL 911 OR GO TO YOUR NEAREST HOSPITAL EMERGENCY ROOM.
Campus Security Emergency Line: (626) 395-5000 (on campus)
Campus Security for non-emergencies: (626) 395-4701 (including escorts, reports, or information)
Off-Campus Emergencies: 911

Important Information for New Students

Matriculating and matriculated students are required to submit entrance health forms that include medical and immunization history. Additional immunization requirements may be adopted by the Institute as necessary. Matriculating students will receive access to the Student Health Portal to enable secure online upload of the forms.

Contacting Counseling Services

If you are a Caltech student experiencing a mental health crisis:

Call Counseling Services at (626) 395-8331 and ask to schedule a same-day crisis appointment during regular business hours.

For after-hours and weekend response, call the Student Counseling Services main line (626) 395-8331 and press "2" to be connected to a clinician.

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