Navigating Health and Wellness at UC Santa Cruz: A Comprehensive Guide to Student Health Services
UC Santa Cruz prioritizes the well-being of its students, offering a comprehensive suite of health services designed to support their physical and emotional health and academic success. These services encompass medical care, counseling, health promotion, and advocacy, all integrated to provide a holistic approach to student wellness.
Student Health Services (SHS): A Holistic Approach
UC Santa Cruz Student Health Services (SHS) is a full-service medical facility dedicated to providing a wide array of integrated primary care, counseling, and psychiatric services to students. SHS aims to create a caring and supportive environment, assisting students in improving their physical and emotional well-being to aid in their academic success.
SHS encompasses several key components:
- Student Health Center (SHC): The medical branch of Student Health Services, offering both in-person and telehealth appointments to all registered students.
- Counseling and Psychological Services (CAPS): Provides a range of in-person and telehealth professional services to students seeking help with personal concerns.
- Student Health Outreach and Promotion (SHOP): Focuses on health and wellness education, providing information, resources, and support on various health-related issues.
- Center for Advocacy, Resources, and Empowerment (CARE): Offers support, advocacy, and violence prevention education to the UC Santa Cruz community.
Accessing Medical Care at the Student Health Center (SHC)
The Student Health Center (SHC) is staffed by board-certified physicians, nurse practitioners, physician assistants, and nurses. SHC provides healthcare focused on the particular needs of students, such as nutritional counseling, x-ray, lab services, STI testing, optometry, and pharmacy services.
Students can make several types of appointments online using the Health e-Messenger patient portal or by calling the front desk during business hours. The Health Center is open weekdays during the regular academic year. In case of emergencies, either during the day or after normal operating hours, students are advised to call 911.
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Services Offered:
- Routine medical appointments
- Same-day care
- Nutritional counseling
- X-ray and laboratory services
- STI testing
- Optometry
- Pharmacy services
Health e-Messenger: This secure and confidential platform allows Student Health Services to communicate with students regarding non-urgent healthcare and mental health needs.
Important Note Regarding Spring Quarter: The UC Santa Cruz Student Health Center remains open. In-person visits are limited to students living on campus who experience acute injury or illness. Everyone accessing in-person care will be screened for fever and respiratory symptoms before entering. A nurse advice line is available after hours at 831-459-2591 to assess urgent health concerns. Students living on and off campus may schedule phone appointments through their Health e-Messenger accounts. As testing capacity increases this may change.
Mental Health Support through Counseling and Psychological Services (CAPS)
Counseling and Psychological Services (CAPS) offers a range of in-person and telehealth professional services to undergraduate and graduate students seeking help with personal concerns. Counseling services are available for all registered UCSC students and are confidential.
CAPS assists students with:
- Academic and personal stress
- Anxiety and depression
- Relationship and family issues
- Drug and alcohol problems
- Psychological problems
- Crisis situations
Psychiatry services include diagnostic evaluations and medication prescriptions when appropriate. Information shared with CAPS professional staff is confidential within Student Health Services and cannot be released without a student’s permission, except in specific circumstances involving risk and safety. All services are aimed at helping students gain greater personal effectiveness and academic success. To schedule a non-crisis appointment, students can call 831-459-2628.
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Crisis Services: CAPS maintains in-person crisis services for students living on or near campus. Crisis services are also available over the phone, at 831-459-2628, or via Zoom. Students living away from Santa Cruz who require urgent in-person psychiatric care should visit the nearest emergency room, according to CAPS director Gary Dunn.
UCSC Campus Mobile Crisis Team: This accessible, student-friendly, and mobile form of mental health support provides crisis response services to all members of the UCSC community, with a particular focus on providing support to the unique needs of the student population.
Promoting Wellness and Prevention through SHOP
Student Health Outreach and Promotion (SHOP) is UCSC’s destination for information, conversation, and self-exploration around health and wellness in a safe, non-judgmental environment. SHOP provides opportunities for students to explore and enhance their health and wellness as they pursue their academic goals.
SHOP offers information, education, resources, and support on issues related to:
- Alcohol and other drugs
- Sexual and reproductive health
- Mental health and wellness
- College life balance
- Other concerns relevant to college students
All UCSC students are welcome and encouraged to drop in and speak with SHOP’s professional and student staff. SHOP offers a robust peer education program - by students for students.
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Specific Programs and Services:
- Wellness Coaching appointments: Students can schedule these appointments with SHOP staff to seek support around general health, sexual health, and alcohol and other drug use.
- AOD (Alcohol and Other Drugs) Support: SHOP empowers students to reduce risks related to substance use/misuse. Students can meet with staff confidentially to discuss their personal AOD use, concerns about friends or family members, obtain educational materials, participate in workshops, and access resources and a support center for students in recovery.
- Sexual Health Resources: SHOP provides information and resources related to sexual health. SHOP is located in Porter College B Suite 250.
SHOP's Commitment: SHOP is committed to empowering students to make informed decisions about their health and well-being.
Advocacy and Support through CARE
The Center for Advocacy, Resources, and Empowerment (CARE) provides support, advocacy, resources, and violence prevention education to the UC Santa Cruz community. CARE responds to the needs of students, staff, faculty, and campus affiliates impacted by sexual assault, dating/domestic violence, and stalking by providing confidential advocacy services. CARE also works collaboratively with students, faculty, and staff to educate the campus communities about the vital role that each of us has in preventing violence and creating a culture of consent and respect. CARE is located at 233 Oakes Rd, Academic Building, Room 221. Individual sessions and group support meetings are held over Zoom.
Laboratory Services
The UC Santa Cruz Student Health Services Laboratory provides a variety of testing and phlebotomy services. They perform many routine in-house tests with a quick turnaround time for results, in addition to phlebotomy services for send-out laboratory tests.
Services Offered:
- Routine in-house tests
- Phlebotomy services for send-out laboratory tests
- Self-ordered testing program (including STI tests)
The laboratory offers students the ability to order their own STI tests (self-ordered) and report results for most tests directly to the student through Health e-Messenger. Limited appointments are available, as well as walk-in service.
Health Insurance Requirements: UC SHIP and CruzCare
To ensure that emergencies and other health care costs do not interfere with a student's education, all University of California students are mandated by the University of California Board of Regents to have health insurance. A comprehensive and affordable program specifically designed for students is available through the university via the University of California Student Health Insurance Plan (UC SHIP). All students are automatically enrolled in UC SHIP and billed quarterly through their MyUCSC student account, unless they choose to waive this coverage by providing proof of suitable health insurance annually by the specified deadlines.
Key Information:
- UC SHIP: A comprehensive health insurance plan designed for UC students. It covers students whether they are on or off campus. In-network urgent care visits charge the standard UC SHIP copay. Out-of-network visits may cost more. Students living abroad should contact the health center for a referral before accessing non-emergency care and ensure they have signed up for Blue Card Worldwide to get information about health services abroad.
- Waiving UC SHIP: Students with qualifying private insurance can waive UC SHIP by submitting a waiver online. The plan must meet UC’s coverage requirements.
- CruzCare: An inexpensive pre-paid access to SHS (it’s not an insurance plan). With CruzCare, visits to the Student Health Center for some acute illness or acute injury do not generate a charge. There are no charges for some lab tests or x-rays done at the Student Health Center.
Immunization Requirements
UC-wide, all incoming UC students (frosh, graduate, transfer, and returning) are required to obtain specific vaccines and tuberculosis (TB) screening before coming to campus. Failure to complete this process will result in an enrollment hold and will affect the ability to register for future classes. The deadline to meet these requirements (except for COVID-19 and flu) is before arrival on campus.
Additional Resources and Initiatives
- The Cove: UCSC’s recovery support space, offering online and phone appointments and virtual recovery meetings. Students can also stay in touch with the Cove community via the video chat app Marco Polo.
- Slug Mentor Program: Enhances the student experience by linking them one-on-one with a peer mentor. Students learn what to expect in school, how to approach challenges, and gain career advice.
- On the Margins: Offers virtual coaching sessions for connection and care, focused on anti-racist, equitable, and affirming support.
- Okanagan Charter: UCSC adopted the Okanagan Charter, an internationally recognized charter that provides principles and a vision for well-being in person, place, and planet for colleges and universities.
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