Navigating Mental Wellness: A Guide to USC Student Counseling Services

As an institution that prides itself on rigorous academic standards, USC offers numerous opportunities for intellectual growth, which can sometimes lead to stress. Recognizing the importance of mental well-being, especially with events like World Suicide Prevention Day, USC provides a comprehensive suite of counseling and mental health services to support its diverse student body. This article aims to provide a structured overview of these resources, ensuring students know how to access the help they need.

Comprehensive Mental Health Support System

USC has established a multi-faceted approach to mental health support, integrating various services and resources to cater to the unique needs of its students. These include counseling services, crisis intervention, support groups, and educational programs, all designed to promote well-being and resilience.

Crisis Support

In times of immediate crisis, students can text "TROJAN" to 741741 to connect with a trained volunteer at the Crisis Text Line. Additionally, USC Student Health offers a 24/7 phone line at 213-740-9355 (WELL), connecting students to a counselor after hours or on weekends, even when the health centers are closed.

Counseling and Mental Health (CMH) Services

USC Student Health offers Counseling and Mental Health Services (CMH) at both the Engemann and Eric Cohen student health centers. These services provide students on both campuses with access to weekly therapy sessions facilitated by licensed professional clinicians.

Initial Consultation

The first step in seeking mental health care at USC is to schedule a consultation appointment through usc.edu/mySHR, under the Appointments tab, selecting Counseling and Mental Health Care at USC Student Health.

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Two options are available:

Initial Appointment: An in-person meeting with a counselor at Engemann to discuss your reasons for seeking mental health care and explore available options, such as short-term counseling, long-term counseling (on- or off-campus), or on-campus group therapy.
Referral Appointment: A 30-minute phone call for students seeking long-term therapy and USC's assistance in finding referrals for therapists.

Therapy Options

Short-Term Counseling: Many students begin here, attending approximately six sessions, each lasting about an hour. The goal is to minimize repetition of your story by potentially having the same person for the initial appointment and short-term counseling.
Long-Term Counseling: While USC is expanding its on-campus therapy options, resources are limited. Students can seek referrals for off-campus therapists through USC Student Health.
Group Therapy: USC Student Health offers various group therapy options, often short-term, meeting once a week for six or more weeks per semester. Additional appointments may be required to assess compatibility between the student and the group.

Embedded Counselors

CMH partners with various student centers to provide embedded counselors and liaisons for students in need of mental health and wellness support. These counselors are located within:

The LGBTQ+ Student Center (Student Union 415). Matthew Brinkley, PsyD, LMFT, is available at the LGBTQ+SC every Friday (by MySHR appointment only).
Asian Pacific American Student Services (APASS)
The Center for Black Cultural and Student Affairs (CBCSA)
The First Gen+ Success Center (FG+SC)
La CASA
The Veterans Resource Center (VRC)
Office of International Services
Health Sciences Campus (HSC): Dr. Ekta Kumar is the SEIP Embedded Counselor at the Eric Cohen Student Health Center, specializing in multicultural psychology, trauma, identity issues, and working with South Asian, BIPOC, and LGBTQIA+ clients.

Support Groups

CMH offers clinical support groups facilitated by licensed professional clinicians:

Gender Identity Group: Led by Guru Shabd Khalsa, LMFT, this group provides a supportive environment to discuss life and issues related to gender identity.
Sexual Orientation and Identity Group: Led by Madeline Eccleston, PsyD, this group addresses life and relationship issues related to sexual orientation and identity.

My Mental Health Assessment

The Department of Psychiatry and the Behavioral Sciences conducts a mental health screening program for all new incoming students called My Mental Health Assessment. This assessment invites cohorts of first-year USC students to evaluate themselves for conditions such as depression, anxiety, substance use disorder, and suicidality. It connects students with higher acuity to clinical services.

Additional Resources and Programs

Beyond direct counseling services, USC offers a range of additional resources and programs to support student well-being.

Therapy Plus

This suite of extension services and psychology education from Counseling and Mental Health Services of USC Student Health includes helpful apps, teletherapy, and progress planning for overcoming the anxiety of starting in a new environment.

Trojans Care for Trojans (TC4T)

Created by the Wellness Committee of Undergraduate Student Government (USG) in Spring 2023, Trojans Care for Trojans (TC4T) is a private and anonymous request form that anyone can submit to connect a member of the Trojan family with the help they need.

Mental Health Assistance and Response Team (MHART)

MHART helps students meet with a certified, licensed mental health professional from USC Student Health, who are also clinical faculty in the Department of Psychiatry in the Keck School of Medicine of USC.

Campus Support & Intervention (CSI)

Campus Support & Intervention (CSI) is an office within Campus Wellbeing and Crisis Intervention. A team of professionals assists students, faculty, and staff in navigating complex issues.

USC Workwell Center

USC Workwell Center is an excellent resource for faculty and staff well-being, including programs for managing work-life balance and coaching teams.

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Lyra Health

Through the USC PPO, USC EPO Plus, and USC Trojan Care EPO employee health insurance plans, USC employees have access to behavioral health benefits with Lyra Health, providing care for mental/emotional health at no cost.

The Haven

The Haven is a non-USC organization with a location on campus dedicated to helping students who struggle with substance use and addiction.

Office of Religious and Spiritual Life

The Office of Religious and Spiritual Life sponsors programs with moral, religious, or spiritual focus and provides opportunities for exploring the spiritual dimensions of life and learning. It also cosponsors events with other university units and student religious groups.

Recreational Sports (Rec Sports)

Through Recreational Sports (also known as Rec Sports), students can pursue a balanced, healthy lifestyle and enhance personal wellness through physical fitness and participation in recreational activities.

Financial Literacy Programs

Financial literacy is a key component of student success and overall well-being. USC provides resources to help students manage their finances effectively.

LGBTQ+ Student Center

The USC LGBTQ+ Student Center provides support, education, advocacy, and connection to the community for undergraduate and graduate students from across the gender and sexual identity spectra, including lesbian, gay, bisexual, pansexual, queer, transgender, and gender non-conforming students.

"What Should I Do" Poster

Rumi and Friends, the mascot dogs for wellness, summarize helpful information for students in the “What Should I Do” poster, which includes contact information for campus offices. A Health Sciences Campus (HSC) grad student edition is also available.

Addressing Financial Concerns

Seeking mental health care at USC is covered for students under the Student Health Fee, regardless of whether they are under USC's student insurance plan. This means that if you choose to seek help at USC, you typically don't have to pay anything when you start treatment.

If you choose to seek off-campus therapy options, the costs differ depending on whether you’re on USC insurance or not. Students under the USC student insurance plan often only have to pay a $15 co-pay out of pocket for their therapy if they seek referrals through USC. However, if you’ve chosen to use your own family insurance instead while a student at USC, any off-campus therapy would cost the same as it would to someone who isn’t a USC student.

USC Student Health can connect students with Medi-Cal providers.

A Word on Nack

Nack is a mental health clinic that provides therapy services for university students. Adams, founder and CEO of Nack, said he founded the program to provide students with a powerful support system. Nack uses IOP, which he said goes beyond a typical counseling program by meeting more often, teaching emotion regulation, distress tolerance, interpersonal effectiveness and mindfulness. Nack wants to be as accessible to students as they can be, working with students to accommodate financial hardships.

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