CougarsCare
The CSU Counseling Center is happy to announce a new program called CougarsCare, which will provide supplementary resources for mental health wellness. In addition to the counseling services offered by the CSU Counseling Center, you will have access to:
- A 24/7/365 mental health support line for in-the-moment support, regardless of the time of day or your physical location. Just call the Counseling Center main line at 706-507-8740 to have access to this service - if we are not available to answer your call, wait for the prompt to connect with a therapist.
- Personal Student Navigators to assist with referral coordination and support, including:
- Up to five sessions per issue of telehealth or in-person treatment sessions provided by a diverse network of licensed mental health clinicians in the community at no additional cost to students.
- Virtual Psychiatric Clinics to offer assessment and medication management.
- An online cognitive behavioral training and education tool designed exclusively for students called iCare. It features 8 sessions of self-guided training developed specifically for college students, to be completed on your own schedule
- You may access these services by calling the CougarsCare Navigators at 866-639-3938 or reaching out to the Counseling Center staff.
- The Wellness Hub which includes an online wellness magazine with educational content, self-help tools, and resource links.
- CampusWell - An app that’ll give you insider, evidence-based tips on living your best student life. Curious about what science says on how to turn small habits into big change? That’s what we’re here for.
- Headspace - Learn to manage feelings and thoughts with the skill of everyday mindfulness. Through meditation, you can actually rewire your brain to enhance focus and minimize emotions like fear and stress.
- SilverCloud - Whether you need help with your emotions, figuring out how to address negative thoughts, or just want to learn ways to feel better, assistance is just a click away with this self-guided program.
- TogetherAll - A safe, online community to share feelings anonymously and get support to improve mental health. Safely monitored by licensed and registered mental health practitioners.
CougarsCare FAQs
Frequently Asked Questions about Columbus State University CougarsCare with Christie Campus Health Services
- You can reach the 24/7 line by calling 833-910-3363
- You will be greeted by a phone prompt asking you to press #1 if this is an emergency or stay on the line if not.
- The average wait time is less than 30 seconds.
- The licensed clinician who answers the phone can provide support in the moment for your situation or help link you to appropriate therapy and referral options from a provider in our network.
- The clinician will ask you some questions to get a sense of your concerns and what you are looking for (immediate support, a connection to counseling or both).
- You have unlimited access to the 24/7 mental health support line to speak with a clinician about your mental health needs.
- For both telehealth and face-to-face counseling, you will have access to 5 therapy sessions per issue, per year without any cost to you.
- When using the virtual Prescribing Clinic, there is no limit to the number of times you can meet with a prescriber. The number and frequency of recommended appointments will be decided by the prescriber.
- There are no limitations on using Christie’s the Personal Navigators for help with specialty referrals or other resources that will support you.
- When you call the 24/7 support line, your call should be answered in less than 30 seconds. From time to time, it may take slightly longer but if your call is an emergency, please press #1 to be routed directly to a clinician.
- If you would like a referral to a therapy provider, you will be offered 2 options
for services;
1) telehealth and 2) face to face:- For telehealth services, appointments can be scheduled in the system while on the phone with the clinician. Appointments are generally available for same and next day services.
- If you prefer to meet face-to-face with a counselor, you will be referred to providers in the network. The 24/7 Support Line Clinician will assist in finding clinicians with known appointment availability and provide a list to you, this research may take 3-4 days. The appointment with the provider will be scheduled based on the provider and your availability. Typically appointments are available within a week to 10 days. If you need an appointment sooner rather than that timeframe, the 24/7 clinician will work with you to find an appointment that suits your needs.
The 24/7 Support Line Clinician will gather information about your preferences in a therapy provider. This could include gender, language, cultural or ethnic preferences, specialties and insurances accepted.
- Problems are defined by the specific concern you are having, i.e., what is going on in your life at that time that is leading you to seek mental health care.
- Problems are episodic rather than diagnostic, meaning you may call about issues that are related to a specific diagnosis on more than one occasion, with different concerns treated as different problems. For example, you experience anxiety about test-taking and then later in the year experience anxiety about finding a summer job. You would be presenting with two different problems (test anxiety and anxiety about employment) and have 5 sessions for each concern.
- If you need more sessions after the five sessions have been utilized, you can continue to work with the same clinician using your health insurance benefits or by making out-of-pocket payments. In the rare case of needing to transfer to a different clinician due to insurance compatibility or any other reason, a Navigator can assist you with that process.
- You will be asked for your insurance information when you set up counseling sessions with the therapist.
- We ask for this in the event you want to continue seeing the same provider beyond your five free sessions to help ensure you’re matched with a provider who accepts your insurance plan; however, you are not required to provide this information.
- If you do not have insurance, you can be connected to a Christie Campus Health Navigator to assist you if you need to access care beyond the 5 sessions.
- You have the option to meet with a provider who does face-to-face visits, or you can access teletherapy visits through LiveHealth Online.
- If you choose LiveHealth Online, the 24/7 Support Clinician can work with you while on the phone to get you registered on the LiveHealth Online platform. Once registered, you will be able to search for a provider who fits your specific gender, demographic, ethnic or other preferences. The LiveHealth Online network currently has same and next day appointment availability.
- If you choose a provider in the face-to-face network, you will be referred to approximately 3 local providers with known appointment availability. Scheduling the appointment with the provider is your responsibility and the timing of it will be dependent upon your and the providers’ schedules. A Christie Navigator will follow up with you to ensure you have been able to find an appointment with one of the providers you were referred to.
- The 24/7 Support Line Clinician can work with you while you’re on the phone to get you registered on the LiveHealth Online platform or you can request to be sent instructions.
- You can access virtual therapy appointments via the LiveHealth Online platform or app.
- You will be sent a service key and will then be able to look-up providers by your date and/or by therapist.
- A coupon code to access your 5 free sessions will be emailed along with instructions about how to access the app.
- Once you select a date and time that works for you and the provider, you will be sent an email confirming the appointment.
- You will receive a reminder email 15 minutes before the start time of the visit.
- You will need to enter a coupon code you received previously to receive your session for free.
- Navigators can assist you in accessing ongoing visits (after your 5 sessions are used) with mental health providers, specialty providers (neuropsychological evaluations, eating disorders, substance use treatment, etc.), housing and food supports and or other services that will help support your academic success.
- Navigators can help you with referrals to network or community providers based on factors including, but not limited to, location, language, and clinical specialty.
- You have access to online prescribing clinic for evaluation and management of mental health medications.
- In order to access these services, you need a referral from the Counseling Center. Call the Counseling Center and talk to a Counselor to get a referral.
- Appointments and scheduling are available Monday through Friday 11am-7pm ET
- When the prescribing clinic receives a referral for you, the scheduling team will reach out to schedule an appointment that is convenient for you
- They will make 3 attempts to reach you by phone, email or text. Make sure your voicemail is active and not full. Currently, there is same and next day appointment availability.
- If the scheduling team is unable to reach you in those three attempts, the counseling center will be notified that the visit was not scheduled.
- When the scheduling team connects with you, you will be directed to complete initial intake forms online.
- Once your online forms are submitted, the scheduling team will make an initial appointment for you with the prescribing clinician. Your telehealth appointment with the provider will be conducted over secure HIPAA compliant technology.
- You will receive up to 3 appointment reminders via email prior to your scheduled appointment and you will receive the link to join your telehealth session.
- When you join your session, you will initially be placed into a virtual waiting room. When the provider is ready, they will admit you to the session.
- At the conclusion of the session, you and your provider will schedule your next follow up appointment at a date and time that is convenient for you, generally 3-5 weeks from your first visit.
- Headspace is the leading mediation and mindfulness app with over 170 million users
- The tools offered through Headspace can help you learn to manage feelings and thoughts
with the lifelong skill of everyday mindfulness. Headspace helps students to:
- Learn to stress less
- Focus more and decrease mind wandering
- Reduce strain and burnout
- Improve self-compassion
- Prepare for exams, presentations and more with custom exercises
- The content is available in 5 languages (English, French, German, Spanish and Portuguese)
- Accessibility Captions and haptic assistance is available for all English audio & video content
- There are over 1,000 hours of mindfulness and well-being content available through the app including: guided meditations, mindful movement exercises, eyes-open content (mindful walks and runs), breathing and wind-down exercises, Sleepcasts, soundscapes, focus music and more!
- Headspace offers a variety of DE & I focused content that highlights authentic experts who respond in real-time to cultural and social happenings
- Use the link above to set up your free account with Headspace!
- SilverCloud is an online program that helps you learn how to manage stress, learn coping skills and develop tools whether you need help with your emotions, figuring out how to address negative thoughts, or just want to learn ways to feel better.
- The program offers interactive tools, journaling, mood monitors, quizzes and exercises.
- You can work through each module on your own or elect to work with a clinical coach for motivation & encouragement through the program.
- Each individual program is targeted to meet your needs. Get help with:
- Stress
- Depression
- Anxiety
- Anxiety and Depression
- Insomnia
- Alcohol Use
- Self-care and more!
- SilverCloud is available 24/7 from your smartphone, tablet or computer.
- Click here to access: https://usgstudents.silvercloudhealth.com/
- Togetherall is an online peer-to-peer platform, offering a safe, anonymous space to give and get support.
- Just like social networks, you can interact with others and share your thoughts and feelings, but it’s safer because it’s moderated by trained professionals 24/7, 365 days a year.
- What can you do on Togetherall?
- Post about your experiences, ask for advice, or just talk
- Provide comfort, give advice, or show empathy to others
- Create artwork for self-expression
- Take self-help courses and self-assessments
- Use e-journaling tools and goal-setting guides
To register for this safe, judgment-free space, go to Togetherall Registration page and enter your school email address.
Free Virtual Mental Health Workshops by CougarsCare
Spring 2023 Virtual Mental Health Workshop Opportunities for USG Students (PDF)