The Student Assistance Program (SAP) is a free and confidential resource for active, for-credit students seeking personal counsel and guidance. Being a student can sometimes be difficult. Balancing the demands of school and life can be overwhelming at times. Extra support and coping skills can be helpful.The Student Assistance Program is intended to improve the educational process by helping students identify stressors and manage them in a healthy way before more significant problems develop. Some common concerns are:
- Diversity and identity issues
- Depression, stress and anxiety
- Interpersonal relationships
- Life transitions and adapting to a new environment
- School and work troubles and academic performance
The goal is to assess what is going on and talk about how to move forward in a healthy way. To do this, the Student Assistance Program offers the following services:
- Brief counseling to identify difficulties and provide some life management tools
- Consultation that supports academic and/or professional development
- Referral to appropriate and accessible services and resources
Counseling sessions are strictly confidential. The Student Assistance Program adheres to legal requirements and ethical standards regarding protection and disclosure of client information. Disclosure may be warranted when a student confides an intent to harm self or others, or is being harmed by self or others.
The Student Assistance Program will be staffed by a board-certified, Licensed Clinical Social Worker (LCSW) with 15 years experience as an educator, advocate and mental health professional specializing in conflict resolution and diversity.
SAP sign-ups are emailed out to students by the Director of Student Services weekly.
Additional Mental Health Resources
The reference materials contained here are intended solely for the general information of the reader, and is not to be considered professional medical advice.
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Helplines
NYC Well: 24/7 crisis line and mental health resources. Free of charge. Provides crisis counseling and can connect to other services. Services provided in English, Spanish and Mandarin. Interpreters are available for 200+ languages. Call: 1.888.NYC.WELL or Text: WELL to 65173
Crisis Text Line: offers free, around-the-clock support. Text “HOME” to 741741.
988: Call/Text 988 for the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline.
LifeNet (24 hours): LifeNet is a confidential and free mental health information, referral, and crisis hotline available to anyone at anytime.
Call: 800.LIFE.NET
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Finding Mental Health Clinicians
Headway.co will help connect students with providers who take their insurance if they have: Aetna, Cigna, United, Oxford and Oscar. Can find therapists and make appointments through this site. Typically you may be able to get an appointment fairly quickly.
Psychology Today provides a database of therapists and psychiatrists. You can search based on your zip code, health insurance information, and other preferences you may have. Once you have narrowed down the search you can click on each profile to get more information on the provider and most you can contact through the site.
Open Path Collective connects clients with mental health professionals who charge $30-$60 per session.
Zocdoc will show you a list of qualified healthcare providers who may meet your needs — you can even view their real-time availability, qualifications, office photographs, and read verified reviews from other patients. Just click on the appointment time you’d like and follow the quick prompts to book your appointment instantly.
Teletherapy, telepsychiatry and text therapy. They are in-network providers for teletherapy/psychiatry for the following insurances: Aetna, Cigna, and Optum (Oscar, Oxford, UnitedHealthcare). Text therapy is a subscription of $40/week. Typically appointments are available fairly quickly. Phone: (212) 369-6757
Comprehensive Therapeutic Services (CTS)
CTS has offices in all 5 boroughs. Offers therapy but not psychiatric services. Offers teletherapy. Accepts a majority of insurances and has payment plans. Can request an appointment online. Phone: (212) 658-0977
Teletherapy services and in-person therapy services. Located on W. 27th street. Wait time is usually less than a week. Accepts Aetna in-network and various insurances out-of-network. Free phone consultation. No psychiatric services. Phone (call or text): 1 (917) 283-0738
Bellevue’s Mental Hygiene Clinic
No teletherapy available. Walk-in/appointment based. Low-cost and accepts most insurances.
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Graduate School Clinics and Training Institutes
Center for Psychological Services at St. John’s University
A range of psychological services for children, adolescents, and adults, including individual consultation and psychotherapy, psychological assessments, and group therapy.
Cost: sliding scale based on income.
Thomas J. McShane Center for Psychological Services
Cost: Sliding scale for intake and psychotherapy. Clinic does its best to work with clients’ financial resources.
Fordham Community Mental Health Clinic
Psychotherapy for children, adolescents, and adults.
Cost: “Low to moderate cost.”
Institute for Human Identity (IHI)
Nonprofit psychotherapy and training center fostering personal growth free of traditional gender, sexual orientation, and cultural biases. Providing LGBTQ+ affirmative therapy for over 40 years.
Cost: Sliding scale.
Affordable psychotherapy and psychoanalysis once or twice weekly for up to 40 weeks; you may continue in the therapist’s private practice at a modest fee.
Cost: Sliding scale.
Training Institute for Mental Health (TIMH)
Services include individual, couples, group, and family therapy
Cost: First session $35; $40 for couples. Accepts Aetna; sliding-scale available.
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Low Cost NYC Therapy Guide
Low-cost NYC therapy
Find free and low-cost therapy in and near New York City