CAPS Resources

Behavioral health — which includes mental health, substance use, and more — is a key part of your overall well-being. Brief screenings are the quickest way to determine if you or someone you care about should connect with a behavioral health professional.

SJU CAPS partners with the Center for Collegiate Mental Health to provide the CCAPS-Screen, a mental health screening instrument that assesses some of the most common psychological problems experienced by college students. After completing the anonymous screening, which takes just a few minutes, students are provided with a report which can be used to guide them toward making a decision about seeking additional mental health support. No identifiable Protected Health Information (PHI) is collected or retained, and the screening does not include review of the results with a professional. However, additional campus resources are provided with each report.

Access the CCAPS-Screen to complete an anonymous screening.

Access sju.thrivingcampus.com to learn more about off-campus community mental health providers who specialize in working with young adults. Find answers to common questions about making appointments, using insurance, and more. Filter by location, preferences, insurance, and other important variables.

• Public Safety and Security
• Office of Student Disability Services
• Behavioral Intervention Team
• Student Health Center
• Sexual Misconduct Support
• Rape Education and Prevention Program (REPP)
• Student Support and Well-being
• Center for Inclusion and Diversity
• WADE: Wellness Alcohol and Drug Education
• Career Center
• Hawk Hub (food insecurity and basic need support)

• APA Help Center: American Psychological Association’s help site for the public.
• National Eating Disorders Association: support and awareness for individuals with eating disorders.
• Campaign to Change Direction: dedicated to changing the culture of mental health in America so that all of those in need receive the care and support they deserve.
• Victim Services of Montgomery County
• Half of Us: MTVU’s mental health awareness campaign includes first-person accounts, videos, and information about mental health topics.
• The National Institute of Mental Health: Up-to-date information on specific mental disorders, diagnosis and treatment, publication order forms and more.
• National Alliance on Mental Illness: the nation’s largest grassroots mental health organization dedicated to building better lives for the millions of Americans affected by mental illness.
• The Trevor Project: the leading suicide prevention and crisis intervention nonprofit organization for LGBTQ+ young people.
• Mental Health America: A non-profit mental health association (formerly known as the National Mental Health Association), the country’s leading nonprofit dedicated to helping ALL people live mentally healthier lives.
• JED Foundation Mental Health Resource Center: Developed especially for college students, it includes anonymous, confidential mental health screenings, resources, and information about mental health.
• Healthy Minds Philly: an online tool and resource designed to support and improve the mental health and well-being of all Philadelphians.

Dear Parents,

The college years often are viewed as the transitional marker from being a child in the family to being a young adult in the eyes of society. Some of you will view this transition as the natural and welcomed end of childrearing for yourselves and as the end of childhood for your sons and daughters. But for those of you who worry about your sons’ or daughters’ maturity levels or capacities for self-reliance and self-control, letting go of the teacher, protector and nurturer role is a bit more complicated. Of course, all of you will continue to play vital roles in the lives of your college-aged children. Indeed, the following challenges to your college-aged children–adjustment to college, effective career and relationship choices, choices about substance use and the development of self-confidence and personal autonomy– are all enhanced by their close relationships to you. Counseling and Psychological Services (CAPS) provides individual counseling, group programs, trainings and workshops designed to assist your college students toward fulfillment of their personal and academic goals.

Students often will turn to you if they are experiencing emotional or psychological distress or if they are faced with an important decision. If you find yourself worried about your student’s moods or behaviors or if he/she has experienced a trauma or a loss, your suggestion to consider seeking counseling can be very influential. Quite often your son or daughter will be receptive to the idea of counseling, in which case you can suggest that he or she call for an appointment or stop by CAPS any weekday between 8:30 am and 4:30 pm to set one up in person. On Hawk Hill, students can call 610-660-1090 or visit A504 Merion Gardens, and in University City they can call 215-596-8536 or visit Suite 1200 in Whitecar Hall. Please note, in order to build a trust-filled counseling relationship, CAPS counselors need signed consent of students before we speak with parents about their counseling or even to acknowledge their attendance. In the course of counseling, if we have reason to believe a student is in imminent danger of harm, we take steps to ensure their safety and consent is not required to contact people who can provide immediate assistance. Parents are welcome to call and consult with one of our counselors if they are concerned about their son or daughter’s well-being.

Dear Colleague,

The following guidelines for assisting emotionally distressed students have been prepared by the staff of Counseling and Psychological Services. We hope that the information on recognizing students who are experiencing emotional distress and on referring them to our services will help you respond to students you teach and advise. Our staff of licensed psychologists and pre-doctoral trainees are here to assist students with a wide range of concerns whether it be for crisis intervention or brief counseling.

We appreciate the referrals we get from faculty and are happy to consult with you regarding your concerns about particular students. Further, we can provide in-class guest lectures on issues that may be relevant to your courses or of concern to college students.

We are also available to recommend referrals for personal reasons to local mental health providers.

Please do not hesitate to call on us when the need arises.

Sincerely,

Scott Sokoloski, Ph.D, Director – Counseling and Psychological Services

Warning Signs of Severe Emotional Distress/Depression

• Sudden or dramatic changes in behavior that you find disturbing or out of character
• References to suicide, including off the cuff remarks or jokes
• Significant changes in mood or behavior
• Psychosomatic symptoms, including loss of appetite or excessive eating, insomnia or excessive sleeping, gastrointestinal distress, tension headaches, nausea or unexplained pain
• Dramatic changes in personal relationships, including death of a loved one, parental divorce, difficulties in family relationships, change in family finances, unsatisfying end to a romantic relationship
• Drug and alcohol abuse
• Feeling of being a burden to family and friends
• Isolation, withdrawal from routine activities and social relationships

How To Refer

• Become familiar with the services and staff of CAPS so you will feel more comfortable advocating services. (“I know some people at CAPS. I think you will find them helpful.”)
• Present counseling as a sign of health. (“You owe it to yourself to get support through this rough time.”)
• Introduce counseling as an additional source of help so that the student does not feel abandoned or rejected by you.
• Be prepared for the student’s fear that a referral by you means that s/he must really be in a bad way. (“I’m not a trained psychologist. I’m sure CAPS can offer you insights or suggestions that I am not aware of.”)
• Suggest that the student call from your office or stop by CAPS to make the appointment. Hawk Hill: 610-660-1090 / A504 Merion Gardens; University City: 215-596-8536 / Suite 1200 Whitecar Hall.
• In urgent situations, call the center to say the student needs to be seen immediately. It may be necessary to walk the student over to the center.
• Check with the student after the appointment. If the student was disappointed in the session, remind him or her that the process can be slow. Encourage the student to return to CAPS to discuss the negative feelings or to try a different psychologist at the center.
• If the student resists the referral, ask him/her to think about it. Maintain your relationship with the student. If you are worried, contact CAPS to discuss your concerns.
• If you are uncertain about the appropriateness of a referral, call CAPS for a consultation.

External Resources

• The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC)
• Seasonal Influenza: Flu Basics
• National Institute on Drug Abuse
• Center for Nutrition Policy and Promotion
• Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics

Local Resources

Medical Emergency Services:

• Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania: 215-662-4000
• Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania Emergency Department: 215-662-3920
• Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania Center for Women’s Healthcare: 215-662-2730
• Presbyterian Medical Center: 215-662-8000
• Scheie Eye Care Institute: 215-662-8084
• Mercy Hospital of Philadelphia: 215-748-9000
• Poison Control: 215-386-2100

Other Emergencies:

• Saint Joseph's University Campus Security: 215-596-7000
• Philadelphia Police/Fire: 215-686-1776
• Emergency: 911

Sexual Healthcare:

• PA HIV/AIDS Factline: 800-662-6080
• Mazzoni Center LGBTQ Healthcare:
  • Medical Care: 215-563-0658
  • Free/Anonymous HIV/STI Testing: 215-985-9206
  • Main Office: 215-563-0652
• UPENN Lesbian Gay Bisexual Transgendered Center (open to SJU Students): 215-898-5044
• LGBTQ Peer Counseling Service (M-F 6:00 p.m.-9:00 p.m.): 215-732-TALK

Pharmacies

• CVS— 43rd & Locust: 215-386-2097
• CVS—39th & Walnut: 215-222-0829
• Rite Aid—46th & Chestnut: 215-474-5447

The providers at Student Health Services routinely send prescriptions to the CVS pharmacy at 43rd and Locust. However, prescriptions can be sent to a student’s preferred pharmacy. There is no delivery service available from a pharmacy to Student Health Services. Students are responsible for picking up any medications directly from the pharmacy.

If you take daily medication(s), please work with your current (home) pharmacy to transfer those prescriptions to one of the pharmacies near campus before the start of the academic year. If covered by your insurance plan, we would encourage you to take advantage of any bulk mail order service.

Please note: Any student utilizing this service should not have medication(s) sent to Student Health Services. Students should use their personal, local address or the on-campus mail room.

Domestic Violence

• Philadelphia Domestic Violence Hotline: 866-SAFE-014
• WOAR (Women Organized Against Rape): 215-985-3333
• Women Against Abuse: 215-386-7777

Eating Disorders

• The Renfrew Center (inpatient/outpatient): 215-482-5353
• Belmont Center for Comprehensive Treatment (inpatient/outpatient): 215-877-2000
• Friends Hospital (inpatient only): 215-831-4600
• American Anorexia/Bulimia Association of Philadelphia: 215-221-1864

Mental Health

• Philadelphia Area Suicide Hotline (24 hours): 215-686-4420
• Friends Hospital (inpatient): 215-831-4600
• Council for Relationships (outpatient counseling): 215-382-6680
• Women's Therapy Center (outpatient counseling): 215-567-1111
• The Consortium (outpatient counseling and psychiatry): 215-596-8100
• PENN Behavioral Health- Outpatient Psychiatry Center: 866-301-4PBH

Substance Abuse

• Livengrin (inpatient/outpatient): 215-638-5200
• Rehab After Work/Rehab After School: 215-546-2200
• Alcoholics Anonymous: 215-923-7900
• Narcotics Anonymous: 215-NA-WORKS
• AL-ANON and Alateen (family/children of alcoholics): 215-222-5244