Mental Health

Claremont McKenna College cares deeply about the well-being and success of the campus community. We are committed to providing support to all students, understanding that challenges may arise along the way. For those who may find themselves facing obstacles or are looking to improve their personal well-being, CMC’s Case Manager / Sr. Assistant Dean of Students for Mental Health and Health Promotion works with students to identify their current needs and coordinate support through an ongoing partnership. This often includes referrals to campus and community resources and ongoing monitoring of personal progress. The goal of case management is to help students engage in effective problem-solving by navigating supportive options together. Please reach out to Jess Neilson (jneilson@cmc.edu) with any questions or to chat about your mental health and well-being goals.

Mental Health Services

We recognize the variety of challenges that these current times bring with them, and are here to support you in every way that we can. With all that you manage as students, we acknowledge that identifying care may feel a little overwhelming at times. Please do not hesitate to reach out at any time for some help with navigating the best option for you:

Therapy and Psychiatry

Here are the support resources for students to improve their personal well-being:

• Monsour Counseling and Psychological Services (MCAPS) will be available for ongoing therapy appointments for students. They will hold 20-25 minute initial intake assessments and then either offer to see a student at MCAPS for brief therapy, or they will refer out to someone in the community if a student needs longer-term or more specialized care than they can offer.
• TimelyCare is a free telehealth service that provides access to all students to licensed healthcare professionals, including medical doctors, psychiatrists, and therapists. Students can access the services 24/7 for advice, crisis care, or ongoing scheduled therapy. Register here using your short @cmc.edu address and use the services anytime.
• Psychiatry will be available to students through either MCAPS or TimelyCare. Students should contact Monsour to discuss which option is best. If a student is not currently taking medication, they should expect to need a referral through their private therapist or a Monsour therapist.
• If you need to talk to a therapist immediately, contact ProtoCall, our 24/7 phone service. A therapist can be reached by calling (909) 621-8202 and pressing 1 after hours.

Fall 2024 Workshops & Groups

During the Fall 2024 semester, MCAPS will be offering a variety of groups, workshops & drop-in hours, in-person & virtual. See links for more information and to sign up. Fall 2024 information will be updated, soon. See below for an example of programming during Spring 2024.

Drop-ins

Drop-in hours are available for students who may not necessarily want or need ongoing counseling, but would like to “drop in” and speak with a therapist every now and then, or even just once. This may be appropriate if you are experiencing a particularly difficult day or week, or want to get a feel for what it might be like to speak with a therapist before making the decision to schedule with one, regularly. See below for this semester’s current drop-in sessions. For virtual drop-ins, you must RSVP prior to the drop-in time in order to receive a link to meet with the therapist. For in-person services, just swing by! Fall 2024 days and hours will be updated soon.

OBSA (Office of Black Student Affairs) with Dr. Adrienne Hilliard
Mondays, 2-4pm
30-minute one-on-one informal, confidential mental wellness support
In-person at OBSA Bungalow or virtual
RSVP: https://calendly.com/adrienne-hilliard

QRC (Queer Resource Center) with Dr. Emily Hauck
Tuesdays, 1-2pm
In person at QRC
RSVP: https://calendly.com/emily-hauck
If you cannot make it to the time above, you can schedule a virtual drop-in here: https://forms.office.com/r/nEGh3s5Jpn 

CLSA (Chicano Latino Student Affairs) with Dr. Dana Reyes
Thursdays, 2-4pm
30-minute one-on-one informal, confidential mental wellness support
In-person at Office of CLSA
RSVP: Email mailto:miriam.escobedo@claremont.edu

Open drop-ins with Matt Jansky (CMC only, virtual)
Fridays, 3-5pm
RSVP: mattjansky@sbcglobal.net

Financial Assistance

We understand that the cost for therapy may prohibit some from seeking necessary care. For the 2024-2025 academic year, we are piloting a program to offer limited financial assistance for students with financial need. This financial assistance may be used to help students whose insurance does not cover therapy in the state of California or for whom paying the session co-pay would be a financial hardship. If you are seeking therapy in the local area and require financial assistance to obtain that care, please fill out this short application.

Please keep the following guidelines in mind:

• The maximum amount of coverage is $75/session
• Eligible students may receive funding for up to 10 sessions/academic year
• CMC will make payments directly to the clinician, so you may be asked to sign a limited Release of Information (ROI) which will allow your therapist to communicate with us for billing purposes only

If you have any questions about mental health resources or referrals, please contact Jess Neilson, Sr. Assistant Dean for Mental Health & Health Promotion at (jneilson@cmc.edu).