Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

Call our office at 240-895-2159 or stop by between 8am-5pm to schedule an appointment.

In order to schedule an appointment with the psychiatric nurse practitioner, you must have an established relationship with a counselor or therapist. This could be an outside mental health provider or a counselor here at CAPS. If you have an outside counselor or therapist, you must sign a release of information in order to have information exchange with CAPS providers. Call 240-895-2159 or stop by the office between 8am-5pm to schedule an appointment.

You can walk in without an appointment and be seen. These are shorter sessions and typically last about 15-20 minutes. They can be held with a Peer Health Educator or a Licensed Clinician and are designed to answer questions you may have regarding CAPS services, discuss an issue you may be experiencing, or consult about concerns you may have. Counseling appointments are held with a licensed clinician, are approximately 45-50 minutes, and allow a more in-depth discussion.

There is no limit to the number of Walk-Ins you can have. However, if you find you are utilizing them often you may consider scheduling an Intake and allowing yourself to have a full 45 minutes. Walk In hours are Monday through Friday from 1-3 p.m.

Counseling and psychiatric services are free, with no cost to you or your insurance. *Medication as recommended by the nurse practitioner may incur a fee. Please check with your insurance carrier for costs. If uninsured please stop by the CAPS to obtain a Good RX card which may discount the cost of medications on most leading brands. If the cost of medication poses a barrier, please call us at 240-895-2159 to make an appointment with our Case Manager to discuss on and off campus resources. Prescriptions are delivered to the Wellness Center parking lot on Wednesdays from PJ Bean Pharmacy. Students will need to call the pharmacy to set up an account at 240-808-2262.

If you or someone else is experiencing a life-threatening emergency, please call 911 immediately. If a psychological crisis occurs after hours, call Public Safety at 240-895-4911. Protocall is a toll-free crisis hotline provided in partnership with SMCM. Protocall is staffed by licensed professionals 24 hours per day, 7 days per week. Protocall can be reached at 240.895.4200

If you don’t feel the therapist you have been assigned is a good fit, we encourage you to speak directly with your therapist about your concerns. If you feel unable to do so, please contact us at 240-895-2159 to be directed to the Director of Counseling Services

Sessions at CAPS are confidential. There are only a few exceptions in which a clinician may have to disclose information discussed in a session. One exception is if information was shared related to child abuse as all clinicians are mandated reporters. The other exception is if there is serious concern that a student is at risk of suicide or harming someone else. A signed release of information by the student is required to discuss treatment in all other scenarios.

We are unable to provide psychological assessments for emotional support animals/comfort animals, housing accommodations, and academic accommodations. We will facilitate a referral to practitioners in the community who can provide these services and encourage students to utilize home providers when appropriate.

CAPS staff is not able to provide testing for ADHD. We can provide you with referrals to outside providers.

CAPS staff are available to students, families, faculty, and staff who may be concerned about a student, friend or loved one. CAPS staff are bound by limits of confidentiality when participating in consultations. In addition, anyone can report concerning, disruptive, alarming, or threatening behaviors to the CARE Team by speaking directly to a CARE Team member or submitting a report here: Concerning Behavior Referral

Students are referred to Case Management by contacting by calling 240-895-2159 or via email at counseling@smcm.edu

A case manager provides support for students who access Health and Wellness services and need support off campus or additional support on campus. The case manager assists students with social services needs, help with navigating health insurance, referral to community resources and social supports.

Peer Health Educators work collaboratively with Wellness Services to promote the safety, health and wellness of the campus community. They present a range of health programs, plan campus wide program events and develop marketing campaigns to educate the St. Mary’s College of Maryland campus. Peer Health Educators complete a nationally accredited certification program for peer counseling as well as Mental Health First Aid training.