Columbia Health for Faculty and Staff

Last updated: 12/22/2022

Columbia Health partners with faculty and staff to promote the health and well-being of Columbia students. 

Morningside/Manhattanville faculty and staff may utilize or refer to our services in a limited capacity, such as cases of urgent, acute situations, travel assessments, immunizations, or HIV testing and referral. For more information, contact Columbia Health at 212-854-2284.

Check out University Life's Blue Folder: Resources for Students in Distress for tips on identifying and addressing students in distress as well as a compilation of resources to which you can refer students.

Working Together to Support Students

Support and Consultation

Counseling and Psychological Services welcomes deans, faculty, and staff to consult about students of concern. If you would like to speak with a counselor to solicit advice about a student, please contact us. Counseling and Psychological Services can offer guidance on how to refer a student to counseling services, how to respond to a student in crisis or obvious distress, or how to discuss any other matter pertaining to the psychological wellbeing of Columbia students.

Faculty and Staff Training

Counseling and Psychological Services provides staff training on specific mental health topics. Its staff are available to meet with deans, faculty, teaching assistants, residence life staff, departmental administrators, and other similar groups to discuss issues such as recognizing early warning signs and symptoms of psychiatric illness, addressing alcohol and substance use, and responding to disruptive students or employees.

We are also available to meet with staff for ongoing consultation about difficult situations that might arise in work with students. Counseling and Psychological Services adheres to the strict standards of confidentiality that guide mental health practice with Columbia students and will not share privileged information about students.

Interested in staff development training and workshops? Please contact Counseling and Psychological Services.

Disability Services values the input of Columbia faculty in its effort to ensure that students with disabilities have equal access to University curricula. Specifically, Disability Services relies on faculty guidance in striking the balance between accommodating students with disabilities and preserving academic standards. We collaborate with faculty to determine appropriate accommodations to ensure that they do not alter the course standards or program requirements.

Faculty and staff requesting accommodations for their own disabilities must contact Human Resources. Faculty may also find the Faculty Guide for Disability Services helpful.

Sexual Violence Response provides training, consultation and referrals to all deans, faculty and staff members.

Faculty and Staff Training

Workshops, groups, and training to support deans, faculty, and staff in their response to students affected by sexual and relationship violence. Request a workshop online.

Referrals and Consultations

Staff are available for consultation about students and community concerns. Referrals are available for students and other community members to resources on campus that are community-based and have national support. Sexual Violence Response seeks to collaborate with deans, faculty, and staff to promote a safer environment in which to learn, live, and work. Contact us at 212-854-4357 (HELP) for more information.

Alice! Health Promotion understands health to be a multi-dimensional, self-defined, and values-based concept that plays a vital role in an individual’s life. Recognizing the impact that individual knowledge and skills, relationships, campus environments, and policies have on well-being, we aim to center students as the owners of their experience while dismantling oppressive systems around them that facilitate health inequities. Using data- and theory- driven practices, we work collaboratively across campus to help prioritize health and well-being in all facets of the university to create communities where students can flourish at Columbia and beyond.

What’s more: Health promotion is a facet of public health work. Alice! also supports the university’s public health response efforts, inclusive of influencing communication, informing environmental strategies, and advocacy, to reduce risk within our campus community now and in the future.

In your capacity as a key campus partner, you can refer students to Alice! for self-guided and facilitated learning and skill-building opportunities, such as (but not limited to):

  • Drop-in hours and health education appointments are available for students to discuss health questions are offered by Alice! and GHAP.
  • Links to Success is a tool that organizes campus resources by topic or issue, such as financial or academic concerns, so students can more easily navigate available support.
  • Self-Assessment tools, including on sleep, alcohol use, and cannabis use, can help students explore health behaviors and get connected to more information.
  • Workshops and trainings are available by request on a number of health-related topics for a student audience. We are happy to tailor content and also have options for 15-minute overviews on certain workshops as well.
  • Go Ask Alice!, Columbia's award-winning health question and answer website, New and updated responses to anonymously submitted questions and other related content on health-related topics is published weekly. You can encourage your students to visit and share the content. You can also sign up for the weekly newsletter, Get Alice! In Your Box.

We also know that faculty, deans, and staff are valuable partners in supporting student well-being within individual schools, units, and organizations. We welcome opportunities for consultation or collaboration with you! Whether you would like to explore the prevalence or impact of health issues facing your student community or if you would like to understand and implement effective strategies for promoting student well-being, please reach out to us at [email protected].

Limited Services for Faculty and Staff

Morningside/Manhattanville faculty and staff may utilize same-day, walk-in services at Medical Services in John Jay Hall for urgent medical issues of an acute nature that arise while on campus. Columbia Health provides urgent care assessment for injury or sudden illness occurring at work. Employees will be evaluated and referred to one of the following: an emergency department, their primary care provider, or a worker compensation physician for follow-up. 

Medical Services does not perform evaluations for worker compensation; nor do they provide follow-up care for employees.

Medical Services clinicians will provide immediately necessary treatment at no charge and refer the employee to emergency services or to their primary care provider.

Columbia University Emergency Medical Services (CU-EMS) is also available for emergency treatment and transport to Mount Sinai St. Luke’s Hospital at 1111 Amsterdam Avenue at 113th Street.

Morningside/Manhattanville faculty and staff have access to the Employee Assistance Program, which offers brief counseling for a variety of concerns and can assist with longer-term referrals.

In the event of an urgent and serious mental health issue requiring immediate attention, Morningside/Manhattanville faculty and staff may be seen for an emergency consultation at Counseling and Psychological Services. Consultations are limited to one visit.

Morningside/Manhattanville faculty and staff may also receive flu shots*, Hepatitis B immunization (if required by the individual’s job), and measles immunization (if specified in a pre-employment agreement) at cost.

*Faculty and staff can receive no-cost flu vaccinations during the annual Flu fairs during the Fall term.

Faculty traveling with students on University-sponsored programs may obtain a travel assessment for a nominal fee by making an appointment with Medical Services.

The Travel Medicine program also provides vaccinations commonly prescribed for travelers, for example, yellow fever and typhoid. These vaccinations are provided at low cost to employees, making the Travel Medicine program one of the best alternatives available locally for such care.

Confidential HIV-antibody testing, counseling, and referral for treatment is available to all members of the Columbia community. There is no fee for these services, and no appointment is needed. Learn more about HIV testing and treatment or to speak with one of our team members, schedule a Sexual and Reproductive Health Visit, drop-in, or email [email protected]. 

Postdoctoral research associates and fellows should anticipate obtaining any required health care services through providers in the local community and through other medical insurance plans.

  • Full-time postdoctoral research associates are considered Columbia staff and are eligible for enrollment in the medical insurance plans provided for staff and faculty.
  • Postdoctoral research fellows may be eligible for enrollment in staff and faculty medical insurance plans, depending on the terms of the fellowship award and the fellowship appointment at Columbia.
  • Postdoctoral research associates and research fellows should consult their department administrator for information about eligibility, enrollment procedures, and premiums.

For detailed information, read the Columbia Human Resources Overview of Benefits.

Not eligible for Columbia Health

 

With space and staffing at Columbia Health devoted to Columbia students, visiting scholars should anticipate obtaining any required health care services and medical insurance coverage through providers in the local community and other insurance carriers.

Before arriving at Columbia, visiting scholars must be sure that they have adequate medical insurance coverage that will be effective in New York City. The Columbia Student Health Insurance Plan provides coverage only for students and their dependents and is, therefore, not available to visiting scholars who are not registered as students.

Postdoctoral research associates and fellows should anticipate obtaining any required health care services through providers in the local community and through other medical insurance plans, including plans available for Columbia faculty and staff, if eligible.

Postdoctoral research associates and research fellows should consult their department administrator for information about eligibility, enrollment procedures, and premiums.

For detailed information, read the Columbia Human Resources Overview of Benefits.