Columbia Health for Faculty and Staff

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.

What is health promotion?
It is the process of creating equitable social and physical environments, policies, systems, initiatives and practices in which individuals and communities can increase agency over their health and well-being.

Well-being @ Columbia
Is an active and continuous practice, informed by ability, capacity, and environment. Well-being engages internal efficacy, promotes inclusivity and cultural humility, fosters a sense of belonging, and creates individual and organizational value. In all areas of the university, well-being is a priority that supports the advancement of knowledge and learning to the highest level and exists in a global context.

Alice! Health Promotion leads a variety of programs, services, and initiatives aimed at enhancing student health and well-being. 

  • All services are confidential and HIPAA compliant
  • Low barrier: we do NOT charge health insurance or require payment of the Columbia Health and Related Services fee
  • Virtual and in-person visit options available
  • Available to Morningside/Manhattanville undergraduate, graduate, and professional students (including Barnard College, Teachers College, Union Theological Seminary, and Jewish Theological Seminary)

In your capacity as a key campus partner, you can refer students to Alice! for self-guided and facilitated learning and skill-building opportunities:

  • Health Promotion Appointments - How to navigate and get connected to health & well-being resources.
    • Potential topics include: getting connected to other Columbia Health departments/services; finding a primary care provider, mental health provider; navigating health insurance; building community & belonging
  • Health Education Visits - Non-clinical health-related questions; get connected to health information; and improve health knowledge, attitudes, and skills. Conversations are solution-oriented and not meant to be therapy or to provide medical advice.
  • Wellness Coaching - Evidence-based practice that takes a positive approach to personal development through centering individual strengths, values, and motivations to support behavior change(s) via a collaborative and non-judgmental partnership.
  • Sexual & Reproductive Health - Support for birth control education, sex/pleasure, sexuality/ identity, relationships, and HIV/STI testing in a supportive and non-judgmental environment. Consultations for PrEP/PEP and gender-affirming hormone therapy.
  • BASICS (Brief Alcohol Screening and Intervention for College Students) takes a harm-reduction approach to help students examine their substance use (particularly alcohol and marijuana) in a judgment-free environment.
    • Refer students to the self-assessments: Alcohol or Cannabis
    • Become a BASICS referrer – attend a training, held monthly during the academic year. Reach out to [email protected] for the schedule.
  • 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.
  • Go Ask Alice! is a health Q&A website that provides a forum for anonymous readers to submit questions on a variety of health-related topics. Our team researches the topic, writes a response, and publishes it on the website—all with students in mind. If a question hasn’t been answered, anyone can submit one! 
    • Encourage students to visit and share the content. Share links to relevant individual Q&As or topical archive pages with students. Most responses indicate contact information for Columbia resources.
    • Sign up for the weekly newsletter to get notified about new and updated questions, Get Alice! In Your Box.
  • Interactive Workshops and Trainings - health-related topics such as sleep, stress, time management, supporting a friend in distress. By request, we can tailor workshops to meet the needs of specific groups.

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 health & well-being, reach out to us at [email protected].

Limited Services for Faculty and Staff

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.

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.

 

Medical emergency on or near campus? Call Columbia University Emergency Medical Services (CUEMS) first at 212-854-5555 to get help fast.

CUEMS is a free and confidential student-operated ambulance service is New York State-certified and available 24/7 for the Columbia community living and working on or near the Morningside and Manhattanville campuses. CUEMS provides basic life-support, prehospital emergency medical care, ambulance transport to appropriate hospitals, and can facilitate speedy referrals to other Columbia resources.

The nearest hospital to the Morningside campus is Mount Sinai Morningside at 1111 Amsterdam Avenue at 113th Street.

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.