Same Day Service

Counseling and Psychological Services (CPS) offers two same day options to see a mental health provider. These are available to all Columbia students who have paid the full Columbia Health and Related Services Fee.

All of our offices operate on a first-come, first-served basis; you may have a brief wait if the counselor is with another student.

Problem-Solving/Coping Skills drop-in

One time conversation to talk about an everyday life concern impacting your emotional well-being. Students meet with a mental health professional to gain clarity and find ways to address a problem. Among the typical problems discussed in these sessions are relationship problems, adjustment to campus life, career concerns, acculturation, or anxiety about academics. These sessions are not intended for students currently working with a CPS counselor, nor as a substitute for traditional counseling.

Visit the Problem-Solving/Coping Skills drop-in page for hours and locations.

Urgent Mental Health Concerns drop-in

Walk-in session if you are experiencing high levels of distress.

Mondays - Thursdays from 5:30 - 8:00 PM (check-in closes at 7:30 PM) at Lerner 502.

Please note that that these hours are a supplementary support and are not intended to substitute for traditional counseling or other appropriate treatment options. If you are seeking ongoing counseling or psychiatric care, please call 212-854-2878 during regular business hours to arrange treatment planning session that will help guide you to the resource that is right for you.

Unforeseen Closures

We make every attempt to maintain our posted office hours. However, drop-in offices may be closed due to unforeseen circumstances. If you need to talk to someone, contact Counseling and Psychological Services at 212-854-2878, available 24/7.

Disability Services (DS) offers drop-in hours according to the schedule posted below. Drop-in hours allow for a one-on-one, 15-minute discussion between a DS staff member and a student with a quick or urgent question. Students not yet known to DS as well as those already registered are invited to contact DS during drop-in hours.

Common reasons for a student not yet known to DS to contact us during drop-in hours may include questions about how to register with Disability Services, to learn more about services and accommodations offered by DS, or if you suspect that you might have a disability, or were referred to meet with DS staff and are wondering about next steps.

For students already registered, drop-in hours may be helpful for quick questions around your exam, note-taking, or housing accommodations, to discuss exam rescheduling due to a class conflict, or if you’re having difficulty arranging for accommodations with a professor, teaching assistant (TA), or for a class.

To speak with a DS staff member during drop-in hours

Drop-in hours are held virtually for the Spring 2023 term. To attend drop-in hours virtually, call 212-854-2388 or email [email protected] during the hours noted below.

When you call, an administrative staff member will ask for your name, phone number, and your reason for calling. They will share this message with the staff member holding drop-in hours.

If you opt to email, add “drop-in” to your subject line and in the body of the email, include your name, phone number, and reason for wishing to speak with the staff member holding drop-in hours. 

Whether you schedule by phone or email, the staff member holding drop-in hours will call you back within the drop-in period. 

If you are unable to attend drop-in hours due to an academic conflict or time zone constraints, please know we will be happy to schedule a mutually agreeable appointment outside of drop-in hours. To do so, please contact us at [email protected] with your availability. Let us know if it is a time-sensitive matter when you provide your availability. We will do our best to accommodate your time preference should it be outside of regular business hours (9:00 AM - 5:00 PM ET).

Spring 2023 Schedule

Drop-in hours will be held from Thursday, January 5 through Thursday, May 4 during the hours listed below.

There will be no drop-in hours 1/16, and 3/13 through 3/17.

The Gay Health Advocacy Project (GHAP), a part of Alice! Health Promotion, provides Sexual & Reproductive Health Drop-in Hours where students can chat with an advocate about sex, Express Collect STI screening, pleasure, concerns about sexuality, identity, and relationships in a supportive and non-judgmental environment. 

January 30, 2023 - May 12, 2023:

• Monday: 11:00 PM – 5:00 PM  
• Tuesday: 10:00 AM – 4:00 PM  
• Wednesday: 9:00 AM – 12:00 PM, 2:00 PM – 4:00 PM 
• Thursday: 1:30 PM – 3:30 PM  
• Friday: 11:00 AM – 4:00 PM  

Spring Break (March 13 - 17, 2023): virtual drop-ins only

• Monday - Friday: 12:00 PM - 2:00 PM

In person: 

• Check in at John Jay Hall 3rd Floor  
• Fill out sign-in form, check the box for GHAP or WHAP (sexual and reproductive health) and return to the front desk 

Virtual:

• Join the GHAP Zoom Room.

Urgent or Immediate Assistance

• During clinic hours, call 212-854-7426.
• After hours, or on weekends or University holidays, call 212-854-7426 for 24/7 support.
• In an emergency, call CUEMS/Public Safety at 212-854-5555 if you are on or near campus, or dial 911 if you are off-campus.

Appointment and drop-in

SVR offers drop-in hours as well as in-person and virtual appointments at Morningside (Lerner Hall 700), Barnard (105 Hewitt Hall), and CUIMC (50 Haven Ave., Suite 206) campuses. Virtual appointments are offered Monday - Friday from 9:00 AM - 5:00 PM at all locations. In-person appointments and drop-in hours vary by location.

To make an appointment, call 212-854-3500. 

Spring 2023 Appointment and Drop-In Hours

Virtual appointments offered Monday - Friday from 9:00 AM - 5:00 PM

Morningside (Lerner Hall, Suite 700)

• Drop-In Hours: Monday, Tuesday, Thursday, and Friday: 10 AM – 2 PM
• In-person appointments: Wednesday: 9 AM – 5 PM

Barnard (Hewitt Hall, 105)

• Drop-In Hours: Students should go to SVR in Lerner 700 during walk-in/drop-in hours
• In-person appointments: Tuesday, Wednesday, and Friday: 10 AM – 4 PM

CUIMC (50 Haven Ave., Suite 206)

• Drop-In Hours: Monday, Tuesday, and Friday: 11 AM – 3 PM
• In-person appointments: Wednesday and Thursday: 9 AM – 5 PM

After hours and urgent support

SVR operates a 24/7, year-round, helpline accessible to all students seeking assistance. This support line can be reached 24/7/365 at 212-854-4357 (HELP). 

SVR provides trauma-informed, confidential support through crisis counseling/intervention, advocacy, prevention, and outreach focused on interpersonal violence and harassment. 

Examples include:

• Assisting survivors and co-survivors of sexual, intimate partner, and gender-based violence by helping them navigate resources within and outside of the University
• Accompanying survivors to off campus locations such as New York Police Precincts, Local hospitals, Court, and other support services locations on and off campus.
• Exploring survivor rights and options while also supporting their individual choices
• Connecting survivors with support services that they, together with the survivor, identify as being helpful to the survivor's emotional, psychological, familial, residential, and spiritual well-being.
• Cross-collaboration with other Columbia departments and student groups to facilitate events, workshops and trainings tailored to specific communities across campus

Post-exposure prophylaxis (PEP) is treatment with anti-retroviral medication that can prevent an HIV infection from taking hold. It must be initiated within 72 hours of exposure—the sooner, the better. 

The need to initiate PEP is considered a medical emergency. Please call Medical Services at 212-854-7426, available 24/7.