Same Day Service

Speak with an Alice! Health Promotion specialist about non-clinical health-related questions; get connected to health information; and improve health knowledge, attitudes, and skills.​

Alice! is a confidential resource and the staff respect and protect the privacy of all conversations. Conversations are solution-oriented and not therapy or medical advice — rather, they are meant to connect students with information and resources to make informed decisions on a broad range of health-related topics.

Examples of visit topics could include, but not limited to:

• Accessing resources for coping with stress
• Strategies to improve sleep quality
• Strategies to improve time management
• Concerns regarding a friend or loved one's alcohol or other drug use
• Finding reputable resources to better understand a medical diagnosis or navigate the US healthcare system
• Communication strategies to support a friend in distress

Health Education Drop-in Hours

Spring 2025 Schedule

Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday

• January 21, 2025
  • Drop-in hours resume
• January 21 - March 14, 2025
  • In person: 3:00 p.m. – 5:00 p.m. (ET)
  • Virtual: 5:00 p.m. – 7:00 p.m. (ET)
• March 17 - March 21, 2025
  • Break in service. No drop-in hours; appointment only
• March 24 - ⁠May 9, 2025
  • ⁠In person: 3:00 p.m. – 5:00 p.m. (ET)
  • Virtual: 5:00 p.m. – 7:00 p.m. (ET)

For virtual: click the link to join the Alice! Zoom Room. Drop-ins are first come, first serve. Joining the waiting room puts you in the queue to connect with an Alice! team member.

• Join via Zoom: https://columbiahealth.zoom.us/j/97380471598 

For in-person: arrive at John Jay Hall, 3rd floor. Let the welcome desk staff know you are there for Health Education Visit drop-ins. Have a seat in the waiting area, and a provider will be with you shortly. 

Questions?

Email at [email protected].

Can't make drop-in hours?

Schedule an appointment with us!

Professional staff will make every effort to find a time to meet with students during business hours and to accommodate same-day appointments if feasible. Health education appointments will be through Zoom. A meeting link will be shared upon confirmation of appointment.  

Please note: Appointment availability may change due to events and closures. 

If you are feeling unwell or have a medical question you’d like to discuss, call 212-854-7426 ext. 4 to speak to a staff member during clinic hours.

Counseling and Psychological Services (CPS) offers a number of 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.

• Urgent Mental Health Concerns: If you are experiencing high levels of distress
  • Mondays - Thursdays from 5:30 - 8:00 p.m. (check-in closes at 7:30 p.m.)
  • Lerner 502
     
• Problem-solving: One time conversation to talk about an everyday life concern impacting your emotional well-being
  • Various times and location in academic buildings and undergraduate residence halls
     
• Multicultural Concerns
  • Thursdays, 5:30 - 7 p.m. at Lerner 502
     
• Gender and Sexual Health
  • Thursdays, 5 - 8 p.m. at Lerner 502
     
• Student Athlete Concerns
  • Mondays, 6 - 8 p.m. at DFC 321 (Dodge Gym)

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.

Please note that these hours are 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 a 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.

Eligibility

Currently registered Morningside/Manhattanville/Teachers College students who have paid the full Columbia Health and Related Services Fee are eligible for drop-in with CPS.

Disability Services (DS) offers drop-in hours according to the schedule below during the semester (Spring 2025: Jan. 21–May 8).

Note: there is no drop-in during spring recess (Mar. 17–21).

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 new to DS as well as those already registered are invited to contact DS during drop-in hours.

Commons drop-in topics for students new to DS:

• questions about how to register with Disability Services,
• to learn more about services and accommodations offered by DS,
• if you suspect that you might have a disability, or
• were referred to meet with DS staff and are wondering about next steps

Commons drop-in topics for DS-registered students:

• 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.

How to attend virtual drop-in

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

By email

Email [email protected] with the subject line "Drop-in" during the hours noted below. 

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. 

By phone

Call 212-854-2388 during the hours noted below.

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.

Unable to attend drop-in?

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.

Please email [email protected] with your availability and please indicate if it is time-sensitive matter. We will do our best to accommodate your time preference should it be outside of regular business hours (9:00 a.m. - 5:00 p.m. ET).

Students seeking support for sexual and reproductive health topics in a supportive and non-judgmental environment can meet with a GHAP peer advocate for education, peer support, advocacy, or to get connected with medical services. Examples of 1:1 conversation topics include, but are not limited to: 

• Express Collect STI screening*
• Birth control education
• Pregnancy options education
• Sex/pleasure 
• Coming out (or not) and other identity concerns
• LGBTQ+ life on campus and in New York City
• Safer sex and risk reduction
• Relationships

*HIV testing is always free, other STI testing will be billed to insurance

Schedule

Spring 2025 

Monday, Tuesday, Thursday, Friday

• January 6 – January 17, 2025 
  • No drop-in hours; appointment only. 
• January 21 – March 14, 2025 
  • In Person and Virtual: 10:00 a.m. - 3:00 p.m. ET 
• March 17 – March 21, 2025 
  • No drop-in hours; appointment only. 
• March 24 – May 9, 2025 
  • In Person and Virtual: 10:00 a.m. - 3:00 p.m. ET 

For virtual: click the link to join the SRH Zoom Waiting Room. Drop-ins are first come, first serve. Joining the waiting room puts you in the queue to connect with a team member.

• Join via Zoom: https://columbiahealth.zoom.us/j/8175610718

For in person: arrive at John Jay Hall, 3rd floor. Let the welcome desk staff know you are there for Sexual & Reproductive Health drop-ins. Have a seat in the waiting area, and a provider will be with you shortly.

Questions? 

Email at [email protected].  

Can't make drop-in hours? 

Contact our office to request an appointment outside of our drop-in hours. Call us at 212-854-5453 or email [email protected].

Professional staff will make every effort to find a time to meet with students during business hours and to accommodate same-day appointments if feasible. Health education appointments will be through Zoom. A meeting link will be shared upon confirmation of appointment.  

Please note: Appointment availability may change due to events and closures. 

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. 

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 a.m. - 5:00 p.m. at all locations. In-person appointments and drop-in hours vary by location.

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

Spring 2024 Hours

Virtual appointments are offered Monday - Friday from 9 a.m. - 5 p.m.

Morningside (Lerner Hall, Suite 700)

• Drop-In Hours: Monday – Friday: 9:30 a.m. – 4:30 p.m.
• Appointments (virtual or in person): Monday – Friday: 9 a.m. – 5 p.m.

Barnard (Hewitt Hall, 105)

• Closed for Spring 2024 term.

CUIMC (50 Haven Ave., Suite 206)

• Drop-In Hours: Monday, Tuesday, Thursday, and Friday: 10 a.m. - 3 p.m.
• Appointments (virtual or in person): Monday – Friday: 9 a.m. – 5 p.m.

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

Drop in to John Jay 300 to speak with a health insurance specialist during the following periods:

Mondays: 2 - 4 p.m.
Tuesdays: 11 a.m. - 1 p.m.
Wednesdays: Appointment only
Thursdays: 1 - 3 p.m.
Fridays: 10 a.m. - 12 p.m.

Medical emergency on or near campus? Call 212-854-5555 for free, confidential emergency medical transportation via CUEMS.