Working Together to Support Students
Counseling and mental health
Support and Consultation
Counseling and Psychological Services (CPS ) 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. CPS 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 well-being of Columbia students.
Faculty and Staff Training
CPS provides staff training on specific mental health topics. Our 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. CPS 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.
Accessibility and accomodations
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 and gender-based violence support
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.
Health promotion and well-being
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 at 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 at Columbia
- 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.
- Health Education Drop-in Hours are available 3 days/week.
- 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.
- Sexual & Reproductive Health Drop-in Hours are available 3 days/week.
- 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.
- 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.
- 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.
- Request a workshop or training for your group/department/office.
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].