Self-Care, Support, and Health
Student Health Services (including Medical Services, Pharmacy, Laboratory, Optometry, CAPS, CARE, and SHOP) is open for on-campus students. Students off-campus can also access telehealth services through video and phone appointments.
Check out the Student Health Center website for an overview of their services.
Medical and Mental Health care options
Medical visits: Schedule an appointment with UCSC Student Health Services for in-person visits or telehealth during business hours. To speak with a Student Health Center advice nurse 24/7, call 831-459-2591.
Mental health visits: To speak to UCSC counselors, psychiatrists, and case managers at CAPS, call 831-459-2628 during business hours. For after hours support, call 831-459-2628, and select option 3 from the automated menu.
Online care options: LiveHealth Online has secure, online video visits with licensed medical and mental health professionals. LiveHealth Online is 24/7, has a co-pay, and no referral is needed.
Appointments are available for psychotherapy and psychiatry, as well as common medical problems like colds, urinary tract infections, fever, headache, or rashes.
LiveHealth Online is not for emergencies. In an emergency, dial 911.
For students with UC SHIP, a medical, mental health, or psychiatry LiveHealth Online visit costs $10. Have a credit card and your UC SHIP insurance number at hand.
For students without UC SHIP, medical visits are $59, mental health visits are $80-$95, and psychiatry visits are $175 (initial) and $75 (follow-up).
Additional Services
Student Health Outreach & Promotion (SHOP) provides free appointments with a health educator! To request an appointment, fill out this Google Form. You can also email your request to shop@ucsc.edu.
Campus Advocacy, Resources, and Education (CARE) advocates provide nonjudgmental support and resources for survivors of sexual assault, dating/domestic violence, and stalking, and their significant others. Appointments are by video or phone. Contact care@ucsc.edu or call (831) 502-2273 for same-day support.
Feeling Stressed out?
The events we are all living through are unprecedented and changing daily. Experiencing global events and transitioning back to in-person functions all in addition to college learning might feel overwhelming and stressful.
There are several free online campus resources available to students to help:
Therapy Assistance Online (TAO) an interactive web-based program to help overcome anxiety, depression and other common concerns.
One Perfect Meditation (OPM) provides guided meditations on how to soothe stress, stay motivated, and much more.
Let’s Talk a free, online drop-in program with CAPS counselors.
Additional apps that may help:
YOU at UCSC (you.ucsc.edu)
Calm: guided meditations, sleep meditations, and more.
Headspace: mindfulness for everyday life.
Insight Meditation Timer: this timer also has hundreds of free guided meditations.
Other online programs:
Shine, a non-profit supporting mental health and wellbeing, has partnered with Mental Health America to create these resources.
UC Berkeley's Greater Good Science Center has a number of self-care and wellbeing practices for adults.
Here is an article about coping and staying emotionally well by Active Minds that includes more tips and suggestions, and another article about the Ocean (Ujjayi) Breath.