CAPS offers a short-term approach to counseling, averaging 4 - 5 sessions, with an emphasis on helping students cope more effectively with their personal and academic lives. Each session lasts about 45 minutes.

CAPS counseling services include urgent need appointments and routine, on-going appointments, as well as consultation appointments to connect students to campus and community resources.

CAPS counseling services include urgent need appointments and routine, on-going appointments, as well as consultation appointments to connect students to campus and community resources.

Click here to learn how to schedule a CAPS appointment that best meets your needs.

Our first priority is your safety and sense of wellbeing.

If you are in a life threatening situation right now please call 911 or go directly to the Emergency Department of the nearest hospital (if you are in the Burlington area this is Fletcher Allen Health Care at 111 Colchester Avenue).

If your need is URGENT (not life threatening) and requires a same-day appointment, please call CAPS at 802-656-3340 to schedule an URGENT appointment. URGENT appointments focus on providing immediate support, discussing available resources, and planning next steps.

If it is after normal business hours and your need is URGENT, you can reach the on-call counselor by calling CAPS at 802-656-3340 and pressing voice mail option #2.

If your need is NON-URGENT, and you are new to CAPS, please call CAPS at 802-656-3340. The front desk will schedule you for the next available INTAKE appointment. A CAPS intake is a 45 minute appointment that focuses on information gathering, assessment of needs, and developing an appropriate treatment plan that may include services at CAPS or a referral to a community provider or other campus resources.

If you are already a client at CAPS, you may schedule an appointment by calling our front desk and requesting to meet with your counselor.

If you would like getting help getting connected to resources, which could be resources on-campus or in the greater Burlington area, please call 802 656-3340 to schedule a CONSULTATION appointment. As part of this service, our counselors would be happy to connect you to local mental health resources.

Students often wonder if their concern is appropriate to talk about at CAPS. Click here to learn about some of the reasons students visit CAPS.

It is natural to be nervous about visiting CAPS. It is also normal to wonder if your concerns are serious enough to talk with a counselor about. CAPS regularly sees students who have never been to counseling before as well as students who have had previous counseling experience. Some common concerns students have when visiting CAPS are listed below:

• Relationship difficulties
• Problems adjusting to university life; including stress, loneliness, homesickness, or academic concerns
• Eating or body image concerns
• Feelings of anxiety, depression, or thoughts of suicide
• Struggles with self-esteem
• Questions about personal identity
• Concerns about alcohol or other drug use
• Coping with grief or a traumatic event

Sometimes students hesitate to contact CAPS because they are unsure of what to expect or are concerned about cost. Click here to learn more about what to expect when using CAPS services.

Wondering what to expect?

Most students schedule an initial appointment by calling our front desk at 656-3340 or visiting one of our locations (link here) in-person. All students who ask to schedule an appointment are asked to identify if their need is urgent our routine. Our front desk staff will then schedule you accordingly. Urgent needs are scheduled for same day appointments. More routine concerns are scheduled for the first available appointment, which can be a few days to a week or more during busy times of the semester. CAPS does our best to see you as soon as possible.

Before most initial appointments, you will be asked to complete a questionnaire at MyWellbeing, the Center for Health & Wellbeing's secure online portal. Your counselor will use this information to begin understanding your concerns.

At your first appointment your counselor will ask about your reason(s) for seeking counseling, and he or she will start getting to know you by asking about your personal history, social relationships, educational goals, and expectations for counseling. At the end of your initial appointment, you and your counselor will develop a treatment plan may include services at CAPS or a referral to a community provider or other campus resources.

CAPS is designed for short-term counseling. When longer term counseling is desired or recommended, your counselor will assist you in determining alternative services that will best meet your needs.

Wondering about cost?

CAPS Counseling is available at no cost to any UVM student who is eligible to use the services at the Center for Health & Wellbeing.

CAPS Psychiatry is available to UVM students at an additional fee. To learn more about CAPS Psychiatry Services and fees, click here (Link to Psychiatry page).

Last modified April 16 2012 12:49 PM