Outreach & Consultation Services

Outreach by CAPS

The Counseling and Psychological Services (CAPS) staff members offer presentations and workshops throughout the year to UCSD students in a variety of settings (e.g., residence life, student organizations, academic departments, and classroom lectures). CAPS staff present on a variety of topics to provide education, skills, and experiences to promote student wellness and the prevention of psychological distress.

CAPS has been active in providing outreach programming. Below are a sample of major outreach programs facilitated by CAPS:

• Graduate and Professional Student Well-Being Associates (GAPSWell)
• Graduate and Professional Student Outreach
• Summer Bridge Program: College Success Strategies
• Student and Parent Orientation

Outreach programs can be initiated by student and/or staff requests, or even by our own CAPS staff in efforts to bring issues of concern to various campus populations. CAPS staff prepares programs specifically designed to enhance personal growth, develop coping skills, develop social and communication skills, and to improve the functioning of UCSD students and communities. These programs tend to be delivered to specific groups or organizations and are time-limited, aimed at improving student life experiences and prevention of academic, emotional, physical, or social difficulties. Formats include workshops, training seminars, lectures, discussions, forums, support groups, information tables, pamphlets, etc.

Any UCSD group or department may contact CAPS to request an outreach presentation or additional information at (858) 534-3755. If you know the name of a particular staff member, please let us know and we will convey your request to that person. If you have a specific request for a program, talk, or discussion, please let us know that too. We are always open to developing programs above and beyond those listed here. It is important to note that, although we make every effort to respond quickly, we do need at least one to two weeks notice before presenting a program. 

Presentation Topics

 CAPS offers a variety of Outreach Presentations. Below is a sample of topics we regularly present:

• Help a Distressed Student or Friend
• Stress Management
• Relaxation Techniques
• Diversity Training
• Communication Skills
• Managing Relationships

If you do not see your topic listed, please complete an Online Program Request Form. See instructions in the next section.

Request a Program!

Students, faculty, and staff can now request programs and presentations through our Online Presentation Request page!

• Access our Online Presentation Request Forms!
• You wil have the option to request a program from CAPS and/or the Graduate and Professional Student Well-Being Associates (GAPSWell)
• Your request will be processed and forwarded to the appropriate CAPS staff/individual or program. You will be contacted within a few days of submitting the request.
• While CAPS will make every effort to provide a program on you desired date(s), please provide dates at least 2-3 weeks of the request date. This allows our outreach team to properly staff and plan for the event. 

Consultation with CAPS

A core component of CAPS is providing consultation services for University faculty, staff, as well as student leaders, groups, and organizations on ways to better the UCSD environment and experience for students.

• Individuals or groups can contact CAPS to receive consultation on how to address concerns or questions about a student, group,or community.
• In addition, CAPS staff are available for consultation for campus emergencies or crises.
• Through liaisons with campus departments (e.g., the undergraduate Colleges, Residence Life, Athletics, Recreation, the Cross-Cultural Center, the Women's Center, LGBT Resource Center, International Center , Office of Students with Disabilities, and multiple academic departments) we hope to provide education, support, and expertise in areas that will enhance the experience of students, faculty, staff, and the community. We welcome collaboration with university groups, resources, and organizations.
• Consultation requests can be initiated by any person or organization affiliated with the University (e.g., student organizations, academic departments, student affairs divisions, campus resource offices, student, staff, and faculty).
• Contact CAPS to discuss your needs at (858) 534-3755.

Consultants throughout Campus

A unique feature of CAPS is that we have psychologists housed in each of UCSD's 6 colleges, the Women's Center, and Student Health Services. This allows easier access for College and university staff to consult with our staff about mental health issues and needs for students, student support, and availability for crisis intervention. This also allows greater access for students to seek consultation about mental health matters with one of the satellite-based psychologists. To view our staff and respective locations on campus, please visit Our Staff page. The CAPS central and community based Locations are: 

Concerns About a Student

• • If you are concerned about a student (friend, daughter/son, etc.), please contact our Central Office at 858-534-3755, and ask to speak with the Urgent Care counselor for consultation.
  • If you wish to escort the student to CAPS for immediate assistance, please come to our Central Office, located at Galbraith Hall 190.
  • For life-threatening emergencies, please call 911 or go to the nearest Emergency Room. The local emergency rooms near campus include:
    • UCSD Thornton Hospital: 9300 Campus Point Drive, La Jolla, CA 92037, 858-657-7000
    • UCSD Hillcrest Hospital: 200 W. Arbor Drive, San Diego, CA 92103, 619-543-6222 

Privacy and Confidentiality of Student Information

• In keeping with ethical standards of the mental health profession and the law, all services provided by the staff of Counseling and Psychological Services (CAPS) are kept confidential.
• If you are calling for consultation regarding a student, CAPS cannot provide information if the student is being seen (or has been seen) at CAPS without a signed Release of Information Form (ROI) from the student.
• The Release of Information form can be downloaded from our Download Center. 

Campus Emergencies

• CAPS offers assistance to students, faculty, and staff in response to any critical incident or disaster that may impact the psychological well-being of the UCSD community.
• If your college, department, or residence needs immediate assistance in response to a critical incident, please contact our Central Office at 858-534-3755.
• If the emergency is outside business hours, please call 858-534-3755 and select Option #2 from the voice menu. You will be able to speak with a counselor.

Request a Consultation

For non-urgent consultations, such as general mental health resources or referral questions, call our Central Office at 858-534-3755, and ask to speak with the a counselor for consultation for topics.

For administrators at the Colleges or Graduate Division, you may also seek consultation with your designated CAPS liaison for immediate, college-related consultations.

• UCSD Thornton Hospital: 9300 Campus Point Drive, La Jolla, CA 92037, 858-657-7000
• UCSD Hillcrest Hospital: 200 W. Arbor Drive, San Diego, CA 92103, 619-543-6222