CAPS Services
All CAPS programs and services are designed to meet the academic, developmental, and preventive needs of the campus community. Although almost all of CAPS services are included in the Student Health & Wellness Fee, charges apply for all scheduled appointments that are not attended or not cancelled by the end of the workday prior to the appointment. All fees associated with CAPS services are billed to your UAConnect account.
CAPS services are available 8 a.m. to 5 p.m., Monday through Thursday and 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Friday. Call 479-575-5276 with any questions or after-hours for 24/7 mental health emergencies.
Getting Started with CAPS
The first appointment with a CAPS Clinician is called an Initial Consultation. This is not a counseling session, but rather a tool for CAPS mental health clinicians to match students to the appropriate options for care.
If you are outside the state of Arkansas and need mental health services, we recommend seeking care in your local community. For more information on how to connect with a therapist in your home community, search Psychology Today’s ‘Find a Therapist’ resource or call CAPS at 479-575-5276.
An Initial Consultation is an information gathering appointment and tool for CAPS Mental Health Clinicians to match students to the appropriate options for care.
Initial Consultations are offered at varied times, Monday through Friday. Students will need to fill out required paperwork and then will meet with a clinician for approximately 30-minutes.
During the appointment, you and a CAPS mental health clinician will talk about the nature of your concerns, existing coping skills, additional resources/strategies and our services. From there, you and your CAPS mental health clinician will determine the most appropriate next steps based on CAPS Care Matching Model.
These might include any combination of referrals to a campus resource, referral to groups/workshops, counseling services, case management, or referral to a community provider.
Initial Consultations: Stop by CAPS for a first come, first serve, walk-in consultation Monday - Thursday from 8:30am-10am & 1pm-3pm; Friday from 9am-10am & 1pm-3pm. Call 479-575-5276 if you have questions.
Returning clients: You may be asked to return through an initial consultation depending on when you were last seen at CAPS. Call 479-575-5276 and inform the front office staff of your situation; they will schedule the appropriate appointment.
Important: Throughout the semester, CAPS at times may have very limited availability for on-going individual counseling. CAPS Mental Health Clinicians will partner with you to identify the most appropriate care and resources based on the CAPS Care Matching Model. CAPS offers several resources in addition to individual counseling, such as groups, workshops, outreach, assistance connecting to community providers and/or other campus support, etc.
*Please let our staff know if you would like your Initial Consultation to be with a Clinician of Color or with a clinician who speaks Spanish.
CAPS offers same-day appointments for urgent/emergency mental health situations.
Please call CAPS at 479-575-5276 or visit our CAPS office to inquire about same-day appointment availability.
Let’s Talk is an informal, brief, problem-focused consultation for those who may not necessarily be interested in continued mental health services but would like to consult with a mental health clinician. For information about the days, times, & locations of Let's Talk services please check here.
CAPS continues to offer emergency and same-day services for students, faculty or staff experiencing a mental health crisis. The CAPS 24/7 Emergency Phoneline also remains available.
- CAPS 24/7 Emergency Phoneline: 479-575-5276
- UA Police Department: 479-575-2222
- Dial 9-1-1 or go to your local emergency room or psychiatric care facility.
- National Suicide Hotline: 988
- Crisis Text Line: 741741
- www.suicidepreventionlifeline.org
Additional CAPS Services
CAPS offers a variety of individual therapy options. Our staff works within a broad range of theories and approaches to help tailor services to fit each client’s individual need.
We emphasize time-limited treatment, which focuses on a specific issue, and work to resolve within a relatively brief time. If extended or long-term care is needed, our clinicians will work with you on referral options.
Note: CAPS does not provide services to children or conduct clinical services through email.
Group therapy is an effective form of treatment for many different concerns, including those commonly experienced by college students such as:
- Depression
- Anxiety
- Adjustment issues
CAPS organizes various therapy and support groups.
- Some groups specifically focus on a concern, such as anxiety, and are structured to provide information (psychoeducation) and training in skills to address the concern.
- Other groups are less structured and emphasize sharing, support, and feedback among members.
Group counseling is not a second-choice intervention; rather, it offers the opportunity to learn unique skills and/or a special interpersonal dimension to counseling.
Engaging in group therapy offers many benefits, including:
- Facilitation or leadership from a mental health professional
- Achieving relief from mental health concerns and symptoms
- Learning that you are not the only one to experience a specific concern or mental health diagnosis
- Receiving/providing support and validation from/to other students much like yourself.
Workshops provide members with knowledge and skills related to a specific topic such as:
- Stress reduction
- Managing anxiety
- Mindfulness & self-care
Workshops are opportunities to learn and practice different coping skills and wellness habits aimed towards improving the mental health of college students.
Some options are one-time events, some are drop-in based, and others are brief series.
24-Hour Emergency Mental Health Services are available to students, faculty and staff by calling 479-575-5276.
A mental health emergency might include suicidal or homicidal thoughts, severe panic attacks, self-harm or a strong urge to engage in self-harm, psychosis, and recent traumatic event.
Psychological assessments offer a way to measure traits, feelings, beliefs and abilities that can lead to people's problems.
A typical psychological assessment includes an interview with a mental health practitioner, one or more formal psychological tests, and a follow-up with the mental health practitioner to provide assessment results.
Some tests can be completed individually, while others are completed with an examiner. Psychological assessments typically require a referral from a treating CAPS provider.
CAPS offers a range of consultation services. If you have a request for or question about the consultation services CAPS offers, please call 479-575-5276.
CAPS actively works to raise mental health awareness on campus.
Invite CAPS to your classroom, training event, or meeting to discuss mental health topics, and be sure to look for CAPS at several campus-wide outreach events.
Let’s Talk is an additional form of outreach offered to the campus community at various locations on campus.
An important part of our mission is to conduct research that aids our clinicians and other practitioners across the country in deepening our understanding and effectiveness.
CAPS also participates in a national research project designed to improve our services and expand the knowledge about college student mental health.
All research is done with the knowledge and consent of clients.
The training of graduate students in the various counseling and mental health disciplines is a professional activity that CAPS has supported since its inception.
Our training program helps students develop personally and professionally in a supportive clinical environment. Over the years, the program has expanded to include trainees from different academic departments, necessitating a formalization of the CAPS training experience.
CAPS CARE MATCHING MODEL
At CAPS, we strive to facilitate the total development of students by reducing psychological problems and distress and by enhancing mental health, well-being, quality of life, and supporting aspirations to “be well to do well.” Our primary focus is on providing short-term, confidential counseling aimed at helping students succeed academically and interpersonally.
To do so, CAPS uses a Care Matching Model designed to identify an individualized plan to promote student autonomy and empowerment in planning their care.
The options provided to students are tailored to meet their specific needs using a diversity of resources offered by the counseling center, campus partners, and community providers.
Goals of the Care Matching Model
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Increase access to mental health care and education
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Manage resource-intensive and evidence-based treatment services that will improve student outcomes in well-being
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Match students effectively with CAPS services, other campus/community resources, and/or support systems based on professional clinical judgment and student-specific needs
Care Matching Services & Programs
- Outreach
- Initial Consult (see "Getting Started" above)
- Groups
- Individual Therapy (see "Individual Counseling" above)
- Campus Support Referral
- Workshops
- Self-Help Psychoeducation
- Off-Campus Referral