Counseling and Mental Health Center
The Counseling and Mental Health Center (CMHC) assists students in coping effectively with aspects of their personal, social, and psychological welfare and growth so they may realize their full academic potential. CMHC programs address problems that can affect day-to-day living; respond to student crises; support student mental health, well-being and safety; and generally prepare the student to respond more effectively to the challenges of University life. The center also provides support to the University community by consulting with faculty, staff, and administrators and by responding to traumatic events affecting University students. CMHC services include short-term individual counseling; group counseling; walk-in and crisis line counseling; psychiatric evaluation and medication, if indicated; and prevention and education programs designed to support student safety, growth, and development.
The Integrated Health Program , a collaboration with University Health Services, offers mental health services, a self-paced MindBody Lab for stress reduction and biofeedback, and classes on stress management and mindfulness. The Mindful Eating Program provides treatment options for students with disordered eating or body image concerns. The Alcohol and Other Drugs (AOD) Program provides assessment, support services, and short-term counseling for students with alcohol and other drug use/abuse issues.
CMHC Prevention and Outreach services are extended to the University community through campus programming. The Voices Against Violence (VAV) program works to prevent interpersonal violence (sexual violence, relationship violence, and stalking) on campus. VAV offers individual and group counseling, as well as advocacy for survivors. VAV staff also conduct outreach and prevention programming, including peer-education via Theatre for Dialogue. The Be That One suicide prevention program is dedicated to raising awareness about suicide for the purpose of reducing the risk of student suicide. Workshops, trainings and other campus programming are offered by Be That One staff. The Mental Health Promotion Program is designed to help the general student body flourish in both their personal and academic life and focuses on creating lasting positive change in the emotional well-being of students on campus.
The Counseling and Mental Health Center clinical staff includes counseling and clinical psychologists, psychiatrists, social workers, and professional counselors. It is approved by the American Psychological Association for internship training and cooperates with the Departments of Psychology and Educational Psychology and the School of Social Work in training intern and practicum students. In addition, CMHC cooperates with the School of Nursing in training psychiatric nurse practitioner students and with the University of Texas Southwestern-Austin Psychiatry Residency Program in training psychiatry residents.
The center is committed to the promotion and affirmation of diversity in its broadest sense. Its mission requires that people of every background be able to use its services with the expectation of respectful treatment. The center’s Statement on Diversity is published online at http://cmhc.utexas.edu/diversity.html .
The Counseling and Mental Health Center, is located on the fifth floor of the Student Services Building, 100 West Dean Keeton Street, and is open weekdays 8:00 am to 5:00 pm. The telephone number is (512) 471-3515. The Web site is http://cmhc.utexas.edu/ .
The center provides a crisis line that can be reached twenty-four hours a day, every day, including holidays. The telephone number is (512) 471-CALL (471-2255).