Student Mental Health Hotline Available 24/7

Posted on Aug. 19, 2019

Students who are experiencing a mental health crisis or who need immediate support now can call Counseling and Psychological Services at any time to be connected with a professional who can help.

The CAPS 24/7 hotline will be staffed at night and on the weekends by clinicians through a national company that provides around-the-clock counseling and support. CAPS counselors will continue to answer calls and see students during regular business hours and can provide additional support and resources.

The after-hours service was one of nearly 60 recommendations made by UNC’s Mental Health Task Force in April. The task force was convened in 2018 to assess the mental health care needs of students at Carolina.

“We got input directly from students that they wanted access to mental health professionals even after hours,” said Erica Wise, task force chair and clinical professor in the psychology and neuroscience department.

Immediate access to counselors in a time of crisis can make all the difference to a student who is struggling, said Dr. Allen O’Barr ’87 (MD), a psychiatrist and the director of CAPS.

“I think especially students who are new to the University and making that transition for the first time may not necessarily have found a place where they feel that they belong,” O’Barr said. “We want them to know that they’re actually not alone.”

The CAPS hotline is (919) 966-3658.

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