CAPS and COVID-19: Frequently Asked Questions

Due COVID 19, CAPS has made adjustments to services based on recommendations from UM (including the Environmental, Health, and Safety Department) and the CDC to support the physical safety of our community. CAPS is open with hours Monday-Friday 8am-5pm during the Spring/Summer semeseter, and our services are mostly virtual. CAPS staff are actively engaged in supporting the mental health needs of UM students through tele-counseling, crisis support, and outreach. The following are some answers to frequently asked questions about our services during COVID-19. We invite you to call us (734-764-8312) if you don’t see your question on this page or need more information.

For this semester, will you offer counseling in person or virtually?

During the Spring/Summer semester most of our services will remain virtual. Given the safety needs for our community and our recent experience with tele-counseling being shown to be effective (based on student and counselor feedback), we will mainly offer tele-counseling for the beginning of the Fall semester. Also, based on multiple sources of guidelines (American College Health Association, American Psychological Association, and National Association of Social Workers), it is more appropriate, more clinically effective, and safer for students and staff to have telecounseling sessions.

I am an enrolled UM student but live outside of the state of Michigan (including outside the United States) and don’t plan to return to Michigan this semester, what services can I receive?

Currently enrolled students who are not in Michigan are eligible for a one-time consultation (on a secure platform) with a counselor. This is due to our state licensing laws which governs our clinical practice.
We are happy to provide a number of services to students out of state:

What do I do if I need help right away (urgent/crisis)?

How do I schedule an appointment?

  • Students can now schedule an initial consultation online. For all other appointment needs, students can contact CAPS by calling 734-764-8312 or by email at [email protected]. Information about scheduling an appointment can be found HERE.
  • If you are a student in a School or College with an Embedded CAPS staff member, you can email that counselor directly to set up an appointment. Find a full list of Embedded CAPS staff and their School/Colleges HERE .

Can I still meet with my Embedded Counselor?

  • Many students have found it helpful to meet an Embedded Counselor in their School/College. Our CAPS Embedded staff are available to meet with students. To contact them, and to learn more about our Embedded Model, please visit: https://caps.umich.edu/caps-embedded-model

What if I am a friend, family member or loved one and I am concerned about a student?

  • We would encourage you to call or email CAPS to consult with a staff member. CAPS also has several resources that can help including:

Do you have any resources specifically related to COVID-19?

  • CAPS staff have worked to create and assemble a brand new COVID-19 hub of virtual resources. Check it out HERE .

What are your hours?

  • Monday-Friday 8am-5pm

Can I still come to the Union (CAPS Central Office) for counseling?

  • Yes. CAPS central office is located on the fourth floor of the Michigan Union and is open weekdays from 8am to 5 pm. While our services are mostly virtual, CAPS is open and available to see students in-person.  We also have a limited number of private spaces available for students to connect with their counselor via telecounseling.

If I come into CAPS Central Office, what safety precautions can I expect to see?

  • All staff and students will follow established University public health guidelines. Students meeting in person will be required to show their Responsiblue.

I am a faculty/staff member, what do I do if I am worried about a student’s mental health?

  • Please feel free to contact CAPS to consult about student mental health concerns. CAPS also has the following resources which may help:

Are CAPS Wellness Zones open?

Find additional Frequently Asked Questions about CAPS HERE.

We encourage you to check out the COVID-19 Maize and Blueprint Frequently Asked Questions page for the University HERE .