Outreach & Community Engagement

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*Note: Please give us at least 3 weeks in advance for all presentation requests. Due to CAPS staff meeting time, workshop presentations will not be held on Tuesdays from 9am-12:00pm.

CAPS Community Engagement and Outreach is multi-faceted and comprehensive.  Simply, it's a way to reach all 46,000 of our University of Michigan students.  Together, we can all change the story about college student mental health.

What is outreach?

Outreach is about increasing college student mental health awareness through prevention, awareness, education and stigma reduction. Through outreach, CAPS staff are able to connect with the larger UM community and ultimately strengthen our “community of caring.” 

Who do we reach through outreach?

We are essentially connecting with students who do not traditionally utilize individual or group therapy. These could include students who may want to know more about how to help a friend or students who may experience stigma about help seeking or students who may need support, but not necessarily counseling. CAPS creates a “web of support” not only for students, but also encourages staff and faculty involvement through a variety of education and prevention efforts.

Click on All About Outreach to find out more!


CAPS office is unable to participate in scavenger hunts for students due to maintaining the confidentiality of our clients. However, you are welcome to direct students to the wellness zone, which has a separate entrance adjacent to CAPS. If you have any questions, please feel free to contact the CAPS office.

Stop Student Suicide

  • What if……. the number of deaths by suicide was zero each year?
  • How can we address and accomplish a culture of caring for students in any level of psychological distress?
  • How can we promote and give tools to enact 2 central themes of “hope” and “resiliency”?

These questions have driven CAPS to do something more around suicide prevention for our campus.  

Interview Requests

Counseling & Psychological Services does its best to assist everyone in our campus community understand mental health issues and the services we provide. Because our primary mission is to treat students with mental health needs, we have to be selective about the types of interviews we can provide and have created the following guidelines.

CAPS Student Advisory Board (SAB)

UM Counseling and Psychological Services Student Advisory Board (CAPS SAB)

UM Counseling and Psychological Services Student Advisory Board (CAPS SAB) 2023-2024

 

CAPS Podcast: CAPS Chat

 

Welcome to CAPS CHAT, a new podcast series recently launched by U-M Counseling and Psychological Services. Hosted by Dr. Christine Asidao, she interviews mental health experts on a variety of different topics affecting U-M college student mental health. Click on the image or link below to begin listening.

 

 

CAPS Unlocked: Misconceptions Demystified

CAPS in Action (CIA), in collaboration with CAPS and Central Student Government, provides a promotional video series featuring actors from UMSTD and across campus to clarify common misconceptions on campus about CAPS!


CAPS Unlocked: Misconceptions Demystified (Introduction)

Mental Health Student Groups

Many University of Michigan students are choosing to engage in mental health efforts on campus.  More than ever, these students are passionate about helping their friends, reducing stigma, and making the University of Michigan an environment where no student feels they have to struggle alone.  

Not everyone goes "home for the holidays"

For many UM students, Thanksgiving and Winter Break is time to gather with family and friends in celebration of the holiday season. 

However, the break may not generate similar sentiment for other students.  Some students remain on campus during the break. Visiting their home may not be feasible due to long distances and/or unhealthy family dynamics.  Many students are faced with a difficult decision about going home.

Messages of Hope Unveiling

Over 100 people converged on the 3rd floor of the Michigan Union to view and write messages of hope for the now permanent display of the messages that have already been created.

Check out the story in the Michigan Daily and please stop by and look at the messages. Take one of the tiles if it speaks to you and if you are so inclined, leave your very own message of hope for the wall and become a part of tthis community of caring.