CAPS services are completely free for SU students. There is no billing, insurance requirement, or copay at CAPS
Students come to CAPS with a variety of concerns including but not limited to: adjusting to college, academic concerns, stress and anxiety, depression, relationship concerns, family conflicts, alcohol and drug use, disordered eating concerns, grief and loss, loneliness, sexuality, identity exploration, coping with disability or chronic health concerns, sexual abuse or sexual assault, relationship violence, and other trauma concerns.
Because CAPS uses a short-term therapy model, some concerns are better suited for more frequent or ongoing psychotherapy. Your CAPS therapist can help you explore what options are recommended based on your goals and symptoms and can also aid with identifying appropriate referrals if needed. Read more about referrals here: Referrals
CAPS therapists are licensed mental health professionals who are trained to work with a variety of mental health concerns. Read more about our therapists here: About
Teletherapy is the delivery of therapy services using telecommunications technology. At CAPS, we use Zoom for Healthcare to provide video conferencing therapy sessions one on one for SU students in Washington state. Using teletherapy, the client and the therapist can be in separate, private locations and still hold therapy sessions even when they are not together in the same office. For many concerns, teletherapy can be just as effective as in person psychotherapy services (APA, 2021).
All patient information is confidential, including the fact that you are participating in therapy at CAPS. This means that under ordinary circumstances, no protected information will be revealed to anyone outside of CAPS without your written permission.
Consistent with the law and professional ethics, there are emergency and other special circumstances when CAPS and/or your therapist may be required to disclose information you have shared. You can read more about those exceptions to confidentiality here, as well as other considerations for your private health information: Confidentiality
No. CAPS operates under standard business hours, Monday through Friday 8:30-12pm and 1pm-4:30pm PST, with early closures on Fridays in summer quarter at 3pm. If you need evening or weekend appointments, you can consider using TimelyCare (TimelyCare) or requesting a referral for an off-campus therapist. Read more about referrals here: Referrals
If you are interested in longer term therapy, you may want to work with a therapist off campus. CAPS can help you find appropriate referral resources for therapists, psychiatrists, and other mental health resources wherever you are located. For help with referrals, contact CAPS at 206-296-6090 or email caps@seattleu.edu. If you are currently being seen at CAPS, you may also request referrals from your therapist. Find more information, including a list of some referral options here: Referrals
CAPS does not offer psychiatry services or medication management. Students who have questions about managing their medications on campus should contact the Student Health Center for support (Student Health Center). CAPS can also provide referral information for prescribers in the community. For help with referrals, contact CAPS at 206-296-6090 or caps@seattleu.edu.
Due to confidentiality, all potential clients must call to make their own appointments at CAPS, and someone else cannot schedule an appointment for them. If you have an immediate concern about a student's safety or the safety of others, please call the Department of Public Safety at (206) 296-5911.
If you are concerned about a student, you can call CAPS to schedule a consultation with a member of the team to learn about any other resources that may be available. You can also refer any SU student to the CARE team (CARE Team), an interdisciplinary team who can help students who need resources and support for a variety of reasons, including mental health concerns.
No, for reasons similar to why you cannot make an appointment for a student. While CAPS will contact established student clients for scheduling purposes, due to our services being confidential and voluntary CAPS staff are unable to reach out to students for other concerns.
If you feel that someone needs to reach out to the student, we recommend referring the student to the CARE team. Facilitated by the Office of the Dean of Students, the CARE team is an interdisciplinary team designed to help students who need resources and support for a variety of reasons, including mental health concerns. The CARE team assists students by:
If you have an immediate concern about a student's safety or the safety of others, please call the Seattle U Department of Public Safety at (206) 296-5911
Due to the need to establish standard of care when providing accurate clinical documentation, the CAPS office can only provide hardship withdrawal documentation to current clients who have attended a minimum of four sessions.
Students who are not eligible to receive hardship withdrawal documentation from CAPS are recommended to contact a provider who is familiar with their situation, has established a standard of care, and can provide accurate documentation on the concern.
If a student does not currently have a provider who is familiar with themselves or their concern, CAPS can assist with referrals to off-campus mental health professionals during Urgent Hours. Students can attend a 1-on-1 session with a member of CAPS staff at that time to review the situation and receive referrals to outside providers. CAPS would like to remind students that connecting with an off-campus provider does not guarantee that provider will complete withdrawal documentation.
For more information on the availability of Urgent Hours, click here.
Please call our office at 206-296-6090 for help with any other questions you may have about CAPS services or accessing mental health support for yourself or any other SU student.
If you or someone around you is experiencing an emergency or are in a crisis, please call one of the numbers below to get in touch with someone right away: