Your child is off to college and it’s exciting. However, some time in, you realize that your child is struggling. You have heard of counseling at Rutgers and seen all the resources we have on our webpage. If your child is struggling with any of the following, please ask them to call CAPS (848-932-7884) to ask for help:
- Persistent feelings of sadness, anxiety, or hopelessness
- Withdrawal from social activities and relationships.
- Procrastinating.
- Difficulty sleeping or changes in appetite.
- Increased irritability or mood swings.
- Physical symptoms such as headaches or digestive issues.
- Difficulty concentrating or making decisions.
- Loss of interest in activities they used to enjoy.
- Feeling isolated
- Feelings of hopelessness.
- Drinking too much or using other drugs.
CAPS mission is to help your child succeed at Rutgers and graduate. To that end, we offer a range of services. It’s easy for your child to be connected to CAPS - they can call 848-932-7884 and a staff member will help them make an initial appointment. Once they call:
1. CAPS front office will schedule the student for a triage appointment. This is a brief 20-30 minute meeting with a counselor/psychologist to gather relevant information about your child. If they need services beyond the scope of CAPS, the therapist will help find them appropriate resources. If the student is eligible for services at CAPS, the triage counselor will schedule them for an intake appointment.
2. The intake appointment is a 50-minute session with a counselor/psychologist to gather detailed information to determine the best way to help the student. If a student’s concerns fall within CAPS scope of services, they will be scheduled for therapy with a CAPS therapist/psychiatrist and/or referred to group therapy/ADAP/Next Step.
3. If a student’s concerns fall outside CAPS scope of services, such as actively suicidal and is at-risk for hurting themselves or others, they may be referred to Acute Psychiatric Services. If student needs weekly, long-term therapy, our referral coordinator will work closely with your child to help them get connected with a community provider If a student needs more intensive care because they are in significant emotional distress, they may be referred to an intensive outpatient program (IOP) or a partial hospitalization program (PHP).
Let’s take a minute to talk about confidentiality and the laws that govern our work as they can be often frustrating for parents.
1. If your child is over 18, we cannot disclose their medical information or even that they are receiving services at CAPS.
2. If your child is willing to sign a release of information, then we are legally allowed to discuss their treatment with the person mentioned on the release. 3. There are exceptions to confidentiality prescribed by the law- if a person is a danger to themselves or to others or a legal issue comes up or they report child/elder abuse then necessary information can be disclosed to ensure safety.
