Mental Health Support FAQs

Thanks to a generous grant by the HAAS foundation, all mental health services are FREE for undocumented students. This includes:

• Counseling visits beyond the 5 free
• Psychiatry evaluations, appointments, and labs
• Social Services visits beyond 5 free
• Social Services groups/workshops that incur fees
• ADHD Screenings
  • Note: If you already have an established working relationship with a counselor at Counseling & Psychological Services (CAPS), feel free to ask that counselor, or the USP wellness coordinator/Psychologist (Diana Peña), about getting your fees waived.

People often wonder if their concerns are “big enough” to warrant counseling. The truth is, people talk about many different types of things. See below for some common ones, and if you’re still not sure, come ask!

• career concerns
• depression
• anxiety (worrying, panic attacks, social, phobias, test anxiety)
• academic stress
• stress associated with deportation/family legal status
• coming out as “undocumented” or “AB-540”
• migration trauma
• procrastination/decreased motivation
• questioning or exploring sexual orientation or gender
• procrastination/decreased motivation
• questioning or exploring sexual orientation or gender
• adjusting to college/homesickness
• concerns about family or community
• burnout from political/social action
• relationship conflicts
• food or body image concerns
• discrimination
• anger management
• coping with physical illness or being differently abled
• and many others

All sessions are confidential and your legal status will never be included in your records. University staff, faculty, law enforcement officials, parents, potential employers, and others have no access to any of your records without your written permission. Please note, your counselor is a mandatory reporter and may have an ethical and legal obligation to break confidentiality if you are a threat to harm yourself or others, or if current abuse of a child or elder is suspected. Feel free to ask if you have questions or concerns about confidentiality.

For additional questions, consultations, or scheduling appointments, you may contact our USP Psychologists’ confidential numbers and leave a voicemail with your name and Student ID (SID) Number: