Health and Wellness

Graduate school is, no doubt, a difficult endeavor that causes a lot of strain on students’ mental health.  You are not alone if you feel like you need guidance or someone to listen to your concerns — or if you’re not sure what you need.  Navigating potential mental health resources can be confusing; explore the list of resources that we’ve complied for you and start your wellness journey now!

 

Helplines

If you or someone you know is in crisis and in need of immediate help, please contact one of the following helplines:

• Crisis Text Line – available 24/7: Text KNIGHTS to 741741
  • Include “STEVE” for People of Color
• Acute Psychiatric Services – available 24/7: 1-855-515-5700
  • If you are out of the New Brunswick/Piscataway area, call 911
• NJ Hopeline – crisis phone line available 24/7: 855-654-6735
• National Suicide Prevention Lifeline: 1-800-273-TALK (8255)
• The Trevor Project – crisis hotline for LGBTQ Youth: 866-488-7386
• “Do Something” link: http://health.rutgers.edu/do-something-to-help/

 

Counseling/Therapy Options

Counseling, Alcohol and Other Drug Assistance Program & Psychiatric Services (CAPS)

• RU mental health support service for all students
• To make a counseling appointment, call: 848-932-7884

University Behavioral Health Care (UBHC)

• Student Wellness Program

Graduate School of Applied and Professional Psychology (GSAPP)

• Explore Clinical Services here

 

How to Find a Therapist Outside of RU

• Download our How to Find a Therapist Outside of RU guide and follow the steps to find your best fit!
  • Try HealthiestYou or Psychology Today to search for therapists near you

 

Mental Health & Wellness Resources to Explore

• RU Food Pantry
  • To donate: https://go.rutgers.edu/DonateFoodPantry
• COVID Connect: Helpline for mental health and addiction resources related to impacts of COVID-19
  • Helpline: 833-223-0011

Self-Help Resources

• Resiliency Resource Videos
• CAPS Self-Help Homepage
  • CAPS Virtual Group Workshops (scroll down)
  • Guided Meditation

 

Research/Mentorship & PI Accountability

• The Framework for Accountability in Academic Research and Mentoring (FAARM) Project
  • The FAARM Project is a student-led independent effort to improve the teaching, training, and mentorship offered to research trainees in the US. FAARM is motivated by the well-documented mental health crisis among graduate students; their goal is to improve the general quality of mentorship and PI-grad student professional relationships.
• Harassment reporting site for NIH-funded PIs
  • Notification site to report a concern regarding harassment or discrimination that is contributing to an unsafe/hostile work environment affecting an NIH-funded project at a grantee institution (concerns may include, but are not limited to, sexual harassment or racial discrimination).

 

Mental Health Awareness Trainings & Ways to Get Involved

• Campus Connect Suicide Prevention Gatekeeper
• Mental Health First Aid
  • Get more information about these free mental health trainings here

 

 

The GSA also has a Graduate Student Mental Health Committee (MHC) dedicated to helping graduate students, bringing awareness to commonly overlooked mental health issues, and reducing the stigma associated with help seeking. If you would like to join the committee, or just get in contact with them, please email: mentalhealth@gsa.rutgers.edu. You can also follow the GSA MHC on Instagram!

 

 

Rutgers Graduate Student Mental Health Survey Results: 2021-2022 Survey

The MHC distributed a mental health survey to the graduate student body across the Rutgers – New Brunswick campuses from May 2021 to February 2022. The GSA and the MHC are extremely grateful to those who participated during the survey period; a total of 254 graduate students submitted responses. To honor these students’ voices, the survey results are summarized and made public in the following report. The Supplemental Materials include a copy of the survey questions in the order in which they appeared during the survey (S1) and a complete record of the anonymous responses to the three open-ended survey questions (S2).

• Graduate Student Mental Health Survey Report
• Supplemental Materials
  • S1: Copy of survey questions
  • S2: Anonymous responses to open-ended questions

 

GSA MHC Past Events Resources

Emotional Wellness & Mental Health in Graduate School

October 26, 2021

• Special presentation by RU Interim Assistant Vice Chancellor for Health & Wellness, Francesca M. Maresca, PhD, CHES describing the state of graduate student mental health nationally
• View the Zoom recording and Dr. Maresca’s slides here!

Everything Rutgers University has established and planned out regarding COVID-19 procedures and resources can be found on their main coronavirus website.

If you need medical assistance while on campus, you can find help at Rutgers Health Services.  You can make an appointment online and check out your records or required paperwork on their health portal.  Many of the requirements are streamlined on their online interface and they have medical experts in a variety of fields to help you with any ailments.

Sign up for help insurance plans or waive health insurance for the semester at their website here.