Support As Needed, When Needed
Schedule counseling on your timeline. Nothing's too big or too small for CAPS urgent care.
Urgent Care Counseling & Consultation
Our goal is to make it easier to get an appointment when you need it. Most of our counseling slots are available for students to book online through PatientLink or by phone on an as-needed basis. If the best plan is longer-term, we'll collaborate with you in planning your next steps.
Learn More about Urgent Care at CAPS:
- What is CAPS Urgent Care?
- How to Schedule
- What to Expect in Your Appointment
- Urgent Care FAQ's
- Services Offered at CAPS
View our Appointment Guide to learn more about your appointment options.
What Is Urgent Care Counseling & Consultation?
Urgent care is a healthcare model that emphasizes immediate support on an as-needed basis. This means that we're prioritizing timely care for you, whatever you're going through. In CAPS urgent care, you get as-needed counseling and talk with a counselor about your mental health treatment options.
Urgent Care Counseling & Consultation visits open for online scheduling 8 days in advance. To access CAPS Urgent Care, simply schedule a Counseling & Consultation session in PatientLink when you need it, and we’ll go from there.
If you are in a crisis or emergency, please call us or drop in during business hours instead of scheduling online. We have same-day crisis support options available for students in immediate need.
Schedule Online or By Phone to Get Started
Appointments open 8 days in advance, and new appointments open for scheduling every day. Here's how to schedule:
1. Schedule through PatientLink or call 520-621-3334.
2. In PatientLink, click "Schedule an Appointment" under Appointments.
3. Choose a Counseling & Consultation Session time, provider, and in-person location that works for you. Plan to arrive early to complete paperwork on the day of your appointment.
Scheduling Tips
- look for an appointment first thing in the morning
- check all CAPS locations
- we often get cancellations in the evening or overnight, so that's also a great time to check
- If you're having trouble finding an appointment online or you're a parent or not an eligible student and have a question, give us a call.
Solution-Focused Approach
You and your counselor will focus on your goals for the session. You'll talk, learn, and collaborate in creating an actionable plan.
Flexible Follow-Up
Take some time to follow the steps you and your counselor listed. If/when follow up is needed, you're free to schedule another urgent care appointment.
Longer-Term Support Options
We have limited slots for brief counseling and longer-term individual care, often given to students with access to fewer resources. We'll work with you to create a longer-term plan if needed. If the best plan is outside of CAPS, we'll help you get connected.
Learn more:
Tools to Help You Get the Most Out of Your Appointment
Search Our Providers
Use our provider search feature to find providers based on specialties, identities, insurance, availability, and more.
Take a Free Mental Health Screening
Take a free mental health survey and talk about your results with your counselor.
Visit Our Self-Care Hub
Explore ideas for how to bring self-care into your life and talk about them with your counselor.
Set Wellness Goals that Matter to You
Explore 9 domains of wellness, set goals that matter to you, and talk about them with your counselor.
CAPS Urgent Care FAQ's
- What are urgent care visits for?
- Do I need to be an "urgent case" to use urgent care?
- What's the difference between urgent care and crisis support?
- Why do I need to speak with a counselor to start medication?
- How many appointments can I make?
- Why does CAPS use an urgent care model?
What are urgent care visits for?
CAPS Urgent Care Counseling & Consultation sessions serve a few purposes:
As-Needed Counseling
In your appointment, you and your counselor will focus specifically on your goals and come up with an action plan together.
Getting Started with Additional Services
Some CAPS services require an urgent care visit first. During your visit, your counselor will talk with you about your goals and needs, gather important information, and make recommendations and referrals for follow-up care.
If you're seeking information about services or resources, you can also schedule a free Resource & Referral visit with one of our care coordinators.
Do I need to be an "urgent case" to use urgent care?
Nothing is too big or too small to use urgent care. The goal of urgent care is to make it easier to get support when you need it. By adopting an urgent care healthcare model, CAPS can offer more immediate assistance for a variety of concerns like:
- learning coping skills
- talking through a stressful situation
- understanding recent thoughts and feelings
- consulting with a professional about your mental health
- as-needed mental health check-ins
- support for emotional distress and pressing mental health needs
If you are in a crisis or emergency, please call us or drop in during business hours instead of scheduling online. We have same-day crisis support options available for students in immediate need.
What's the difference between urgent care and crisis support?
Immediate support is available for students in crisis. A mental health crisis can be hard to define, but a good rule of thumb is to consider any situation in which a person's behavior or state of mind puts them at risk of hurting themselves or others or prevents them from being able to care for themselves or function effectively a potential mental health crisis.
You don't need to figure it out alone. Whether you're a student seeking support or are concerned about a student, we can help you figure out your next steps.
- Students can access crisis support services by calling CAPS 24/7 or dropping in CAPS Main or CAPS North during business hours.
- Student supporters can call CAPS for a consultation or escort a student to CAPS during business hours.
Why do I need to speak with a counselor to start medication?
The ultimate goal of a Counseling & Consultation session is to create a Care Plan tailored specifically to you. Your counselor will gather important information about your symptoms and mental health history that will help them make recommendations and referrals for your care. Whether your next step is medication management at CAPS, off-campus, or another service, your counselor will help you get connected.
How many appointments can I make?
You can make as many Counseling & Consultation appointments as you like. These sessions can only be scheduled one at a time.
Counseling & Consultation sessions are just one type of mental health support offered at CAPS. Students can get mental health support through any of our Care Pathways menu of services. You can talk with your counselor at any time about what plan works best for you.
Why does CAPS use an urgent care model?
Students have named waiting for appointments as one of the biggest barriers to getting help. We believe waiting shouldn't come between you and your mental health. That's why we're committed to offering flexible scheduling and support options that fit your life.
We don't just believe our model works. We know it does. We use ongoing evaluation and student feedback to guide our decisions, and the data shows that students feel better after using CAPS services. Here are just a few things we've learned from student feedback.
Customize Your Mental Health Support
Whether you’re ready to start counseling or medication, have a question, seeking community, want to learn new skills, or just need to vent, there’s a path for you. Here are just a few paths you can take. View our full Care Pathways menu of services.
Urgent Care Counseling & Consultation
Urgent Care is the foundation of the services at CAPS. Schedule a Counseling & Consultation session online in PatientLink or by phone when you have a problem or need a check-in, focus on your goals and questions right away, and leave with an action plan. Our on-demand tools, groups and workshops, peer support, and wellness options can be mixed and matched with urgent care services at any time.
Crisis Support
Immediate support is available by dropping in at CAPS Main or CAPS North during business hours or calling CAPS 2/47. View more crisis support resources.
Groups, Workshops, On-Demand Tools, and Wellness Programs
Our groups, workshops, on-demand tools, and wellness programs can be used alone or in conjunction with other services to help you reach your mental health goals.
Brief Counseling
While everyone's path will look different, most students wrap up brief counseling in about 3 sessions. You and your counselor will collaborate in creating the best Care Plan for you. When something longer-term is needed, we'll work together on the plan that fits best. Learn more about brief counseling or get started by scheduling a Counseling & Consultation session.
Comprehensive Resource & Referral Support
With our urgent care model, CAPS has limited availability for long-term care. Depending on your goals, needs, and access to resources, we may recommend a free meeting with CAPS care coordination. Our expert care coordination team can meet with you to identify the resources and services on campus and in the community to help you reach your mental health goals.