Behavioral health guidebook release

Dear UIC faculty and staff,

Healthy Minds Study results, both at UIC and nationally, indicate that approximately 1 in 4 students do not know where to access services to support their mental and emotional health on campus. Our data also indicate that students cite difficulties navigating health systems as one of the primary barriers to care.

After months of dedicated work and collaboration among numerous entities across our university and health system, UIC Health and Well-being is excited to announce the release of “A Student’s Guide to Accessing Behavioral Health Services at UIC.”

The resource is hosted on the Public Health Initiatives website and is designed to enhance our community’s understanding of:

• Healthcare in the United States.
• Health insurance and our student health benefit plan, CampusCare.
• How to access and navigate behavioral healthcare needs through options at UIC and beyond.
• Campus entities that can support their mental-health needs.
• Crisis resources available on campus and in the community.

The guidebook is accompanied by a 30-minute video which highlights the pathways mentioned in the guidebook to accessing behavioral health services available at UIC. The video is located on the Health and Well-being playlist of the UIClife YouTube channel.

We recognize students at UIC will often turn to instructors, advisors or mentors for guidance and support, so we encourage faculty to review the table of contents and various sections of the guidebook. The guidebook can assist you with referring students to appropriate support units across campus. These and future guidebooks and videos may serve as vital tools for our students, both by offering clear and concise information about the services available to support their diverse health needs and by empowering students to seek the care they need with greater ease and confidence.

Your feedback for this effort is also invaluable. If you have any suggestions for improvement of the guide, please provide them via this form. Our goal is to continuously improve this resource to better serve and support our students.

Thank you for your dedication in supporting students. Together, we can make a significant impact on our students’ time while at UIC and better prepare them for life following graduation.

Sincerely,

Michael Ginsburg
Special Advisor to the Chancellor for Student Affairs

Raphael Florestal-Kevelier
Assistant Vice Chancellor, Student Health and Wellness

Natalia Lopez-Yanez
Director, Public Health Initiatives

For more information, please contact:
UIC Health and Well-being
wellbeing@uic.edu