Family Guide to Supporting Your Student’s Mental Health

Supporting your student’s mental health from a distance can feel challenging. Counseling and Psychiatric Services (CAPS) is here to help by supporting your student directly and offering guidance so you know what to expect and where to turn.

If you’re worried about your student right now:Ìý

  • Call CAPS 24/7 crisis support at 303-492-2277Ìý
  • For immediate danger, call 911 (off campus) or 303-492-6666 (CU Police)Ìý

About CAPS

CAPS is CU ÌÇÐÄ´«Ã½â€™s counseling center for undergraduate and graduate students. We provide mental health support, connect students to resources and help them find care that fits their needs—on or off campus.Ìý

We focus on:Ìý

  • Early support and access to careÌý
  • Short-term and skill-building servicesÌý
  • Connecting students to longer-term or specialized care when neededÌý

Support for Students

CAPS uses a range of services and support options to meet students where they are.Ìý

Mental Health Services

Students may receive:Ìý

These options often work together as part of a student’s care plan.Ìý

Psychiatry and Medication Support

CAPS provides:Ìý

If a student needs more specialized or long-term medication care, CAPS may recommend community providers.Ìý

Case Management and Care Coordination

Some students need help navigating care. CAPS Case Management helps students:Ìý

  • Find off-campus therapists and psychiatristsÌý
  • Understand insurance and costsÌý
  • Access basic needs resources (food, housing, financial support)Ìý
  • Coordinate more complex care needsÌý

Find providers or request help:Ìý

Specialized and Integrated Support

CAPS also offers targeted support, including:Ìý

Digital and Flexible Support Options
  • WellTrack (self-guided tools and skill building)Ìý
  • BetterMynd (free telehealth counseling for all CU students)Ìý

Getting Started with CAPS

A screening appointment is the first step. This is a brief meeting with your student and a CAPS provider to understand concerns and create an individualized plan for care.ÌýÌýÌý

Screening options:Ìý

  • Same-day, in-person drop-in: Mon–Fri, 11 a.m.–4 p.m.Ìý
  • Scheduled virtual appointment:

Important: Students must schedule their own CAPS appointments. Parents and family members cannot schedule on a student’s behalf.Ìý

After the screening, CAPS will recommend the most appropriate care—this may include CAPS services, groups/workshops or referrals to community providers.Ìý

Family Support

Families can play an important role by encouraging support, staying connected and helping students take manageable next steps. Whether your student is ready to seek care now or needs more time, a supportive conversation can help them feel less alone and more open to getting help when they’re ready.Ìý

Understanding ConfidentialityÌý

College students’ health information is protected by privacy laws. CAPS cannot:Ìý

  • Confirm whether a student is receiving servicesÌý
  • Share details about their careÌý

Students can choose to share information by completing a Release of Information through mycuhealth.colorado.edu.Ìý

How CAPS can still help familiesÌý

Even without permission, CAPS can:Ìý

  • Explain services and processesÌý
  • Share general guidanceÌý
  • Offer suggestions based on your concernsÌý
  • Provide campus and community resourcesÌý

Call our family support line at 303-492-2277.Ìý

Navigating Concerns About Your Student

If you’re worried about your student, CAPS can help you understand your options and where to turn for support. While we don’t contact students unless they request services, families can connect with Student Outreach, Advocacy & Support for outreach and care coordination support or call CAPS at 303-492-2277 to talk through concerns and available resources.Ìý

Urgent and Crisis Situations

CAPS recommends same-day urgent/crisis support if a student is:Ìý

  • Having thoughts of suicideÌý
  • Unsure how to stay safeÌý
  • Having thoughts of harming othersÌý
  • Hearing/seeing things others do notÌý
  • Experiencing severe mood swingsÌý
  • Unable to eat, sleep or care for themselves due to mental healthÌý
  • Recently discharged from psychiatric hospitalizationÌý
  • Experiencing severe substance-related safety concerns

Urgent Support OptionsÌý

  • Same-day CAPS crisis services: Monday–Friday, 8 a.m.–5 p.m.Ìý
  • CAPS 24/7 phone support: 303-492-2277Ìý

Additional Crisis ResourcesÌý

  • National Suicide & Crisis Lifeline: 988Ìý
  • CU Police: 303-492-6666Ìý
  • Emergency services: 911Ìý

Community LocationsÌý

  • (24/7 in Louisville)Ìý
  • (ÌÇÐÄ´«Ã½)Ìý

New to CU? Support for Incoming Students

Starting college is a big transition, and it’s normal for students and families to have questions about mental health support. CAPS can be a partner to families as they support their student’s well-being and navigate mental health resources at CU ÌÇÐÄ´«Ã½.Ìý

Costs and Care Options

Most students can access CAPS through the mental health fee included in tuition, which makes it a good starting point for support. For students who may need weekly or longer-term therapy, off-campus care is often the best fit and CAPS can help them explore those options.Ìý

Students can look for community providers through or email CAPScasemanagement@colorado.edu for additional referrals. BetterMynd also offers free virtual therapy sessions for CU students in all 50 states, giving students another flexible option for care.Ìý

Planning for Mental Health Care

If your student is already receiving care, encourage them to talk with their current provider about:Ìý

  • Continuing care remotely while at CUÌý
  • Medication refillsÌý
  • Local provider optionsÌý
  • Expected support needsÌý

CAPS can help connect students to local providers if needed through and they can email CAPScasemanagement@colorado.edu for additional referrals.Ìý

Medication and ADHD Considerations

Medication Management

Students currently taking psychiatric medication should:Ìý

  • Contact their home prescriber about continuing careÌý
  • Consider a CAPS screening if adjustments or monitoring are neededÌý

Students can transfer prescriptions to CU ÌÇÐÄ´«Ã½â€™s on‑campus Apothecary Pharmacy for easy refills and pickup at Wardenburg Health Center.ÌýÌýÌý

ADHD Support

Many students find it easier to manage ADHD medication off campus with a local provider.Ìý

Students seeking care through CAPS should:Ìý

  • Complete a screening appointmentÌý
  • Provide history and prior diagnosis documentation if availableÌý

Learn more about ADHD support at CAPS.Ìý

Frequently asked questions (FAQ)Ìý

Have a question about CAPS? Check out these frequently asked questions from families and parents.Ìý

The best way for students to connect with CAPS is to schedule a screening appointment or stop by for a same-day drop-in screening. Screenings allow CAPS providers to identify a student’s concerns and help them get connected with appropriate resources and services.Ìý

Learn more about screeningsÌý

Students can also connect with CAPS through workshops and Let’s Talk sessions. These programs do not require students to attend a screening.Ìý

  • Workshops: CAPS provides educational workshops related to common mental health topics, including anxiety, depression, stress management and more. Students can sign up to attend workshops online through their portal.Ìý
    Ìý
  • Let’s Talk: CAPS offers drop-in consultations with students at a variety of campus locations. These brief sessions allow students to talk with a CAPS counselor without having to make an appointment.Ìý

Most students pay a mental health fee as part of their tuition. This fee covers a wide range of services at CAPS, including screening appointments, workshops, group therapy, crisis services and limited individual therapy and psychiatric care.Ìý

Due to state and federal laws, we cannot disclose information about students, including whether they are being seen by our office, without a signed release of information form from the student.Ìý

If you would like information about a student’s progress, we recommend speaking with your student directly or asking them to fill out a release of information form available through their MyCUHealth portal.Ìý

If you're worried about your student and don't know what to do, you can use our free Family Referrals Chart or visitÌýRed Folder resource to:

  • Learn more about signs of distress
  • Identify potential safety concerns
  • Practice having conversations about mental health concerns
  • Refer you student to appropriate resources

Learn more about Red FolderÌý

CAPS does not reach out to students who are not established clients and have not requested outreach or support from CAPS directly.ÌýÌý

If you are concerned about your student, we recommend referring them to Student Support and Case Management (SSCM). SSCM has dedicated case managers who can reach out to students and make referrals to various offices, including CAPS.Ìý

During screening appointments, students are assessed and provided with an individualized treatment plan based on this assessment.Ìý

CAPS works to ensure students receive the most appropriate care for their mental health concerns, which may not always include individual therapy or therapy services provided by our office.Ìý

If a provider assesses that a student requires a higher level of care than CAPS can provide, your student may be referred to a community provider outside of CU ÌÇÐÄ´«Ã½. This helps to ensure they are getting the best care possible to address their specific concerns and needs.Ìý

Oftentimes, students may present concerns that can be addressed through skill-based workshops,process group therapy or skill-based group therapy. In these cases, students may be scheduled or referred to one of these programs as their primary treatment plan or as part of a multi-faceted treatment plan.Ìý

Yes. CAPS has dedicated counselors who serve each different college or school on campus through our Embedded Program.Ìý

This program provides integrated services in order to increase access, education, awareness and support for students who may be struggling.

CAPS has an integrated team of Behavioral Health Providers (BHP) who work at Wardenburg Health Center. This team works with students and providers to ensure all of their needs are being met during medical appointments.Ìý

Behavioral Health Providers can assist your student manage stress, set health goals, connect with additional resources and more.Ìý

CU ÌÇÐÄ´«Ã½ has an Eating Concerns Team, which provides interdisciplinary support for students with eating concerns.Ìý

This team can provide mental health support, medical care, nutrition support, assessments and ongoing care recommendations for students. The Eating Concerns Team will work with students to create a personalized plan of care to help support them throughout their time at CU ÌÇÐÄ´«Ã½.Ìý

Depending on a student’s individual needs, some services may be available on campus, while others may be provided through community partners.ÌýÌý

CAPS provides several advanced training programs to mental health professionals pursuing education in psychiatry, social work and psychology. All of our therapists and psychiatric nurse practitioners in training are closely supervised and trained during their time at CAPS by licensed staff.Ìý

If your student is currently receiving long-term treatment, we recommend that they speak with their current provider(s) to get recommendations for ongoing care while they are at CU ÌÇÐÄ´«Ã½.Ìý

Once you and your student have a sense of what type of treatment and level of care you are looking for, you can contact CAPS to discuss treatment options.Ìý

If you think your student may need more care than our office can provide, please consider using our to find a community provider.ÌýÌý

CAPS counselors continuously assess students based on their mental health symptoms and how these symptoms may affect their overall functioning. When appropriate, students may be referred to psychiatry as part of their individualized care plan.Ìý

Our psychiatry office helps identify concerns that may not be able to be addressed by individual therapy or other mental health services alone. These may include conditions like major depression, severe anxiety, bipolar disorder, among others.

If your student is stable on their medication, they may be able to have their home provider fill prescriptions while attending CU ÌÇÐÄ´«Ã½.Ìý

However, if your student may require closer monitoring or adjustments to their medication(s), we recommend attending a screening appointment in order to better assess their needs and get them connected with appropriate medication management support.Ìý