Community Resources
General Information
If you require services beyond the scope of what we can provide or would prefer to receive treatment off campus, we will refer you to community providers. There are several well-regarded mental health professionals (e.g., psychologists, counselors, social workers, psychiatrists, psychiatric nurse practitioners) within walking distance of campus and in the local community who often work with Vassar students.
If you are looking for individualized referrals for off-campus therapy, psychiatry, and/or intensive therapy programs, you can also contact the Vassar College Case management, Advocacy, Resources, and Education (CARE) office. The CARE office is available to provide holistic, individualized, and compassionate case management support to all students. To learn when to refer to VCCS vs. the CARE office, click here.
For more information about the referral process and working with your insurance company, check out our Step-By-Step Referral Guide for off-campus referrals as well as a Guide on how to find the right counselor and how to navigate the process of using insurance as well as a guide on
CARE Office
Using Your Insurance
We also recommend that you contact your insurance company for additional information about your benefits and coverage. Once you log on to your online insurance portal, you will see a Find a Provider option. You can click that to find mental health professionals in the area who take your insurance.
To search for a provider using the Vassar student health insurance, use their website to explore options, click here.
Online Local Mental Health Provider Database
Vassar College Counseling Service has partnered with Thriving Campus, an online resource that helps you access and connect with off-campus mental health care. Visit Thriving Campus from your computer or mobile device to: browse and filter providers based on your needs and preferences, get answers to common questions, and reach out to community providers and connect with mental health care.
United Health care Student Resources and HealthiestYou have partnered together to provide 24/7 access to doctors and mental health care. All services are free for students covered under the UHCSR insurance plan; services are available for all other students for a fee. Please click for more information.
Psychiatric Services & Referrals
This short video explains how to locate, locally or within the US, psychiatric services for medication (via referrals to the part-time psychiatrist or in the community.)
Personalized Referrals
Please feel free to call (845) 437-5700) or schedule a visit with a VCCS therapist for individualized recommendations based your needs and our knowledge of local providers.
Other Mental Health Resources
Please note that this should not be construed as an endorsement of any particular mental health provider/service.
Psychology Today
This website has a robust listing of local therapists, psychiatrists, groups, and treatment facilities. Go to Psychology Today and use the drop-down options on the menu bar to access their directory. Please note that this should not be construed as an endorsement of any particular mental health provider/service on Psychology Today.
Therapy for Black Girls
This is an online space dedicated to encouraging the mental wellness of Black women and girls. There are great resources including a directory of local therapists: Therapy for Black Girls
InnoPsych
This is an online space created to provide a "simple way" to find a therapist of color.
Therapy for Black Men
TherapyForBlackMen.org is a directory to help men of color in their search for a therapist. Using the directory, men can search by therapist location and specialization: Therapy for Black Men
The South Asian Sexual & Mental Health Alliance offers virtual and in-person community workshops, a resource page, a podcast, and shares community voices via a blog. Celebrates a diversity of South Asian experiences, develops authentic, personally fulfilling values as second-generation South Asian Americans, and interrogates oppressive cultural values and traditions: SASMHA
Inclusive Therapists offers a safer, simpler way to find a culturally responsive, LGBTQ+ affirming, social justice-oriented therapist: Inclusive Therapists
Decolonizing healing. Liberating BIPOC mental health providers: Clinicians of Color
Therapy for Queer People of Color
Provides quality mental healthcare exclusively to queer and trans people of color: Therapy for Queer People of Color
Their mission is to destigmatize mental health in the Latinx community. Expanded to include a bilingual podcast and national directory to find a Latinx therapist (98% of directory are Spanish speakers). Latinx Therapy strives to provide culturally-grounded workshops and services to the community.
National Queer Asian Pacific Islander Alliance (NQAPIA)
Empowering LGBTQ+ Asians and Pacific Islanders via building the capacity of local, grassroots, and affinity-based LGBTQ+API groups, advancing an intersectional justice and equity agenda, and ensuring LGBTQ+API representation everywhere: NQAPIA
Providing resources to make mental healthcare more accessible for Asian communities: Asian Mental Health Project
Asian Mental Health Collective
Building a community for Asian mental health support, Asian MHC aspires to make mental health easily available, approachable, and accessible to Asian communities worldwide.
Melanin & Mental Health was born out of a desire to connect individuals with culturally competent clinicians committed to serving the mental health needs of Black and Latinx communities: Melanin & Mental Health
This is a virtual community dedicated to the mental health and wellness of all Black people, including children, adolescents and adults: Black Mental Wellness
A comprehensive health resource for Native youth by Native youth, promoting holistic health and positive growth in local communities and the nation at large: We R Native
Therapy for Latinx believes that access to mental health is a human right. They dream of a future where therapy is normalized, more accessible and represents the varied Latinx cultures. Includes a comprehensive member directory of Latinx therapists: Therapy for Latinx
Crisis Resources
Protocall
- (845) 457-7333. Ask to speak to the Counselor on Call.
- We have a 24/7 mental health hotline available to Vassar students during the academic year. This service is staffed by mental health professionals who have been trained to work with Vassar students. Metcalf therapists provide backup to Protocall as needed.
- Call or Text (845) 485-9700
National Suicide Prevention Lifeline
- The Lifeline provides 24/7, free and confidential support for people in distress, prevention, and crisis resources for you or your loved ones, and best practices for professionals. Call (800) 273-8255.
- **You can also dial 988 which is the suicide and crisis Lifeline**
MidHudson Regional Hospital of Westchester Medical Center
- Emergency Psychiatry Care: (845) 431-8892
- 241 North Road, Poughkeepsie, NY 12601
- Formerly St. Francis Hospital.
The Crisis Stabilization Center
- (845) 485-9700
- When people are in crisis, the Stabilization Center serves as a safe, comforting place to come, talk to caring professionals, and get help for the immediate issue(s) plus those that may extend beyond their stay at the Center. First, the staff works with you to handle or lessen the issue(s) at hand. Then, they will personally connect you to the correct services and resources in our community that can you going forward. Their work with you is 100% transparent, planned with your input, and barrier-free.
College Behavioral Health Partnership Program
- (914) 666-1590
- The College Behavioral Health Partnership Program consists of several partners (e.g., Northern Westchester Hospital, Zucker Hillside Hospital, & Lenox Hill Hospital) and provides state-of-the-art, evidence-based evaluation and treatment for psychiatric crises and their aftermath, and we address diverse challenges ranging from adjustment problems to major disorders that often emerge during the transition to college life. Our relationships with schools and knowledge of their practices allow us to offer specialty consultation services to students regarding common concerns related to academic status, school absences and school re-entry processes. These liaison services allow for more transitions in treatment, resulting in less disruption in the academic cycle. This exceptional, collaborative care has become a model all over the country for psychiatric treatment for college students affected by acute mental health issues.