Counseling/Mental Health Support
Mental health and physical health are two sides of the same coin, and each affects the other.
Asking for help with one's mental health is no different than seeking medical treatment for a physical ailment; it's a sign of inner strength, self-awareness, and an expression that one wants to feel better.
Below you'll find three resources to support your mental health that are available to all registered students at SUNY Schenectady:
On-Campus Counselor
Elston Hall, Room 222
Overwhelmed? Anxious? Depressed?
Everyone deserves someone to talk to.
Counseling is an opportunity to discuss any issues that are getting in the way of a student's academic and personal success. Meetings are private and confidential, and convenient appointments can be done face-to-face in a quiet and private office, or over Zoom.
Every registered student is eligible to meet with our on-campus counselor, Sean Mullen, free of charge, and no insurance coverage is necessary.
If a student is in need of additional mental health support and/or medication management, Sean can link them with off-campus resources.
To make an appointment, contact Sean Mullen at Sean.Mullen@sunysccc.edu or 518-381-1336.
Thriving Campus (online)
SUNY has hired Thriving Campus to assist all 64 campuses with identifying local mental health providers who are taking new clients and are eager to work with college students.
Thriving Campus has identified a number of mental health professionals who are available to any SUNY Schenectady student.
Students can search for a counselor or therapist by the kind of health insurance coverage they have, the preferred gender of the counselor, whether they want to meet virtually or in person, and so on.
Search for a counselor here: sunysccc.thrivingcampus.com
988 Helpline (call or text)
Calling or texting 988 offers 24/7 access to trained crisis counselors who provide free and confidential emotional support to people in suicidal crisis or emotional distress.
Some facts about 988:
- 988 is NOT the 911 for mental health. Rather than immediately sending services to you, 988 provides free and confidential emotional support from trained crisis counselors who will listen to you without judgment and help decide the best course of action.
- 80% of the calls to 988 are resolved over the phone. The other 20% usually required agreed-upon mobile crisis or follow-up services.
- 988 does not have the ability to track callers' geographic location.
- Providing personal information is not required when calling/texting 988. The counselor may ask, but the caller can decline to share if they feel uncomfortable doing so.
To contact a trained crisis counselor, call or text 988.