Mental Health & Wellness Services

At this time, RVU Mental Health and Wellness does not provide psychiatric services or medication management. WE can help you get connected to someone who can provide this.

Our therapists practice on a brief model, which usually means no more than 6 sessions in a semester (12 per calendar year). Therapy appointments might be weekly, bi-weekly, or monthly as clinically indicated. If you are needing or wanting more sessions than that, we can refer you to longer term therapy off campus.

RVU contracts with a service, WellConnect, 866-640-4777, which can connect you with brief therapy services provided by a mental health professional licensed in the state where you are located. These services can be provided via telehealth or in person.

At this time, assessment and documentation for ESAs is not a service provided by RVU Mental Health and Wellness. We can connect you with someone who can provide this service for you.

RVU contracts with a service, WellConnect, 866-640-4777, which can connect you with brief therapy services provided by a licensed mental health professional. These services can be provided via telehealth or in person. You are also free to see a therapist of your choice off campus.

This argument is a combination of a straw man, false dichotomy, and slippery slope logical fallacy. What is at issue here is the question of impairment. If the licensure board to which you are applying determines that you are impaired and may pose a risk to your patients, they have a duty to mitigate that risk. Impairment may be due to many different reasons, one of which is an unmanaged mental health or substance use disorder. What questions licensure boards ask on their application forms varies by state. Unfortunately, some boards’ application forms will ask not only if you are impaired but whether you have sought mental health services within a certain time frame; typically, they will then ask the applicant to disclose more information to show that they are not impaired.

Many states, including Colorado, have programs in which students or licensees can enroll in voluntarily to be assessed for potential impairment in the profession and then be given a plan to address that impairment, if found. Those who participate in the program and follow the plan can then avoid disclosing any more personal health information to the board. RVU pays for a contract with the program in Colorado, called the Colorado Physician’s Health Program, so this program is free for COM and PA students. Students can self-refer to the program or RVU Mental Health and Wellness can help connect you. RVU is actively advocating with the legislature in Utah to create a similar program there.

Please reach out to our 24/7 service, WellConnect, 866-640-4777, which can provide you with in-the-moment support. State that you need to talk to someone now and the licensed professional you are speaking with will talk you through whatever is bothering you.

At this time, assessment for adult ADHD is not something that RVU Mental Health and Wellness provides. We can help you get connected with someone who can provide this. Because focus and concentration issues can be related to a number of things, it is recommended that you seek a full psychological assessment, which includes a battery of measures administered over several appointments. There is often a wait time for such an assessment. In the interim, RVU Mental Health and Wellness can help you with anxiety management, mindfulness, and other skills that may help you to improve your executive functioning. For accommodations, please reach out to your campus Educational Learning Specialist as soon as possible.

Whatever you disclose to your therapist within the context of a therapeutic relationship is strictly confidential and protected by state law. Our therapists are also bound to their professions’ ethical code, which safeguards client information, including even the fact that you have reached out for services. Our therapists are bound to the same type of confidentiality as private practitioners and do not share information with anyone without client consent, including other staff/faculty at RVU. There are circumstances where confidentiality might need to be broken in order to prevent serious bodily harm and/or to comply with state/federal law. These circumstances are: if you are in imminent danger of suicide and intervention has not been successful in reducing risk; if a person is in imminent danger of homicide and intervention has not been successful in reducing risk; if a child, person over the age of 65, or dependent/vulnerable adult is being abused or neglected; or if a legal request, such as a subpoena is received. Where possible, a clients’ consent to disclose information is always attempted before breaking confidentiality.

We recognize that you are a whole person, and all facets of being can be discussed, including but not limited to: emotions, relationships, behaviors, coping skills, personal growth, sexuality, self-care, trauma, grief and loss, your various intersecting identities, cultural concerns, family, and more. While many students discuss concerns that are related to being a student, topics that are not related to being a student are welcome.

One way a therapy appointment can be described is talking to a trained professional about things that are bothering you or ways you would like to grow as a whole person. In the beginning, the therapist will ask you questions about your goals, your background, and your experiences. You then collaborate to create a plan to achieve these goals, based on your need and the therapeutic tools available to the therapist.

All services provided by RVU Mental Health and Wellness are free. If you are referred off campus, the cost may vary based on where you are referred and whether you choose to use your insurance benefits.