Jayhawk Check-In
Jayhawk Check-Ins are first-time appointments for students who have not had an appointment with a CAPS clinician this academic year and would like to start services at CAPS. Jayhawk Check-Ins are consultation appointments with a clinician to determine what services or resources would best meet your needs.
Good news, no need to schedule. All Check-ins are same-day drop-in, M-F 10am-3pm! Upon your arrival we will ask you to fill out some forms and then you will meet with a clinician. It may take 15-20 minutes to complete the forms and there may be a bit of a wait for a therapist to become available.
For current clients, please call 785-864-2277 or stop by to schedule.
Jayhawk Check-Ins are not for crises or urgent needs. If you are in crisis or your needs are urgent, please come into CAPS. See below for more information regarding crisis or urgent appointments.
The CAPS office is located on the second floor in Watkins Health Building.
Find more information about eligibility here.
Crisis and Urgent Needs
If you need immediate help for yourself or another, call 988 or Mantra Health 24/7 @ 1-888-355-1294.
You may also come to CAPS and request an urgent appointment. There may be a slight wait, but we will make every effort to see you as quickly as possible.
Some examples of urgent concerns include:
- Experiencing high levels of distress
- Thinking about suicide
- Thoughts or desire to harm someone else
- Recent traumatic event
- Recent death of a loved one
- Hearing voices or seeing things that others are not
If you are in crisis, CAPS will see you, regardless of your eligibility for services, and will work with you to find community resources.
If you are in crisis and cannot come in for an urgent appointment, or are seeking help outside of business hours, please see our crisis support page for more ways to seek help.
Individual Therapy
The practice of counseling and psychotherapy is not easily described. Much of what we do in therapy is very individualized and depends, in part, on your goals. Mental health services have both risks and benefits. The counseling process may include discussions of your personal challenges and difficulties which can elicit uncomfortable feelings such as sadness, guilt, anger, and frustration. However, counseling has also been shown to have many benefits. It can often lead to better interpersonal relationships, improved academic performance, solutions to specific problems, and reductions in your feelings of distress. But there is no assurance of these benefits. While you are receiving services at CAPS, your clinician may provide a diagnosis. If you have questions about this, please consult with them.
What should I expect during a Jayhawk Check-in?
You and a CAPS clinician will review your present concerns, relevant background information, and goals for change. The clinician will discuss options and recommendations, which may include resources outside of CAPS. Then, you both will decide on a plan to best help you meet your goals. If CAPS can meet your needs, you will be scheduled with a consistent clinician.
For your health and the health of our staff, we recommend the following:
- Keep your in-person appointment only if you feel well. If you have had a fever, please wait until you have been fever-free for 24 hours before coming to CAPS.
- Please call to cancel or reschedule your appointment due to illness.
- You will not be billed for a missed session.
- If you are feeling well enough for a session, have a confidential space for a session, and you are in the state of Kansas, you may call and ask to have your appointment changed to a telehealth visit.
- You may request in-person or telemental health (TMH) services by contacting CAPS.
- CAPS office hours are Monday through Friday 8:00 AM to 5:00 PM when classes are in session and 8 am – 4:30 during breaks.
- Calls placed to the CAPS office after regular hours will be forwarded to CAPS voicemail. Voicemail messages will be returned the next business day.
- If you reach voicemail during business hours, we are either on the other line or talking with someone in-person. We will return your message as soon as possible.
- If you call when we are closed, you will be given the option to connect to a mental health therapist. The voicemail greeting will instruct callers who have an urgent need to contact community resources.
CAPS will communicate with you via your KU email or by phone as long as you have given us permission to contact you through those options.
Because of the high value placed on the privacy of our clients, staff members of CAPS do not use Facebook, Twitter, or any other social media to schedule/cancel appointments, communicate with clients/patients, or provide services. Please call, email, or stop by our office if you need to communicate with us.