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Student Health and Wellness Resources

October 15, 2020

Dear Northwestern students,

We hope that you are all well and settling into your Fall Quarter routines, whether here in Evanston or wherever you call home. We know this is not the Fall Quarter any of us had imagined, and that we are all impacted by this collective grief and loss, surrounded by uncertainty in the world. In times like these, taking care of ourselves and our well-being is critical.

Our teams at Northwestern continue to ensure that critical wellness resources remain available to you. We are grateful for the collaborative efforts of our Northwestern community members who have, through innovation, feedback and creativity, transformed and expanded our wellness resources in this hybrid environment. No matter where you are, the Northwestern community is here for you as we all work toward developing, maintaining and enhancing our sense of well-being.

Understanding Wellness

In order to focus on wellness, we need to understand what it means. Health Promotion and Wellness has important information about the eight dimensions of Wellness at Northwestern. This site serves as a hub for you to learn about wellness and navigate resources. It also connects you to videos and information and includes a section about COVID-19 resources.

Mental Health and Wellness

Northwestern continues to make the mental health and well-being of our community a priority.

  • Counseling and Psychological Services (CAPS): CAPS continues to provide tele-mental health services, including crisis support, initial consultations, individual and group therapy, virtual gatherings, outreach programming, Tele-Reach (Let’s Talk), and online mental health screenings. Please visit the CAPS Evanston or CAPS Chicago for more information, including how to take care of your mental health in the pandemic. Check back often as services will be added.
  • WellTrack: A free service for Northwestern students, WellTrack is an interactive, self-educational, online program to help you address a range of issues including anxiety, stress, depression and mindfulness. You can download the app to your mobile device. Use your Northwestern email address when signing up, and login using your NetID and password.
  • Breathe App: Northwestern continues to offer and expand upon the Breathe app. Since its inception, the app has had more than 20,000 views, providing students and others with stress management techniques, including guided meditations and breathing practices to manage stress. There also is a module tailored for graduate and professional students.
  • CARE: The Center for Awareness, Response and Education (CARE) provides a confidential space for students impacted by sexual violence, relationship violence, or stalking. Services also are available to friends and partners of survivors. At this time, all CARE appointments are held remotely.

Physical Wellness

Northwestern recognizes the integral role physical wellness plays, especially during this time, and encourages you to use these services:

  • Health Service: Health Service remains committed to helping your physical health needs. This dedicated team of professionals provides tele-health, e-visit, and in-person assessments. Visit Health Service Chicago or Evanston for more information on accessing services and specific information about COVID-19.
  • Student Patient Advocate: Northwestern employs patient advocates at the Health Service to assist students with navigating their insurance and working with health providers on billing issues.
  • NU Recreation Online: NU Recreation has created a collection of resources on its Wildcats Wellness page to help encourage a healthy lifestyle as we all do our part by staying at home.
  • COVID-19 Testing: Northwestern continues to test both symptomatic and asymptomatic students in the Evanston and Chicago areas. Please visit our testing website for more information.

Financial Wellness

Northwestern has many resources to help you in making healthy decisions about your finances. To the extent that you need assistance, financial aid is available to meet the fundamental costs of attendance.

As always, if you incur unique expenses while away from campus, the emergency aid process through Undergraduate Financial Aid remains in place. Graduate students should connect with their respective schools.

Student Engagement and Social Wellness

Though many of us are physically distant, we are still socially connected in many ways, including through a multitude of virtual engagement opportunities. Many student organizations, departments and offices provide online activities for you and facilitate planning for possible future in-person meetings. The Paw Print, our weekly student email communication, provides information and events for undergraduate and graduate students. Additionally, our social media accounts highlight new ways you can stay connected to your Wildcat family.

Career Wellness

Northwestern Career Advancement (NCA) continues to provide virtual and online engagement programs and activities. Via the Handshake platform, virtual career counseling, and virtual employment and internship interviews, NCA is here to assist as you pursue your career goals. Please visit NCA for more information on virtual services and connections.

During this time of uncertainty and stress, we encourage you to prioritize your health and well-being. Please do not hesitate to ask for help or reach out to any of these offices with questions, ideas or concerns. We look forward to working with you as we help keep each other safe and well. We can’t wait to see you in person once it is safe to do so. 

With gratitude and care,

 

Julie Payne-Kirchmeier
Vice President for Student Affairs

Mona Dugo
Interim Dean of Students

Fabiola Montiel
Interim Executive Director, Counseling and Psychological Services 

Bob Palinkas
Executive Director, Health Service