Periodically, CAPS will write messages to the campus community. View all of our recent messages below.
Dear Students,
As counselor faculty and staff in Counseling & Psychological Services (CAPS) here at San Francisco State, we recognize that the conflict in Israel and Gaza has an impact far beyond the confines of that geographical area, right here to our campus community members. We also recognize the deep emotional impact this conflict has in terms of a sense of safety in the world, a sense of wellbeing as global citizens connected in numerous ways, and a sense of overall humanity among us all.
CAPS faculty and staff want to express our sense of communal grief, sadness, anxiety, and loss as events unfold each day. Our CAPS mission and core values include supporting and enhancing the psychological well-being of the entire campus community; addressing the psychological and wellness needs of the diverse students, faculty, and staff here at SF State; and providing a safe space for addressing ethnic, cultural, gender, sexual orientation, disability, and other differences. These inform our work every day, and we want to remind our community that we are here to support you as you manage your reactions to this unfolding crisis.
During this time, we encourage you to:
• Reach out to us for counseling support. We have available crisis and individual counseling appointments, groups to address various mental health concerns, and our Let’s Talk drop-in consultations (for non-crises). Call us at (415) 338-2208 or visit us at the Student Services Building Room 205, Monday-Friday from 8:00am-4:45pm. (During the evenings and weekends, crisis counseling with a mental health professional is available by calling the CAPS phone number (415) 338-2208 and choosing the #2 menu option to be connected with our after-hours service).
• Connect with the Office of Diversity, Inclusion, & Interfaith Programs (Student Services Building 206). Danille Hoffer, Coordinator for Jewish Life and Interfaith Programs (dhoffer@sfsu.edu ), and Sara Alhanich, Coordinator for Muslim Student Life & Interfaith Programs (salhanich@sfsu.edu ), have set up specific hours during the week(s) to come for individual or small group processing on Mondays, 2 – 3 pm, and Thursdays, 11 am – noon in SSB 206 along with Christian Lozano Cuellar, Director of Diversity, Student Equity, and Interfaith Programs (Christianlozano@sfsu.edu). You can show up or email individuals directly, as well.
• Connect with others on the campus community, and check in with peers and colleagues, in whatever ways feel best for you. Connection and community are an important part of holding trauma that can feel unspeakable or overwhelming.
We understand that trauma is not easily processed. We also understand deeply that providing time and space to move through these emotions can stabilize us as individuals and a university community, to begin to give meaning to that which feels indescribable and overwhelming.
With love and support for our campus community.
Dear Students,
Counseling & Psychological Services (CAPS) joins the San Francisco State University community in expressing our grief, sorrow, and outrage at the deaths of George Floyd, Ahmaud Arbery, and Breonna Taylor. These tragedies reflect a longstanding and entrenched history of structural and systemic injustice that we condemn and are dedicated to addressing. While these tragedies can be traumatizing for all of us, we recognize that they are especially painful and injurious to members of our Black community. In the aftermath of experiencing or witnessing trauma, it is normal to experience a range of feelings and emotions, such as shock, fear, sadness, anger, helplessness, and/or guilt. CAPS is committed to affirming and providing support for all of our students who have been directly or vicariously impacted by experiences of racism, discrimination, prejudice, stereotyping and/or violence.
For more information and resources, please visit our Racial Trauma, Resiliency and Ally Resources page.
If you would like to schedule an appointment with us, please call CAPS at (415) 338-2208 during business hours (8 a.m. - 4:45 p.m.).
If you would like to have counseling via secure video conference (Zoom), you will need a good Internet connection, a private space, and a device with a camera. Please review our Telebehavorial Health Services page for more information about remote counseling.
Dear Students,
Counseling & Psychological Services (CAPS) is committed to providing support to students during this stressful time marked with concerns around the COVID-19. CAPS remains open and operational with adjusted services. Due to COVID precautions, we are offering the option of remote counseling and groups. In accordance with California laws, currently we are only able to provide remote counseling to students residing in the state of California. At this time, there are no in-person visits at CAPS. If you are an out-of-state student, please click the following link to download a PDF guide on Searching for Therapy.
If you would like to schedule an appointment with us, please visit us in the Student Services Building Room 205 or call CAPS at (415) 338-2208 during business hours (8 a.m. - 4:45 p.m.).
If you would like to have counseling via secure video conference (Zoom), you will need a good Internet connection, a private space, and a device with a camera. Please review our Telebehavorial Health Services page for more information about remote counseling.
We ask that if you have any COVID symptoms (cough, fever, difficulty breathing) to please call us to schedule or reschedule an appointments. We are happy to assist you, and are committed to keeping everyone healthy and safe.
Please visit our Self-Care Tips and/or Resources webpages if you need additional resources on or off-campus for mental health support.
In this uncertain time, please know that we at CAPS care about you. We are happy to help in any way that we can. If you have any questions, please call us at (415) 338-2208.
Sincerely,
Stephen Chen, Psy.D.
Director of Counseling & Psychological Services
Revised message October, 2023
Dear Parents and Family members of SF State Students,
The increase of emotional problems and disorders occurring among college students on campuses nationally has been well documented. Previously students found their way to the counseling center in their junior or senior year. Now it is much more common that students arrive on campus needing some type of psychological assistance. With this in mind, we wanted to provide you with some ways of helping your child or family member get ready to start their college experience, should they need mental health services.
Our Counseling & Psychological Services and Student Health Center provide services to about 30,000 students and are unable to operate as primary care providers when long term care is necessary. We believe it is important to advise you of the scope of our services before your child or family member arrives on campus.
If your child or family member has a history of mental health issues, the best strategy for his or her success at SFSU is to develop a play for their psychological care prior to arrival on campus. Our recommendations are:
- Check with your current health care provider for their approval list of health care professionals in the San Francisco area who are accepting new clients/patients. Schedule an appointment for an initial visit within the first couple of weeks of arriving in San Francisco. Some parents set up an appointment during the “move in period” and attend the meeting to administer the insurance and payment details.
- Please encourage your child or family member to complete his/her emergency information card with clear information regarding diagnosis, medications, allergies, health care providers’ contact information and insurance policy information. It is also critical to make sure the emergency contact information is current.
- There is a transition period for finding a new physician and pharmacy which accepts your insurance plan. If your child or family member is taking medications, work in cooperation with his/her physician to make sure they have an adequate supply of medication to make it through the “transition period”.
- Work with your child or family member to help them formulate a strategy or routine for taking their medications regularly and in their proper dosage as prescribed. This is often a problem for students as they adjust to their new schedule and learn to navigate the numerous distractions of on-campus life. Some students have setbacks in managing their illnesses by forgetting their medications or electing not to take them.
- These suggestions are provided, as a guideline that we hope is useful to you. If you require additional information about the types of mental health services available to your child or family member, please feel free to review our website.
We hope your student has a successful academic year.
Dear Students,
Counseling & Psychological Services (CAPS) joins the San Francisco State University community standing in solidarity with the Asian, Asian American, and Pacific Islander communities in the face of the most recent attacks and expressions of anti-Asian bias. These acts of hate, in the context of the global pandemic, the attack on the United States Capitol and acts of racial violence against African-Americans are undoubtedly impacting the mental health and well-being of our SF State community. Direct and indirect exposure to such events can be troubling, concerning, and traumatizing and result in many emotional reactions. As always, if you are in distress, please know we are here to help.
For more information and resources, please visit our Racial Trauma, Resiliency and Ally Resources page.
If you would like to schedule an appointment with us, please call CAPS at (415) 338-2208 during business hours (8 a.m. - 4:45 p.m.).
If you would like to have counseling via secure video conference (Zoom), you will need a good Internet connection, a private space, and a device with a camera.Please review our Telebehavorial Health Services page for more information about remote counseling.