Attend a Screening
What is a screening appointment?
Students can connect with services at CAPS through a screening appointment. This brief one-on-one appointment with a CAPS provider is used to help identify your primary concerns and refer you to services. Screening appointments are available virtually or in-person at CAPS.
What happens during a screening appointment?
Screening sessions last about 30 minutes, including necessary paperwork. At the end of your appointment, your screening provider will provide you with personalized options and resources to address your specific needs. These may include referrals to workshops, groups, individual therapy, psychiatric care or community resources.
What if I just want individual therapy?
CAPS provides brief individual therapy. We typically see students every 2-4 weeks.
If you are looking for weekly or intensive individual therapy, your screening provider will likely refer you off campus and help you get connected to local resources.
If you would like to expedite this process and bypass a screening appointment, we recommend using the following services to find an off-campus provider:
- ThrivingCampus (directory of community providers)
- AcademicLiveCare (free, unlimited telehealth services)
If you are experiencing a life threatening emergency call 911 or go to your nearest emergency room.
A screening appointment is not a crisis or urgent appointment. If you are experiencing a mental health crisis, please refer to our crisis support page.
Types of Screening Appointments
Same-day screening appointments
Drop-in screenings are available in person at CAPS in the Center for Community (C4C), Suite N352.
Same-day screenings are offered on a first-come, first-served basis. If screenings are full for the day, CAPS will help you schedule a telehealth screening for another date or you can stop by the next business day during drop-in hours.
Screening drop-in hours:
- Monday-Friday: 12-3 p.m.
Appointment Processes
Telehealth Screening Appointment Process
- Find a private space. If you live in the residence halls, talk to your RA to find spaces in your Resident Hall, Find Your Study Spot or, if you have a vehicle, you may also do your screening in your car.
- Check-In on your MyCUHealth portal. Screenings typically take 20 minutes.
- Complete Paperwork: Paperwork can take up to 30 minutes to complete, so please plan accordingly by logging in early for your appointment. Once you complete your paperwork, you will be placed in a queue to be seen by your provider. Please enter the zoom waiting room as soon as you have completed the paperwork. Your provider will see you as soon as they are available and this may be earlier than your scheduled appointment.
- Meet with a CAPS provider via telehealth: The exact time at which you see your provider depends on a number of factors including the timeliness of completing paperwork and provider availability. In some instances, if the steps above are not followed, the appointment may be canceled if there is not enough time to complete the screening. If the paperwork is not completed by the time of the appointment, the appointment will be rescheduled to a later date
After Your Screening Appointment
Sometimes ongoing care is not needed and a one-time session will do.
After your screening appointment you will leave with an individual treatment plan that may include:
- Therapy groups
- Topic-specific workshops
- Community providers
- Short-term individual therapy and psychiatry
- A combination of these services
Other ways to connect with CAPS
The following services are confidential and free to students. No screening required, and student’s do not need to be in the state of Colorado to access these services.
Workshops offer tips, tools and information to help students build skills around a variety of topics. All workshops are free and confidential.
Let’s Talk is a free service where CU Boulder students can meet with a counselor virtually for an informal and confidential consultation.