The descriptions and links below will give you a general idea of the many university offices and online resource sites that provide health services for graduate students at Duke. For more specific information, please visit the links provided. Many of the offices serve several segments of the university community; so please note that unless the links below point to a page specifically referencing graduate student services, you may need to confirm with the office in question whether graduate students are eligible to use a particular service or resource.
Student Health Services
The Duke Student Health Center is supported by Student Affairs and the Department of Pediatrics. The Duke Student Health Clinic, the Travel Clinic, and Physical Therapy are located on Flowers Drive. Duke University Wellness (health promotion) is located on the 2nd Floor of the Student Wellness Center on West Campus next to Penn Pavilion. Medical services are provided by board-certified faculty physicians and by physician assistants, nurse practitioners, and resident physicians under faculty supervision. Please refer to the Student Health website for information about student insurance, the student health fee, and immunization requirements.
Counseling and Psychological Services (CAPS)
Counseling and Psychological Services provides a coordinated and comprehensive range of counseling and psychological services to meet the unique needs of individual students. Staff members recognize that graduate and professional students face different challenges than do undergraduates and offer services that address the special circumstances of graduate-professional student life. Services include evaluation and brief counseling and psychotherapy regarding personal concerns of a wide variety. These include personal stress and mood difficulties (depression, anxiety) and family, social, academic, and sexual matters. Services are available to all enrolled undergraduate, graduate, professional, and allied health students who pay the student health fee. There are no additional costs for these services.
CAPS maintains liaisons with a number of campus offices, including the Career Development Center; Residential Life; Student Health; Religious Life; the Multicultural Center; the Center for Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender Life; International House; and the Women’s Center. A number of groups are offered each semester to graduate, professional, and undergraduate students, including groups addressing meditation, anxiety management, eating and body image concerns, and relationships. Some groups are open to graduate and professional students exclusively, including dissertation coaching and interpersonal process groups.
CAPS maintains a policy of strict confidentiality concerning information about each student’s contact with CAPS staff members. Such information can be released only with the student’s written authorization. If appropriate, a referral may be made to other staff members or to a variety of local resources including mental health professionals in private practice and clinic settings. Referrals may be made when the treatment of choice for a student’s difficulties extends beyond the brief psychotherapy available at CAPS.
For further assistance, contact the Office of Student Services.