Health Center and Counseling Services 

Health Services offers various primary care services, which include treatment of illness and injuries, chronic condition management, and wellness visits. services are available to all students and by appointment only. Each student is provided with a Primary Care Provider (PCM) during their time at Mount Holyoke College, who is either a licensed physician, nurse practitioner, or physician's assistant. They are unrelated to your health insurance plan. Appointments are often scheduled with them, but it depends on the urgency of your health. 

Other things Health Services Can Help With:

• Prescribing medications (including ADHD meds, hormones, birth control, and more)

  • Prescriptions can be sent to campus, through specialty pharmacies and Walgreens: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1rNMLw6tOA5yVS9_Vwim0bWkTrHY3YvMnlrexNiJCDsU/edit?tab=t.0.

• Vaccinations (excluding COVID shots)

• STI testing

• Reproductive wellness visits and exams 

• Allergy injections

• Minor injuries

Incoming Student Medical Information:

As a new student, you have to fill out medical history forms. These requirements can be found here: https://www.mtholyoke.edu/directory/departments-offices-centers/health-services/new-student-requirements. Many of these forms require your primary care doctor to fill them out. We recommend getting them to your doctor and filled out by your doctor as soon as you can. These forms will be submitted through My Health Connection, which is the primary digital location of Health Services. 

School Insurance:

To go to school in Massachusetts you have to have medical insurance. Because of this, Mount Holyoke has insurance through Blue Cross Blue Shield available to its students, which does cost money. Insurance is an inherently confusing entity, so we are not well equipped to explain the details of it, but we will be working on this section later on. As for now, we recommend looking at the school website on insurance: https://www.mtholyoke.edu/directory/departments-offices-centers/student-financial-services/health-insurance-requirement-and-billing-information. We also recommend looking around on the insurance website: https://go.gallagherstudent.com/Universities/Mount%20Holyoke%20College/Home/. 

Gallagher (Blue Cross, Blue Shield) is the health insurance administration that the school provides if your current health insurance can't cover you while you are in Massachusetts. If your health insurance can cover you while you're at MHC, you must waive the Gallagher health insurance on their website!! You will get emails about Gallagher every academic year with steps to do this and if you can waive the Gallagher insurance you absolutely should because it will save you money. 

Counseling Services offers several services, such as individual counseling sessions, Drop-in Talkin', group support, and urgent care. There are both in person and virtual appointments. Students can schedule an appointment through the "Schedule an Appointment" button on this website, which requires your my.mountholyoke log in, or by calling 413-538-2037. You can, and should, check out the providers before going. The staff have profiles on the counseling website, linked here, which can be accessed by clicking "Clinical Staff Interests/Specialties" and signing in using your my.mountholyoke log in. If you know you want one on one appointments, it is best to schedule as early in the semester as possible. They book up fast. More information also can be found on the counseling services website, here: https://www.mtholyoke.edu/directory/departments-offices-centers/counseling-service. 

Types of Appointments: 

• First Visit: A 20-25 minute appointment with a clinician to address any immediate needs and discuss support strategies and access to resources. 

• Urgent care: Sessions with focus on risk and safety assessment, and any other immediate concerns. Urgent care appointments can be scheduled without completing the first visit, though a First Visit packet will need to be submitted prior to the appointment. 

• Drop-in Talkin': A short, informal consultation with clinicians. It is good for students who might want the advice or perspective of a clinician but are unsure if they want regular counseling. 

• Group support and workshops: Counseling services offers various topic-focused groups and psycho-educational workshops for students to participate in. 

• Individual counseling sessions: Counseling services offers individual counseling sessions which take a solution-focused approach. These sessions help address the needs of each individual student. 

• Medication consultation: There are two psychiatric providers available for consultations by appointment. 

• Student care coordination:  Students can meet with the Student Care Coordinator to help transition to off-campus providers. 

Additional services: 

• Medical Leave: If you wish to take a medical leave due to your mental health, you can schedule an appointment to speak with a counselor so that you can learn about the different options and make an informed decision. 

• 24/7 care and support line: Students who need care after hours can call Counseling Services: 413-538-2037. 

• Consultation: Counseling Service clinicians consult with MHC members who have any questions or concerns. 

• Outreach program: Psychoeducational programs and workshops are offered on various mental health topics.