As the fall semester quickly approaches and COVID-19 restrictions continuously change, Duke has many mental health and wellness resources to help students navigate any challenge the new school year may bring.
In the spring 2020 semester, University administration and Duke Student Government created a Remote Mental Health Resources Guide. The guide, last updated in August 2020, contains emergency hotlines, COVID-19 wellness strategies, links to Duke resources, links to academic resources and more.
In the spring 2021 semester, DSG and Duke’s Wellness Directors created a long-term, interactive Mental Health Resource Guide. First promoted during Mental Health Awareness Week in March 2021, the guide is designed to expand on the resources in the previous year’s Remote Mental Health Resources Guide in a digestible flipbook format.
As students begin to come back to campus for the fall, many of Duke’s mental health and wellness support systems will have in-person and virtual components. A highly recommended first step for students if they feel overwhelmed is to call Duke Reach at 919-681-2455. DukeReach directs students, faculty, staff, parents and others to the resources available to help a student in need.
The Two Click to Connect Form is a form where someone—based on the selection the student picks—will reach out within 24 to 48 business hours to talk about whatever the student may be going through. They will also be able to connect the student to more resources.
Another great on-demand resource is Blue Devils Care, which provides Duke students free 24/7 remote access to a licensed mental health provider. It gives students a safe space to talk about anxiety, relationships, isolation, loneliness and more.
For short-term care, Counseling and Psychological Services (CAPS) provides brief individual and group counseling, couples counseling and more. Currently, CAPS is still operating remotely. However, an announcement is being prepared about changes to CAPS for the fall semester and will be released soon, staff psychologist Jeff Kulley wrote in an email.
The Chronicle has also composed guides of local mental health resources for people of color and those in the LGBTQ+ community.
For self-care advice and mindfulness resources, DuWell helps students manage daily stress and improve happiness. They host Moments of Mindfulness activities in the Student Wellness Center, and fall 2021 activities begin Aug. 30.
For students looking to reach out to peers, Peer for You is a great resource. Peer for You’s peer responders are trained by CAPS and DuWell and can talk with students about anything from academic stress and homesickness to rush and student life. To get in touch with a peer responder, fill out this form.
The Women’s Center provides therapeutic services to survivors of gender violence, including sexual violence, intimate partner violence, stalking and both in-person and cyber sexual harassment. Services are available to all genders.
Lastly, Recreation & Physical Education provides programs to help students stay active and connect to fitness experts.
For more information about student health and wellness, please visit https://studentaffairs.duke.edu/.
Editor's note: An earlier version of this article included the phone number for CAPS rather than DukeReach. This has been corrected as of March 21, 2022.
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Katie Tan is a Trinity senior and digital strategy director of The Chronicle's 119th volume. She was previously managing editor for Volume 118.