In an April 18 email sent to Brandeis students, Gilbert Hinga, interim director at the Brandeis Counseling Center, provided information regarding the BCC’s services for the last few weeks of the semester and during the summer vacation. 

With finals coming around the corner, the 2022-23 academic year coming to a close, and the transition away from college beginning for seniors, Hinga emphasized the importance of a “short-term stabilization model in order to provide services to as many students as we can.” 

In his email, Hinga asked students to call the BCC at the main number — 781-736-3730 — to schedule appointments. New students are welcomed but are required to complete an intake that includes a series of questions required for clinicians to better understand treatments for students. Currently, the BCC will not be able to provide full assessments for new students but encourages them to schedule brief consultations. It will also continue to offer 24/7 services with an on-call counselor during after hours. 

For long term and/or out-of-state summer services, the BCC has a partnership with Thriving Campus, a referral resource that allows for students to find providers who are not on campus based on their insurance and mental health needs. For more information and assistance, Hinga writes that there is a BCC case manager that could be reached by calling the BCC at the same number used to schedule appointments. 

Lastly, students are encouraged to check out Stressbuster, happening from May 1-16. Events range from dog therapy, grab’n go care packges, walk’n talks, to crafts and meditation. A more detailed schedule and description of what, where, and when specific events are happening can be found on BCC’s website under “Spotlight Events.” Videos, music playlists, podcasts, and other resources to help students with stress management can be found under the Brandeis Virtual Stressbusters website.