• Brief assessment telephone appointment
• Routine appointments
• Urgent appointments
• Help with a referral 
• Consultation about concern for a student 
• After-hours services 
• Additional information

Telephone appointment

The first step for most students seeking CAPS services is a confidential phone conversation with a CAPS counselor. 
The purpose of the conversation is to clarify and assess
your needs, and explore options for next steps.

Schedule a "brief assessment" telephone appointment

For your convenience, we offer two ways to do this:

1.  Go online, using myGannett.

• Click on the blue myGannett button from any page on the Gannett website.
• Log on using your Cornell netid and password, then provide your birthdate.
• Select "Appointments" from the menu on the left side of the myGannett home page, and follow instructions from there.
• You will be given a variety of options for appointment dates and times.

2.  Call CAPS at 607 255-5155.

• Call during business hours; you will be directed to press #1 for CAPS.
• Most brief assessment phone appointments are scheduled for the same day, or the next day if your request has come in late in the day and there are no more appointments.

What to expect

At the scheduled appointment time, you will be asked to call CAPS for a 10 to 15 minute conversation with a CAPS counselor. The counselor will ask several questions about your situation and talk with you about available options that may be appropriate for you. These might include:

• Scheduling a routine appointment with a CAPS counselor (usually in 5 to 10 business days, depending on student demand) 
• Getting you into one of our CAPS groups, in which many students have found supportive and effective assistance for addressing their concerns
• Scheduling you for an urgent appointment if your need is more serious (usually in 1 to 3 business days)
• Referring you to another Cornell office for services 
  A number of Cornell offices and organizations provide services that can be very helpful in meeting particular needs.
• Referring you to a community mental health provider
  This can be a good option for people who want long-term therapy, prefer to have counseling off-campus, or want to begin a counseling relationship immediately during those times of year when CAPS has a waiting list. Many students appreciate the quality and convenience of Family and Children's Services, which is easy to get to downtown.

We rely on you to help us understand the nature and urgency of your needs. Please be as open as you can during this phone conversation. If you feel your concerns are an emergency, please let us know right away.

Routine appointments

Once assigned to a CAPS staff member, CAPS clients must call to schedule appointments. Please understand that routine appointments must be scheduled well in advance in order to find a time that works for both you and your therapist, psychiatrist, or nurse practitioner. During high stress times, it can take a while to get an appointment. We appreciate your patience.

Urgent appointments

In the event of a crisis, please call us, and identify the situation as an emergency. We are equipped to handle crisis situations on short notice. The receptionist will link you with a CAPS clinician who, after assessing the situation, will provide specific direction about what to do. During business hours, any student with an urgent need can walk in to CAPS and we will provide assistance.

Help with a referral

If you would like assistance with a referral to another Cornell department, outside mental health provider, agency, or treatment program, we may be able to assist. Call us to schedule a consultation appointment.

Consultation about concern for a student

If you would like to consult with a member of our staff about the welfare of a student, you may schedule a face-to-face or phone appointment.

After-hours services

We understand that concerns don't always arise during office hours, so we offer a couple of options for after hours services.

Brief assessment and consultation late day services

From 5 to 7 p.m., every Monday through Thursday during the academic year, two CAPS counselors are available at Gannett to talk with students and members of the community who are concerned about a student. To talk with one of these counselors:

• Call 607 255-5155
• Come in the Ho Plaza entrance to Gannett Health Services

After-hours urgent care and consultation

After-hours, on weekends, and during break periods, you can consult by phone with the Gannett health care provider on call: call 607 255-5155.

• In an emergency, call 911.

Additional information

You can find general information about making appointments, as well as other helpful tips about using the services we offer in Appointments & Access.