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Finding Mental Health Care Off Campus
Resources & Information to Find an Off-Campus Mental Health Provider
Students seeking weekly, longer-term, or specialized support may choose to see a mental healthcare provider off campus. Many providers offer therapy and medication management services in Cambridge and across the Greater Boston Area and routinely work with Harvard students.
CAMHS Access Coordinators can support you in connecting with providers who have availability and align with your goals, preferences, and treatment needs. They can also help you understand your insurance benefits and find providers who are in-network with your plan or otherwise accessible to your budget.
There are two ways to receive individualized support to find a provider:
- Schedule an initial phone consult with CAMHS. During the consult, an Access Coordinator will review options with you and share more about the steps associated with connecting with off-campus care.
- Send a message to the “CAMHS Community Therapy Referral” mailbox through your HUHS Patient Portal. You will be prompted to complete an inquiry form, and after reviewing it, an Access Coordinator will follow up with a list of options.
Online Databases
If you prefer to explore options on your own, you can use one of the following online databases:
ThrivingCampus
ThrivingCampus is a database of mental health providers who support college and graduate students. Filter by your insurance to see therapists in-network with your plan. Students on the Harvard Student Health Insurance Plan should select “Blue Cross Blue Shield” as their insurance.
Additional Therapist Databases
Off-Campus Support FAQs
What costs are associated with off-campus care?
Students enrolled in the Harvard BCBS Student Health Insurance Plan can have therapy with a participating BCBS provider during their enrollment year. If you choose an in-network provider, your first 8 appointments have no co-payment, and visits 9+ are ordinarily $35 per appointment.
If you are covered by your family’s or partner’s insurance plan, you may need to consult with that plan about eligibility and participating mental health providers in your local area. For further information, call HUSHP Member Services at (617) 495-2008.
If you are enrolled in a different insurance plan, you will need to contact your insurance carrier directly to learn more about your benefits and potential out-of-pocket costs.
How many providers should I reach out to?
Think of the initial search as “casting a wide net.” It is best to identify a minimum of 5 therapists and reach out to all of them, even if you are not sure whether they will be the right fit. Reaching out to several therapists to start also increases the likelihood that you will find a provider who has openings that align with your availability.
How should I reach out to providers of interest?
If you are interested in working with a provider, you can reach out to them via the phone number listed on their profile, or you can send them a message. Here is a template you can use:
“My name is ____, and I am a student at Harvard University. I am currently seeking a therapist who would be in-network with my insurance plan, _____. Some areas I would like to focus on include ____________. Please let me know if you have availability in your practice for new clients and, if so, whether we could schedule a time to discuss working together. You can reach me by phone at ___________ or via email at _____________. I look forward to hearing from you.”
What is the difference between PhD, PsyD, LICSW, and LMHC providers?
Licensed, trained therapists can have various types of degrees and licenses (PhD, PsyD, LICSW, LMHC). The patient-therapist connection is generally a better predictor of outcomes rather than the therapist’s degree. Psychiatrists (MDs and Nurse Practitioners) typically prescribe and manage medication and do not provide regular therapy.
How do I know if a therapist is a good fit for me?
Once you hear back from someone with an opening, you can choose to set up an initial phone call or first meeting. This will allow you to get a better sense of the therapist’s style, personality, and whether they have experience with the concerns you are hoping to address in therapy.
If you hear back from multiple providers, it is okay to speak with a couple of different therapists first to assess fit before choosing one to work with.
Sometimes, it may take a few visits to really know if a therapist is the right fit for you. Don’t be afraid to get started with someone, even if you’re not 100% sure. You can always look for a new therapist if needed and continue to work with the previous therapist for support in the interim.
What if I need more support with the search?
Access Coordinators remain in dialogue with students through the process of finding a provider in the community. Students can send questions or request further support by sending the Access Coordinator a secure message on the HUHS Patient Portal. Access Coordinators may also schedule a visit at CAMHS with those students who would benefit from additional hands-on support with the search.