UCS Mental Health Navigators are mental health clinicians who have specialized knowledge about health insurance, the various mental health resources available on campus and within the Iowa City community and how to navigate the process of accessing mental health care. 

Mental Health Navigators can:

  •  Talk with you about your insurance coverage and help you call your insurance company. 
  • Offer assistance to learn about different referral options and curate a specialized list of referrals that meet your needs.
  • Help you schedule the first appointment.
  • Follow up with you to make sure you’re getting the help you need. 

We offer an initial appointment to discuss your concerns and determine how best to meet your needs. This is not therapy, but we can support by providing bridging care you as you look for services that are going to best fit your needs. We understand this can be a daunting process and we are here to support you.

Why schedule with a UCS Mental Health Navigator?
  • You might be looking for longer-term, open-ended, or a specific type of therapy not available at UCS, and would like to connect with a therapist in the Iowa City community or surrounding area.
  • Due to special requirements for care, ineligibility for our services, or other reasons, your UCS counselor may decide that a referral to another agency or service provider would be most beneficial. The UCS counselor may offer you several referral options or invite you to meet with our Mental Health Navigators.
  • You are uncertain of your insurance coverage and would like assistance exploring potential costs for mental health care.
  • You would like assist with referrals for psychological testing or more specialized mental health services. This may include testing for ADHD or Autism Spectrum Disorder, gender affirming care, eating disorder treatment or substance use disorder treatment.

What happens during a Mental Health Navigation appointment?

During a Mental Health Navigation appointment, one of our Mental Health Navigators will meet with you and discuss the following things:

· What you’re looking for in therapy or mental health services.

· Your preferences in a therapist (identities, location, mode of appointment)

  • Your health insurance information. The Mental Health Navigator can call your insurance with you so that you know what services are covered and what your financial obligation might be for seeing a community provider.
  • The Mental Health Navigator will then send you a list of therapists in the community that might be a good fit and have openings for new clients; the Mental Health Navigator will also follow up to see if you are experiencing any barriers to getting connected.
  • The Mental Health Navigator can also provide support while you are waiting to connect with a community therapist; it is not ongoing therapy, but can be some helpful support for the "in between time" to provide a bridge in your care.

How do I schedule a Mental Health Navigation appointment?

In order to schedule an appointment with one of our Mental Health Navigators, please call 319-335-7294.

I want to search for a therapist on my own, but I’m not sure where to start.

If you’d like to pursue open-ended or specialized mental health services on your own and plan to use your own insurance, UCS maintains a searchable database of local mental health providers. You can use the Community Provider Database (CPD) to search for non-University employee private mental health care providers in the communities surrounding the University of Iowa. Provider profiles are completed and updated independently of UCS and are not endorsed by The University of Iowa.

 

For more information on finding a provider in the community, please consider reviewing our guide to finding a therapist in the community.

Find Community Providers