Prevention & Population Health
Call 911 or visit your nearest emergency room if you are currently experiencing a life-threatening situation or if your safety is at risk. Call 988 to reach the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline. Learn more about Emergency + After Hours Care.
University Health Services is dedicated to educating and supporting students throughout their academic careers in search of a healthy foundation for success well beyond time spent in Aggieland. Our Prevention & Population Health strives to support students before needs become crises. Initiatives range from public health communications campaigns to vaccine clinics. We collaborate with campus and community partners to bring our students the most up-to-date information in forums and through platforms accessible to students. Upcoming event details may be accessed on our calendar, and regularly scheduled or ongoing campaigns are detailed below.
Events
University Health Services offers students easy access to receive an influenza (flu) vaccine through its annual flu vaccine clinic program. Flu information, including the appointment scheduling link, can be found on our flu page.
University Health Services is proud to host Von's Vision for Texas A&M University students! Von's Vision provides undergraduate students the opportunity to receive a comprehensive eye exam and a pair of prescription glasses at no cost.
Initiatives
University Health Services offers a variety of suicide awareness and prevention resources and services for individuals, programs, departments, and student groups. Knowing the warning signs of suicide is important in helping someone who may be at risk. By coming together to raise awareness, reduce stigma and offer support, we all can contribute to suicide awareness and prevention efforts at Texas A&M University.
The Let’s Talk program is an outreach initiative that meets and engages students in conversation in an environment that feels safe and empowering to them. By providing this preventive care, Let’s Talk intends to positively contribute to the mental health and wellness of our diverse students as well as to their retention and graduation rates.
Current Let's Talk locations include:
- International Student & Scholar Services
- LGBTQ+ Pride Center
- Department of Multicultural Services
- Hotard HallLearn more about Let's Talk and upcoming availability.
Public Health Information
Creating a healthy campus community requires accurate, updated information related to timely health topics. View information on coronavirus, influenza and mpox.
Outreach
University Health Services contributes to a healthy campus environment through community awareness, stigma reduction and education to foster emotional wellbeing, working collaboratively and innovatively with the larger campus community. Outreach opportunities include:
- Panel participation
- Presentations
- Resource tables
- Student project
- Consultation/Research
- Interviews (non-journalistic)
- Resource tables
Outreach content may span a wide array of health and wellness-related topics or focus on raising awareness of University Health Services resources, services and opportunities. To request a University Health Services presentation, resource table, or other outreach offering, complete an outreach request at least three weeks in advance and ensure at least 10 participants will be in attendance.
Please note that all media inquiries should be directed to University Health Services Marketing & Communications.
Initiate a Request
Request University Health Services personnel presence for a resource table, presentation and more through an outreach request. NOTE: All media inquiries should be directed to University Health Services Marketing & Communications.
Outreach RequestResources
Access health brochures covering a multitude of topics below.
- A Good Night's Sleep
- Acne Self-Care
- Alcohol Use
- Birth Control: Choosing a Method
- Dealing with Depression
- Drug Use
- Eating 101
- Eating Disorders
- HIV and AIDS
- How to Help a Friend with a Drinking Problem
- HPV
- Immunizations
- Know Your Status: Getting Yourself Tested for HIV
- Man to Man: Tips for Healthy Living for Men Who Have Sex with Men
- Managing the Common Cold
- Meningococcal Disease on Campus
- Mono: Symptoms and Treatment
- Recuperating from Stomach Illness
- Safer Sex
- Sexual Violence
- Sexually Transmitted Infections
- Sprains, Strains, and Overuse Injuries
- Stress in College
- Woman to Woman: Tips for Healthy Living for Women Who Have Sex with Women
If you believe that someone's life is in danger, call 911.
- Tell Somebody: Anyone (students, faculty/staff, family) can submit a Tell Somebody report if they are concerned about an Aggie.
- Stop Hate: Hate is not an Aggie value. Individuals may use the online report form to report hate/bias incidents.
- Suicide Prevention Training: Students and Faculty/Staff can participate in Suicide Awareness & Prevention Training.
- Student Assistance Services: Student Assistance Services can conduct Student Welfare Checks among other services.
For additional resources, reference the Texas A&M University Division of Student Affairs Concerning Behavior Response Guide and the Marie Christie Institute Fall 2021 Faculty Guide on Student Mental Health.
Consultation
University Health Services counselors are available to consult with staff/faculty, family, and friends who may be concerned about a student. Consultations may occur in-person at the CAPS office or over the phone. During consultations, University Health Services counselors maintain the confidentiality of students who are clients to the fullest extent of the law.
Virtual At-Risk Intervention Training
Kognito At-Risk is a 45-minute, online, interactive gatekeeper intervention training program that teaches students, faculty, and staff how to identify individuals exhibiting signs of psychological distress, including depression; approach individuals to discuss their concerns; and make referrals to Texas A&M Counseling and Psychological Services and other community resources. There are two versions you can use: At-Risk Peer Training & At-Risk for Faculty & Staff.
Supporting a Friend:
The National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI) provides an excellent resource titled, "Want to Know How to Help a Friend?""
Active Minds provides multiple resources for supporting our friends.
The Jed Foundation provides an informative resource titled, "Help a Friend in Need".
Frequently used forms have been assembled in a repository for your convenience.
How to respond when a student, faculty, or staff suffers a death, tragedy, or accident
First and foremost, please do not hesitate to call University Health Services at 979-458-4584 or Student Assistance Services at 979-845-3113 to help guide you through this process.
Suggestions for the group impacted by the tragedy:
- Share the information that is known.
- Please understand that with social media and other forms of communication, we do not always have all of the information. In the case of a death, the family needs to be notified before information can be released.
- Offer a future gathering space that may include:
- A place to relax and feel supported.
- Structured activities (letter writing to family, sharing of stories, pet therapy, etc.). Please contact Student Assistance Services regarding the process for sending letters to family.
- Possibly inviting different professionals to help facilitate a discussion related to the grief process, such as a counselor from University Health Services, someone that is faith based and connected to the impacted group, and/or someone that is directly related to the group whose presence would be helpful.
- Share resources. These university departments play key roles:
- Student Assistance Services: Though they do not offer university excused absences, Student Assistance Services can offer support and guidance in addition to helping guide the process of communicating with professors. Student Assistance Services also can help to connect with University Health Services.
- University Health Services
- University Health Services has counselors available during regular work hours (8 a.m. - 4 p.m. Monday - Friday) for scheduled appointments as well as crisis intervention counselors if needed.
- HelpLine (979) 845-2700 is an after-hours mental health service that operates during the academic year.
- University Health Services counselors can go out to groups to help process grief and loss reactions upon request.
- Critical Incident Response Team (CIRT): Anytime that the University Police Department is called regarding a student accident, hospitalization, and/or death, a member of the CIRT team responds and shares campus resources to those impacted.
These Grief Guidelines can help you in your leadership role.
A variety of clinics offer sexually transmitted infection (STI) testing for students.
University Health Services Lab
A.P. Beutel Health Center
(979) 458-8333
Testing Hours: Monday - Friday, 8am - 4:30pm
Self-Referral Tests Available: HIV, Syphilis, Chlamydia and Gonorrhea
All other tests need provider appointments. Schedule online.
Brazos County Health District
201 N. Texas Ave., Bryan, TX 77803
(979) 361-4440
To find testing information, visit brazoshealth.org.
Texas Department of State Health Services
(254) 778-6744
Call to find next local testing opportunity.
Self-Help for Common Concerns
Just like your physical health, your mental health matters. Utilize the resources below to learn more about common concerns college students face. These resources are intended for convenience and information. This is not a substitute for evaluation by a mental health professional.
Anxiety
Anxiety is a human emotion—everyone feels it. Anxiety can sometimes be motivating and help people take action or avoid dangerous situations. But when anxiety starts to impair day-to-day function, it becomes problematic.
Career Exploration
When thinking about what career field to go into, there are many things that can be helpful to consider, such as your career interests, skills, values, and personality characteristics.
Conquering Exams
Having a good study plan might be helpful in reducing the stress and anxiety that you may be feeling.
Depression
Depression does not have a singular cause. It can be the result of difficult life circumstances, trauma, and/or genetic inheritance. Depression may also begin with seemingly no cause at all.
Gratitude
Among other things, gratitude is recognizing and acknowledging the support, help, and affirmation that we received from others.
Grief
Mourning the loss of a close friend or relative takes time, but research tells us that it can also be the catalyst for a renewed sense of meaning that offers purpose and direction to life.
Healthy Lifestyle
Covering a variety of health and wellness topics including alcohol, interpersonal violence prevention, nutrition, stress and relaxation, and more.
Journal Writing
Among its many benefits, journal writing helps us to manage stress, process difficult experiences, gain insight, boost our mood, and engage in problem solving.
Meditation
For centuries, practitioners have tapped into meditation to focus the mind, reconnect mind and body, get in touch with surroundings, and generally self-soothe.
Mental Health & Welness Apps
There are many mental health and wellness apps. We’ve collected a few to provide support for fitness, meditation, anxiety, mindfulness, cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) and more.
Motivation
It’s common for people to experience fluctuations in motivation levels. While it’s normal to go through periods with little to no motivation, it can be frustrating when there are things you need to get done!
Relationships
In healthy relationships, people feel connected with each other while still having a sense of autonomy and independence. Individuals are able to express their needs, wants, and concerns with one another, and everyone’s rights and boundaries are respected.
Self-Compassion
Self-compassion is the practice of showing oneself kindness, recognizing that we are not alone in our struggles, and engaging in mindfulness.
Sleep
Sleep is a crucial element of success in college. It influences our ability to learn and recall information – two of the most important tasks students find themselves facing.
TELUS Health Student Support App
Take care of your mental health using the My Student Support Program. Download the TELUS Health Student Support app to text, cal, or video chat with professional counselors in multiple languages.