During your time as a student, you may experience challenges that impact your emotional well-being or encounter situations that affect progress with academics, social development, or whole-health balance. Penn State World Campus offers resources and Case Management Services to assist in these circumstances.
World Campus Mental Health Case Management Services follow all professional and ethical standards and abide by state and federal laws. Information shared with Mental Health Case Management is held in the strictest confidence. Mental Health Case Managers will not release your Personal Health Information or discuss your unique situation with anyone without your consent, except in cases of significant risk of harm to self — including inability to care for basic needs, risk of harm to others, child abuse, adult protection, or elder abuse — or as required by federal or state laws.
Resources and Case Management Services
- Peer Groups and Organizations
- Online mental health screenings
- WellTrack Boost
- Thriving Campus
- Ginger Behavioral Health Coaching
- Case Management Services
Peer Groups and Organizations
Peer-based communities of inclusion and support can benefit students' well-being. Penn State World Campus students can join a variety of clubs, organizations, and affinity groups. Connect with others who share your identity as well as those having similar interests in your field of study, service initiatives, and other areas of importance. Explore the full list of available student organizations to see where you can become involved.
Online Mental Health Screenings
Confidential online screenings for a sampling of mental health concerns are available through the Penn State University Park Counseling and Psychological Services (CAPS) website. Screenings take only a few minutes, and results are immediate. No identifying information is collected, though you may opt to share your results with a local mental health professional or service provider for further evaluation. Screenings may help identify concerns with:
- depression
- bipolar disorder
- alcohol problems
- eating disorders
- generalized anxiety disorder
- post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD)
WellTrack Boost
If you are experiencing stress, anxiety, or depression, or hope to develop more resiliency, you can use WellTrack Boost, a self-help platform, to gain support through basic education, facilitated insight, and self-understanding. Penn State students can sign up for free, complete a self-assessment, and then participate in modules designed to address symptoms of depression, anxiety, and stress management while also building coping skills and resilience. WellTrack Boost also includes companion iOS and Android phone apps that can help you track your moods and improvements over time. Results can be shared with a provider if you choose. Sign up with WellTrack Boost to get started.
Thriving Campus
You can use Penn State's access to the Thriving Campus mental health provider database to find a provider in your area. The platform supplies a list of local providers and services, as well as those near other universities that use Thriving Campus. Providers in more than 40 states are listed on the platform. If you cannot find a provider via Thriving Campus, you can also use the Psychology Today provider database.
Ginger Behavioral Health Coaching
Ginger is a behavioral health platform that offers many services, including 24/7 access to personalized, text-based behavioral health coaching services. If professionally recommended, Ginger Services may also include up to 6 sessions of teletherapy. Penn State World Campus Student Affairs funds Ginger services for 3 months from the date of referral. If funding permits, students can take advantage of access to this service annually.
Coaching can support students with a variety of goals, such as:
- managing stress and anxiety
- having difficult conversations
- setting healthy boundaries
- increasing coping skills
- dealing with life changes
- grief support
- building or breaking habits
- relationship struggles
- improving communication skills
- setting academic, personal, or professional goals
Students interested in behavioral health coaching through Ginger should schedule an appointment with a Case Manager to get the process started. The Case Manager will review Ginger coaching criteria as well as identify additional options available for students based on their needs and goals. Students are typically able to get connected to a coach within a few days of being referred.
Case Management Services
Mental Health Case Managers help students assess their needs, identify options of support, and often help navigate access to the behavioral health service system. Case Management is not therapy; rather, it is a resource that can help you get connected to support within your local community. Services strive to enhance the well-being of all students through individual meetings, online self-care resources, educational activities and resources, and mental health awareness. Case Management can provide an array of programming to Penn State World Campus students, faculty, and staff related to mental health, well-being, and unique needs. Case Management focuses on all aspects of health and life when providing assessment to exemplify the importance of holistic wellness for all.
Case Management begins with a confidential phone consultation to identify stressors, strengths, challenges, and barriers, and then develops possible resource options — including programs, professional behavioral health services, and natural supports — that may be available in your community.
Schedule a Case Management Appointment Conversation
Use this form to schedule a 30-minute Case Management appointment or to request assessment for a referral to Ginger Behavioral Health Coaching.
Note that forms, emails, and phone lines are not monitored outside of business hours (Monday–Friday, 8:00 a.m.–5:00 p.m. ET) or during office closures. Visit our Contacts and Help page to find information about office closures. Any forms submitted outside of business hours or when our offices are closed will not be seen or reviewed until our offices re-open.
All Case Management appointments are scheduled using Eastern Time (ET) in the United States. Students who are located outside of the Eastern Time Zone in the U.S. and international students are responsible for converting their chosen appointment times to ET in order to connect with Case Management Services.
This form is NOT to be used for emergencies. If you need urgent or immediate support, please contact the 24/7 crisis resources listed on this page.
World Campus Mental Health and Wellbeing Case Management Scheduling Form
To access the form, use the following password: WCCMforms
Crisis and Emergency Services
If you have a crisis or safety concern and are within the United States, please call the Penn State Crisis Line at 1-877-229-6400 or text LIONS to 741741. You can also utilize your local crisis services or hospital for emergencies.
The National Suicide Prevention Line is accessible throughout the U.S. by calling or texting 988. Chat is also available at 988lifeline.org.
If you are located outside of the United States, please contact emergency services in your current location. You can also use the International Crisis and Emergency Services listings.
If you are a University Park student, view available CAPS locations. If you are located at another Penn State campus, you can search for counseling information at your campus.