We are on the northwest corner of campus, close to the high-rise residence halls. See Campus Map.
The University Wellness Center is open 8 a.m. - 5 p.m., Monday through Friday during the academic year, with reduced service hours during the summer semester.
We can serve you best through an appointment, as this lets us work with available appointment times and your schedule. We do provide walk-in triage services for students in crisis (counseling) or with urgent clinical needs.
Call Wellness Services at 660.562.1348 during office hours. Call as early in the day as you can to schedule.
For medical emergencies, always call 911 for assistance, either on or off-campus.
Wellness Services will file all student insurance plans with the exception of out-of-state Medicaid. We advise students to reach out to their insurance carriers to make sure our office is considered in-network.
Students will be responsible for procedure, lab work, injection and medication charges that aren't covered by insurance. These charges will be sent to Student Account Services and will display on your monthly bill. However, office visit charges (the evaluation and management portion of the visit - consultation, diagnosis and treatment recommendations) that are not covered by insurance are covered by the designated fee that is paid alongside your tuition.
In order for Wellness Services to file your claim we will need to have a copy of your insurance card on file. We ask that you bring your card with you or provide it to us within 48 hours of your visit. This can be done by faxing us a copy (please fax both sides of your card to 660.562.1585) or by bringing your card to Wellness Services for us to make a copy. Wellness Services will ask for a new scan of your card each semester.
EOB stands for "Explanation of Benefits."
It is important to carefully read the EOB when you receive it. Your health insurer sends this document to you after you receive healthcare services. Remember, this is not a bill. Reviewing your EOB is a big step in preventing healthcare fraud and medical identity theft. If you find inaccuracies in this form, you should contact the medical provider and your health insurer's customer service.
Being out-of-network means that we are not contracted with your insurance company at this time. Regardless of whether we are in or out-of-network, we will bill your insurance company on your behalf. Your insurance carrier may not cover services provided at Wellness Services, or may cover them at a reduced rate (for example, they may only pay 50% of the bill, rather than 80%). Again, talk to your insurance carrier before you arrive at Northwest so you know whether services will be covered by insurance.
Once we are denied payment from your insurance carrier (that is, you have not met your deductible, we are out-of-network, or the services delivered were not covered by your insurance company), we will bill your student account and you will be responsible for payment of all services not covered by your insurance or the designated fee.
Students often come to Counseling with the kinds of concerns and interests listed below:
Individual counseling sessions are typically 45-minutes in length and can be scheduled by calling 660.562.1348. Staff members can help students explore, understand, and work through concerns and challenges on a one-to-one basis. Individual personal counseling can help students find alternatives, expand choices and overcome obstacles that interfere with personal development, a sense of well-being and academic success.
We are available to consult with students, faculty and staff for:
Our outreach programming represents our commitment to reach out beyond our office walls to the Northwest community. In presenting our educational workshops, seminars, classroom presentations, and events we have the goal of helping Northwest students to be resilient and self-aware as possible. If we can help students learn about stress management and positive psychology before they get too stressed-out; about eating problems before they get too caught up in their diets; about getting help for depression before they've been depressed all semester; then we can help them prevent small problems from becoming larger.
We make presentations and facilitate discussions in residence halls, academic classes, student organizations, and faculty/staff groups. Upon request, we will gladly create specific programs geared toward improvement of the mental health and overall success of our campus community. In the past, requested topics have included stress management, positive psychology, understanding depression, guidelines for healthy relationships, how to help a distressed student, motivation, and dealing with grief/loss.
Appointments may be made by calling 660.562.1348 or by coming to Wellness Services. Because we believe so much in the value of face-to-face relationships, we do not counsel through e-mail or telephone.
Counseling sessions generally last about 45 minutes for individual therapy. A Consultation is the first appointment scheduled with Wellness Services for counseling. During this session, the counselor and student assess the concerns, needs and goals presented and explore avenues for resolution.
If you have an emergency, please contact one of the following resources:
What do most people come in to talk about?
There is no one thing that people come in to talk about. Overall, the most commonly identified concerns are relationships, stress/anxiety, depression, and family issues yet there is a wide range of other issues that students cope with as well.
How do I get placed with a counselor?
Initial appointments are scheduled based on appointment availability. If at any time you wish to switch counselors, just indicate you'd like to do so when scheduling your next appointment.
Who will know that I'm being seen at Wellness Services?
If you are 18 years of age or older, you are no longer considered a minor. Therefore, your records will be kept confidential and we will not speak about you with anyone else, without your written permission, unless we're concerned that you present a psychological or physical danger to yourself or others, in cases of child/elder abuse or neglect, or in the rare instances when a court of law could subpoena Counseling records.
What if I'm concerned that I'll take away time from someone who REALLY needs it?
We are here for any student who has a desire to learn and grow. Everyone is welcome to seek our services.
I'm not so sure I need counseling...what happens if I change my mind?
We encourage students who are not sure to come in and give it try. Sometimes one visit is all that is needed to gain a new perspective on a problem or to find out about another resource that could be of better help. Most of the time, students find that the whole experience is not as bad as they thought and they find it pretty helpful!
