USC Wellness Resources
The USC community offers a number of resources to support all the major pillars of wellness: physical, emotional, social, spiritual, financial, academic and professional. Below are links to many of these that we encourage our students to explore.
USC Student Health
USC Student Health is dedicated to providing all of your basic primary care needs, as well as referrals to specialty care services such as dermatology, allergy and nutrition services. Schedule a primary care appointment for: Acute and chronic medical concerns, sick and Injury care, physical exams, preventative care, sexual and reproductive health care, including: STI (sexually transmitted infection) testing; pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) and post-exposure (PEP) prescription; birth control prescription, consultation and insertion/removal of long-acting reversible contraceptives (LARC devices); and a full range of reproductive health care consultation services, and transgender health.
Visits are available via TeleHealth and In-Person: Log in at My Student Health Record, MySHR to view available appointment times, or call 213-740-9355 (WELL) for assistance.
USC Recreational Supports / Fitness Center
The mission of USC Recreational Sports is to provide the university community the opportunity to pursue a balanced, healthy lifestyle through participation in recreational activities. The Fitness Center offers three state of the art fitness studios, a weight room featuring Hammer Strength benches & racks, and an extensive selection of ellipticals, bikes and treadmills. USC students in a degree-earning program receive a free membership for any semester in which they are enrolled at USC. Students can also participate in intramural sports for $25/semester. Fitness staff provides online workouts, fitness discussions, and other resources through our USC Trojan Fitness Channel as well.
Yoga USC
Yoga USC is a home base for all yoga related activities on the USC campus and virtually. It serves as a resource guide for existing departmental classes, an educational tool for greater understanding of yoga’s many benefits, and offers specialized classes designed to bring together students, faculty and staff.
Department of Public Safety
Emergency 213-740-4321
Non-Emergency 213-740-6000
LiveSafe Mobile Safety App: Immediate “push button” calls to either the Department of Public Safety or 9-1-1 for immediate response during an emergency; Anonymous messaging for reporting suspicious activity, crimes in progress, or any safety concerns, and SafeWalk allows for friends or family to virtually escort you from place to place.
The department’s primary mission is to provide a safe and secure environment on campus and in the local USC community that allows students, faculty, staff and campus visitors to realize their academic and social pursuits.
Student Health – Counseling and Mental Health Services for On-Campus Program Students
USC Counseling and Mental Health Services offers confidential services such as individual therapy, crisis support, psychiatric services, consultations, group counseling, and workshops. Make an appointment through MySHR or call 213-740-9355 (WELL).
Uwill Student Mental Health and Wellness for VAC Students
An independent student assistance program offering mental health solutions for all VAC Students.
The program allows students the ability to connect immediately with licensed available mental counselors based on their unique needs and preferences.
Relationship and Sexual Violence Prevention and Services (RSVP)
All services are confidential and trauma-informed. RSVP provides education, crisis support, advocacy, forensic exams, medical care, and mental health care for survivors. They work to prevent and respond to gender- and power-based harm (including sexual assault, intimate partner violence, and stalking)
If you or someone you know has an urgent need, please contact our Advocates 24/7/365 at 213-740-9355 (WELL). For any non-urgent questions about the office of Relationship and Sexual Violence Prevention and Services, please email us at eshcrsvp@usc.edu or call 213-740-9355 (WELL).
Ask Ari
The Ask Ari is a private and confidential USC app that gives students 24/7 access to self-reflection activities on wellbeing issues and offers referrals for local, online or campus resources. Students can talk to Ask Ari about habits, stress, sleep, mood, healthy communication, thriving, productivity, unhealthy thinking, relationships, goals, and much more.
Chat with Ask Ari at askari.usc.edu or download the Ask Ari app to a mobile device.
USC Chan Division of Occupational Science and Occupational Therapy Lifestyle Redesign Program
Lifestyle Redesign® is a type of occupational therapy that guides you through the process of creating habits and routines that are personally meaningful and health promoting. Our expert clinicians start with the basic principles of healthier lifestyles, and then help you create customized plans to achieving your health goals while supporting you every step of the way. Changing behaviors takes time, and is a complex process. But we know that lifestyle choices directly influence the state of our physical, mental, cognitive and emotional health. Examples of services provided includes Lifestyle Redesign from Autism Spectrum Disorder, Chronic Headaches, College Students, Health Coaching, Mental Health, etc.
Must live in California to receives services. Can schedule a free 15 minute consultation meeting through MyShr or get a referral from your physician. $15 co-pay with school insurance and most PPOs. $100 / session if no insurance or part of a HMO. Sessions are 50 minutes. Provides in-person and virtual sessions.
USC Psychological Service Center
The Psychology Services Center (PSC) is committed to providing cutting-edge, empirically supported therapy and assessment to the community. They have 3 inter-related aims:
to provide high-quality training for doctoral students in the clinical science program of the Department of Psychology at USC, to provide high quality and affordable services to individuals in the Los Angeles area, and to support research that enhances our understanding of, and treatments for, psychological issues. You can call 213-740-1600 for more information or to schedule an initial screening. All services are provided using a secure video-conferencing platform. The standard fee for individual, couples', or family therapy is $20/session. The first consultation session is always $20. They will scale the fee lower in extreme circumstances of financial hardship. The standard fee for group therapy is $5/session. If you are an older adult receiving Medicare, you may qualify for financial hardship.
Trojans Care 4 Trojans (TC4T)
USC Trojans Care for Trojans (TC4T) is an initiative within the Office of Campus Wellbeing and Crisis Intervention that empowers USC students, faculty and staff to take action when they are concerned about a fellow Trojan challenged with personal difficulties. This private and anonymous request form provides an opportunity for Trojans to help a member of our Trojan Family.
Hillel USC
USC Hillel is committed to enhancing student well-being and cultivating a healthy community through our Bradley Sonnenberg Wellness Initiative. The initiative focuses on physical and mental health programs, including one-on-one professional counseling as well as peer-to-peer support. This ensures that any student who comes to Hillel, regardless of religious identity, receives services to meet their needs, with an eventual goal of developing a roadmap to healthier experiences.
The professional counseling services are completely free of charge and available to all in-state USC students. They offer approximately 12 sessions. Students can schedule weekly sessions or drop-in sessions as needed. To schedule an appointment, contact Olivia Einbund at olivia@uschillel.org.
USC Suzanne Dworak-Peck School of Social Work Student Caucuses & Interest Groups
Caucuses are recognized student organizations within the USC Suzanne Dworak-Peck School of Social Work that promote awareness of specific constituencies and special interests, service to the community and leadership development through professional, educational, social and community events. Student caucuses enable members to organize effectively and empower themselves through a collective voice.
Currently active caucuses and interest groups: Asian Pacific Islander Social Work Caucus, Association of Student Nurse Practitioners, Black Social Work Caucus, Clinical Social Work Caucus, Forensic Social Work Caucus, International Social Work Caucus, Jewish Social Work Caucus, Latinx Social Work Caucus, Military Social Work Caucus, Mind Body Social Work Caucus, Queer Alliance Social Work Caucus, Social Work and the Arts Caucus, Trauma Response and Recovery Social Work Caucus, Unchained Scholars, and the Phi Alpha Honor Society.
Student Equity and Inclusion Programs
Student Equity and Inclusion Programs consists of Asian Pacific American Student Services, Center for Black Cultural and Student Affairs, First Generation Plus Success Center, Latinx/Chicanx Center for Advocacy and Student Affairs, LGBTQ+ Student Center, Student Basic Needs and the Veterans Resource Center. SEIP facilitates dialogue, community-building and leads campus-wide equity and inclusion initiatives that impact the student experience.
The USC Veterans Resource Center
The VRC enhances the individual and academic success of veterans, service members, and their families. The Veterans Resource Center is committed to supporting the veteran community in the areas of higher education, academic success, graduation, career development, and wellbeing. The center offers opportunities to excel academically through services like a study space and computer stations.
Office of Religious & Spiritual Life
The Office of Religious and Spiritual Life sponsors a number of programs with moral, religious, or spiritual focus and provides opportunities for exploring the spiritual dimensions of life and learning. They have also compiled a list of places for reflection and worship on the USC campus. The Center offers a variety of programming and services such as 12 step recovery programs, meditation groups, grief support groups, community connection opportunities, and so much more.
Hillel USC
USC Hillel is the Center of Jewish Life at USC, engaging over 1,500 unique students annually. Hillel offers a welcoming, inclusive, and pluralistic environment, a nurturing space to build strong Jewish community, and an emphasis on peer-to-peer relationship building among an actively engaged student base. USC Hillel strives to create a balanced offering of programming across our core pillars of Leadership Development, Building Community, Ritual and Spiritual Life, Social Justice, Israel Engagement and Education, and Holistic Wellness.
Mindful USC
The mission is to empower the USC community to make positive change in the world by building a culture of mindfulness and compassion. It offers ongoing training, practice groups and special events throughout USC. Mindfulness practices help us to be aware of ourselves in ways that lead to stress reduction and workplace happiness. They increase attentiveness in the classroom, deepen the quality of teaching and learning, and encourage creativity and innovation. They improve our ability to collaborate effectively and they enhance physical and mental wellness.
USC Financial Aid Office
USC Financial Aid office helps you make the most of your investment in graduate education. They will guide you through the process of determining your budget, reviewing and understanding the types of awards in your Financial Aid Summary and obtaining the funds included in your summary.
USC Suzanne Dworak-Peck Workforce Development Stipend and Scholarship Programs
The workforce development and scholarship programs at the USC Suzanne Dworak-Peck School of Social Work offer MSW students the opportunity to specialize in an area of practice where there is a high need for qualified social workers. Students receive a financial incentive in the form of a stipend or scholarship that requires workforce development responsibilities during the MSW program and after graduation. Stipend/scholarship recipients benefit from specialized curriculum and field placements.
USC Career Center- Personal Financing
Services include money management advice, straightforward budgeting tools, and personalized help on student loans as well as resources and links to USC’s on-line scholarship system. Students can gain understanding on how to manage their personal finances before, during, and after college.
USC Student Basic Needs Program
The Student Basic Needs department fosters a culture of holistic well-being by helping to eliminate life barriers, such as food, housing, and economic injustice, that may jeopardize student academic and personal success. This program provides access to the campus food pantry, helps students apply for Cal-Fresh, can provide meal slips, and other resources. The center also provides resources for local shelters and can provide small emergency grants for rent assistance.
Kortschak Center for Learning and Creativity (KCLC)
The Kortschak Center for Learning and Creativity (KCLC) serves individuals with diverse learning needs to empower students to reach their full academic and creative potential. KCLC offers outreach, programming and individual coaching services to USC students. Drop-in coaching sessions and workshops are open to all students both on-campus and virtually. All services are free of charge.
The Writing Center
The USC Writing Center’s mission is to empower students, faculty, and staff by supporting their development of writing and critical thinking skills. The Writing Center pursues its mission through individual consultations, in-class workshops, and a large roster of handouts and instructional videos. Consultants work with writers at every skill level and every stage of the process, from interpreting an assignment to producing a final draft. Writers may attend two appointments per week. The two appointments may not be on the same day, and writers must complete the first appointment before booking a second. The Writing Center staff does not proofread, but we will teach writers how to edit their work and make preferred corrections/changes. All of the Writing Center’s services are free.
Office of Student Accessibility Services
Office of Student Accessibility Services (OSAS) is the unit at USC responsible for ensuring equal access for students with disabilities in compliance with state and federal law. OSAS serves undergraduate, graduate and professional students; on-ground and on-line students; and students in all credit-granting courses and programs of study.
USC Office of the Ombuds
The office of the Ombuds is here if you are experiencing a university-related concern, conflict, or challenging situation. The office is open to all members of the USC community with a campus related issue. The Ombuds team provides confidential consultation, mediation services, and conflict and communication coaching.
Campus Wellbeing and Crisis Intervention (CWCI)
A one stop shop serving the entire USC community. It addresses concerns and questions, and provides support, trouble-shooting, threat assessment, advocacy, education, referrals and crisis response and support. CWCI provides support, connection to resources, student healthy leave of absence, advocacy, consultation, crisis support and response.
USC TROJAN GUARDIAN SCHOLARS PROGRAM (TGS)
CONTACT: Sara Jimenez McSweyn, LCSW USC Suzanne Dworak-Peck School of SOWK mcsweyn@usc.edu
The Trojan Guardian Scholars Center, housed at USC’s Suzanne Dworak-Peck School of Social Work, welcomes all current and former foster youth attending USC. The goal of TSG is to increase the number of foster youth who apply to all colleges in the region and ensure they thrive once they are there. Services include: assistance applying for financial aid, help identifying and maintaining scholarships, budget workshops and financial counseling, potential year- round on-campus housing, supplemental academic mentoring, registration and enrollment assistance, referrals to health and counseling services, internship, fellowship, and career counseling, peer mentoring, social events and opportunities to connect/build community and feel included at USC.
The Office for Equity, Equal Opportunity, and Title IX (EEO-TIX)
(213) 740-5086
The Office of Equity, Equal Opportunity, and Title IX (EEO-TIX) offers resources and resolution options for addressing reports of protected class discrimination, harassment, and retaliation, as well as for education, training, and proactive partnerships that promote equity and civil rights.
USC Career Center
Provides career development tools and support with discovering what you can do with your degree, help with creating your resume and cover letter, help with finding employment while in school and after graduation, and career coaching. Provides a career advisor specifically for graduate and doctoral students and both in-person and virtual 30 minutes consultation sessions. Also has 15 minutes drop-in sessions available to all students. This is a free service for all students.
USC Suzanne Dworak-Peck School of Social Worker Career Development
We are committed to helping our students prepare for life post-graduation by providing help with the job search, resume writing, interviewing, and more! Student can also explore the job board for current job listings. Online career resources and career workshops can also be found.
USC VAC Student Career Support
Virtual USC graduate students can meet with a career coach virtually for 30-minute appointments to discuss practicum preparation, career exploration, job and internship search, and more! Career material reviews for resume, cover letter, and LinkedIn profiles are also available. Online career resources, career workshops, recruiting events, and a job board can be found on the Career Engagement Network and the self-paced online career course can be found on the CEN Plus. Weekly orientation and drop in sessions are also available, and all services are free for students and alumni 6 months post-graduation. For scheduling or more information, email careerservices@msw.usc.edu.
Lifeline Number 988 has been designated as the new three-digit dialing code that will route callers to the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline (now known as the 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline), and is now active across the United States. When people call, text, or chat 988, they will be connected to trained counselors that are part of the existing Lifeline network. These trained counselors will listen, understand how their problems are affecting them, provide support, and connect them to resources if necessary. The previous Lifeline phone number (1-800-273-8255) will always remain available to people in emotional distress or suicidal crisis.
Addiction Hotline 877-226-3111
Eating Disorder Hotline 844-228-2962
Self-Harm Hotline 877-455-0628
Depression Hotline 888-640-5174
Sexual Assault Hotline 800-656-4673
Trans Lifeline 877-565-8860
Trevor Project 866-488-7386
Domestic Violence Hotline 800-799-7233