For college students with mental health disabilities, additional challenges may be presented in balancing personal and academic responsibilities. Research has shown students with mental health disabilities experience poorer academic performance, higher attrition rates, and a lack of satisfaction with the college experience as compared to their counterparts. At the AAC/SDS, nearly half of our students with disabilities have the following diagnoses:
- Major Depressive Disorder
- Anxiety Disorders
- Addiction and Substance Use Disorders
- Bipolar Affective Disorder
- Borderline Personality Disorder
- Schizophrenia
- Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder
AAC/SDS Accommodations and Services:
The City College of New York is required to provide academic adjustments and auxiliary aids for students with mental health disabilities as outlined in various disability access laws. To access the services, students with mental health disabilities must register with the AAC/SDS. AAC/SDS professional staff work individually with students while utilizing a holistic approach to understanding students’ needs and provide them with tailored accommodations, personal counseling, academic support, and referrals. A student with a mental health disability may require accommodations for equal access purposes. A number of accommodations, listed below (this list is not exhaustive), are available to help students with mental health disabilities, but please note all accommodations are determined on individual impact of the disability.
Classroom Accommodations:
Priority registration: When a student is registered with the AAC/SDS, they are permitted to register for the following semester on the first day of the enrollment period. Students are then able to build a schedule that is mindful of all their mental health needs. Please note that all holds must be cleared from your account and students need to meet with their advisor prior to registering for their classes.
Preferential seating: Student is allowed to sit where they will be most comfortable, such as near an exit, making it easier to leave class if necessary.
Permit breaks: Student is permitted to take a break if needed.
Recording lectures: Student may record the classroom lecture and listen to it later.
Early access to course content: Student may receive early availability of course materials.
Verification of disability-related absences and/or Flexibility with assignment deadlines: Student may miss class/deadlines due to an exacerbation in their symptoms. Student will need to provide their AAC/SDS counselor with documentation from a licensed clinician. Once received, the AAC/SDS will determine if a letter of verification is provided to the faculty. Please note: The student is not excused from meeting course requirements and continues to be responsible for all work and assignments that were missed and will negotiate deadlines with AAC/SDS counselor and faculty.
Exam Accommodations:
Extended time for testing: Student may receive exam accommodations due to the impact of the mental health disability.
Exams administered in a reduced distraction environment: Student may take an exam in a quiet and non-distracting room.
Permit breaks: Student is permitted to break during the exam without penalty of time.
CCNY Mental Health and Psychological Resources:
Counseling Center: Counseling Center provides short-term, student-centered and culturally informed psychological services from a modern and integrative theoretical orientation, treating all students with respect and recognition of their unique strengths.
Emergencies and Crises on Campus:
If you, or someone you are assisting, is experiencing a life-threatening emergency: Call Public Safety at 212-650-7777
If a student is experiencing a psychiatric crisis, a staff member at the AAC/SDS may refer the student to the Northwell Health College Partnership located at the Zucker Hillside Hospital. This unique program works with undergraduate and graduate students affected by acute mental health issues and provides confidential emergency transport, mental health assessment, and treatment. At the Zucker Hillside Hospital, there is a post-hospitalization outpatient services for college students.*
*Please note: these community mental health resources were assembled for the purpose of assisting students with seeking out mental health/psychological treatment, evaluation, and testing. CCNY and the AAC/SDS do not endorse the services of these agencies and programs but provide this information for reference purposes and the convenience of students.
Psychiatric Hospital near CCNY:
Weill Cornell Psychiatry at New York Presbyterian
Services: Provides contemporary therapeutic and pharmacologic care that is available to treat mood, anxiety, attention deficit, personality, and other disorders. Clients can receive psychiatric evaluations by a qualified mental health therapist or psychiatrist. Services available for both inpatient and outpatient settings.
Location: 525 East 68th Street, New York, NY 10065
Phone Number: 646-962-2820
Outpatient Mental Health Services near CCNY:
Dean Hope Center for Educational and Psychological Services
Services: Offers affordable psychological and educational services to individuals, couples, and families residing in Upper Manhattan.
Location: 525 West 120th Street, Thorndike Hall, 6th floor, New York, NY 10027
Phone Number: 212-678-3262
Emma L. Bowen Community Service Center
Services: Behavioral health services that include mental health assessments, psychiatric evaluations, individual psychotherapy, medication management, and health monitoring services. The Center also has a therapeutic preschool, a child and adolescent clinic, dependency recovery, food pantry, and emergency crisis intervention.
Location: 1727 Amsterdam Avenue, New York, NY 10031
Phone Number: 212-694-9200
Metropolitan Center for Mental Health
Services: Non-profit clinic that provides affordable and low-cost mental health services, such as individual psychotherapy, group psychotherapy, psychological testing, and medication therapy.
Location: 2 locations near the CCNY main campus: 160 West 86th Street, New York, NY 10025 or 1090 St. Nicholas Avenue, New York, NY 10032
Phone Numbers: 86th Street location: 212-362-8755 or St. Nicholas location: 212-543-0777
Ryan Health Community Center
Services: Behavioral health and primary care clinic
Location: 110 West 97th Street, New York, NY 10025
Phone Number: 212-749-1820
The Institute for Family Health at Harlem
Services: Behavioral health, primary care, dental care, insurance enrollment and other social services.
Location: 1824 Madison Avenue, New York, NY 10035
Phone Number- Main Line: 212-423-4500
Phone Number- Center for Counseling: 212-423-4200
General NYC Mental Health Services
COPE/The Center of Prevention and Evaluation
Services: An outpatient research program for teenagers and young adults (ages 14-30) experiencing changes in thoughts and feelings that have led to problems in relationships, school, or work. The Center provides individual psychotherapy, family support and education, and medication management.
Location: NYS Psychiatric Institute, 1051 Riverside Drive, 4th Floor, New York, NY 10032
Phone Number: 646-774-5232
OnTRACKNY
Services: An innovative treatment program for adolescents and young adults who have had unusual thoughts and behaviors, or who have started hearing or seeing things that others do not. OnTrackNY helps people achieve their goals for school, work, and relationships.
Location: Many locations throughout NYC and New York State.
The closest ONTRACKNY program to CCNY is located at: The Institute for Family Health Center for Counseling at Walton, 1894 Walton Avenue, Bronx, NY 10453
Phone Number: 718-583-2508
HITE: Connecting New Yorkers with free and low-cost health and social services. Students have the option to browse services by education and employment, financial assistance, food assistance, health care and medicine, hotlines, housing and homeless services, immigrant support, mental health and substance use, social supports and services, youth and family services.
Psychology Today: Find a therapist by zip code. Students have the option to filter results by insurance, issues, sexuality, gender, age, language, faith, types of therapy.
National Alliance on Mental Illness, NYC Helpline: Find help navigating NYC’s mental health system and receive referrals for mental health services, housing, and legal assistance.
Hotline Number: 212-684-3264
NYC Well: Search the NYC database for behavioral health and substance misuse services. Students have the option to filter results by program focus, age, payment information, and borough.
Additionally, speak to a counselor via phone, text, or chat and get access to mental health and substance misuse services, in more than 200 languages. Counselors are available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week to speak with someone in crisis and help with problems like stress, depression, anxiety, or drug and alcohol misuse.
Hotline Number: 1888-692-9355
Hotline Number for Deaf & Hard of Hearing: 711
Text: Text “WELL” to 65173
NYC Youthline: The NYC Youthline is staffed by trained “listeners” between the ages of 16-24, gives callers information on nearby youth programs and provides crisis intervention services in 152 different languages and for deaf and hard of hearing.
Hotline Number: 800-246-4646
Last Updated: 01/29/2024 10:33