Health Programs and Services

Wellness and Community Outreach (WCO)

Student health and wellness is a primary concern of the College, and Mills continually looks for ways to improve upon and provide convenient and comprehensive medical care, education, and medical services and resources to assure students' well-being.

The Office of Wellness and Community Outreach provides educational programs on campus and individual support to students, including referrals to community providers and resources. The Manager of Wellness and Community Outreach advises the Community Health Resource Center (CHRC), is the liaison for the Student Health Center and serves as the administrator for the student health insurance carrier.

Assistance and referrals are offered for many aspects of physical, emotional, mental, social, environmental, and spiritual health such as: legal issues, substance use, housing instability, chronic illness, allergies, nutrition and dietary concerns, sexual and reproductive health, sleeplessness, and stress.

Support is provided in navigating healthcare, including: claims/billing; financial assistance applications; understanding benefits that are covered; selecting a physician, dentist, counselor, or alternative health provider; or applying for public benefits including food stamps, WIC, cash assistance, and health insurance (Medi-Cal, Medicare, Healthy Families, County Indigent Medical Program).

Mills requires that all students have current health insurance. Uninsured students may enroll in the Student Health Plan and receive comprehensive medical coverage through Kaiser Permanente and dental coverage through MetLife. The Student Health Center on campus provides students with access to a physician and a nurse five days a week, with free office visits for all students. Additionally, students enrolled in the Student Health Plan can avail themselves of extensive medical care at the Oakland Kaiser Permanente facility (accessible via the Mills shuttle), as well as at all other Kaiser Permanente facilities. Students may add their dependents including: spouse, registered domestic partner, and children (additional fee required) to the Student Health Plan. However, dependent coverage is for medical insurance only and does not include the dental plan. The Student Health Center serves Mills College students only, and dependents of covered students can receive care at a Kaiser Permanente facility.

Check the Mills College website online for additional information about the Wellness and Community Outreach office in the Division of Student Life and Student Health Plan.

Visit Wellness and Community Outreach and Counseling and Psychological Services in the Cowell Building or call 510.430.2130 for more information.

Counseling and Psychological Services (CPS)

College life poses numerous challenges to students inside and outside the classroom. These include the need to develop and sustain friendships and intimate relationships, to balance academic, work, and social commitments with self-care, to navigate changing relationships with family of origin, to adjust to group life in the residence halls, or to cope with the pressures of a daily commute.

Students may be at a point in their lives when they are exploring aspects of personal identity, core values, sexuality, career interests, and social roles. Resuming  and graduate students may experience both similar and different pressures, as they balance personal and family needs and return to an academic environment after a period of absence.

When concerns such as these interfere with students' academic achievement and sense of well-being, the staff at CPS is here to help. CPS offers short-term counseling and crisis intervention and provides psycho-educational workshops and discussion groups on a periodic basis. CPS also provides referrals to off-campus resources for ongoing psychotherapy and/or psychiatric medication.

For more information or to make an appointment, visit the Cowell Building or call 510.430.2130.