Off-Campus Referrals
If you need services outside of the Counseling Center, we can make it easier for you.
Connecting with a mental health professional in the community, whether in the Raleigh area or back home during semester breaks or after graduation, is new for many students.
Case managers at the NC State Counseling Center make finding mental health help outside of the Counseling Center easier. To get connected with a case manager, make an appointment.
Common reasons for seeking off-campus care include:
- Wanting longer-term treatment or specialized services
- Preferring an off-campus provider
- Ineligibility to receive Counseling Center services
Case managers can:
- Meet with you to help determine goals for therapy, access to services, and appropriate level of care.
- Provide you with a list of providers who meet your personal needs, are accessible, and provide services at a reasonable fee given your financial resources.
- Direct you to appropriate assistance for concerns about insurance and coverage for mental health services.
- Solve problems related to any obstacles (cost, transportation, time) that may arise.
- Provide follow-up support to ensure that a strong connection has been made with an outside provider.
- Offer additional referral support if needed.
Examples of needing an off-campus referral:
- Request for formal psychological assessment (such as ADHD or psychoeducational evaluations)
- Request for medications not prescribed by Counseling Center’s psychiatrists
- Request for services to fulfill court-mandated assessment or treatment requirements
- Desire or need to be seen weekly or more than once a week
- Desire or need for ongoing long-term therapy (for example, more than six sessions)
Off-Campus Referral Directories
The NC State Counseling Center offers a referral database of community mental health providers through MiResource.
Each provider was invited and vetted by NC State Counseling Center staff. This directory is available to anyone looking for mental health care in their community.
In addition to MiResource, we’ve collected a list of national referral databases for specialized and diverse referral options.
National Mental Health Referral Directories
- Asian Mental Health Directory
- Black Therapists Rock
- Good Therapy
- Inclusive Therapists
- Latinx Therapy
- National Queer and Trans POC Network
- Online Counseling Directory
- Open Path Collective (reduced rate)
- Psychology Today
- PsyPact (Psychologists practicing in multiple states)
- Therapy for Black Girls
- Therapy for Black Men
- Therapy for Latinx
- Therapy Route (Internationally based therapists)
- Therapy Den
The above resources are not affiliated with, nor endorsed by, the NC State Counseling Center.
Steps for Scheduling with an Off-Campus Provider
1. Verify insurance benefits
For questions about the cost of off-campus treatment and in-network providers, please contact your health insurance company directly. Most insurance cards list a phone number and website to get this information. It’s helpful to ask about out-of-pocket costs for in-network and out-of-network outpatient mental health services, deductibles, copays, and coinsurance.
2. Search for a provider
Off-campus providers can be found within the NC State Counseling Center referral directory, MiResource, or the additional national directories listed above.
- Make sure the provider accepts your insurance and is taking new clients. You can do this by using the filters to select your insurance type (ex. BCBS, Aetna).
- Be sure to review providers’ websites and personal profiles to see if they may be a good fit for you.
3. Schedule an initial appointment
- Consider office location, insurance accepted, and any other characteristics that are important to you. Call or email your first choice for a provider. You’ll likely leave a message. It’s best to leave your name, phone number, and good times you can be reached by phone, as well as your insurance plan.
- “Hi, my name is _____. I am looking to get connected to a provider for counseling and was referred to you by the NC State Counseling Center. My number is ____. I have BCBS/Aetna/Cigna. I can be reached anytime between 8a-4p. I look forward to hearing from you!”
- Wait for a callback or email. Be sure to answer calls from unknown numbers during this time! If you haven’t heard back in two business days, call again, and/or choose another provider to call.
- Please be aware providers can have a wait of up to several weeks or may not be taking new clients, so it’s important to start the process of scheduling as early as possible. You may need to try several providers to find one who fits your needs.
- Many providers now have a way to contact them from their websites, and some even have direct scheduling options on their websites.
- When you connect, the provider may ask you to share a summary of your concerns. You’ll also be able to ask them questions (for example, “What is your approach to therapy?” “If a person is dealing with ____, how would you help them?”). If you aren’t sure they would be a good fit but want to assess further, you may ask if they offer a free consultation.
4. Reach out if you need help!
Finding a community provider can be challenging. If you’d like an NC State case manager to assist you, please contact our office at 919-515-2423. You may need to communicate multiple times with a case manager to link to a community provider. Your well-being is the highest priority to the NC State Counseling Center. We’re always available to assist any student.
Questions to Ask Potential Off-Campus Providers
When you look for off-campus mental health services, it’s important to be open and direct about your reasons for seeking services. It is equally important that you feel comfortable sharing personal information with the provider you have chosen.
Just because you contact the referral source or schedule an appointment doesn’t mean you have to commit to working with that provider. Some people prefer to speak with several providers before making a choice. Often providers offer a free 15-minute consultation (usually by phone) to ensure a good fit.
Here are some questions you can ask in your initial conversations with a new provider to help you assess if they will be a good fit for you.
Payment and Reimbursement Questions
- What insurance do you take?
- Do you file insurance for clients? If not, do you provide any assistance with this process?
- How do your clients normally pay any co-pays? Cash? Credit card? Which cards do you take?
- Do I need to bring a copy of my insurance card?
- Do you offer sliding scale* or pro-bono** services based on ability to pay?
- How much do you charge for the initial assessment?
- How much do you charge for each session?
*Sliding scale therapy means treatment priced by each person’s income and dependents. This fee structure exists to help make therapy more affordable for people living at a lower income level and/or experiencing financial hardship. A sliding fee scale may be ideal for people who pay in cash, often because they don’t have health insurance. It can also be used by those who are seeing a therapist who is not in-network with their insurance provider. An important note for those who have insurance: A provider cannot charge an insured client less (or more) than they have contractually agreed to with a client’s insurance company.
**Pro bono counseling is offered at no charge, in limited situations, and is often accompanied by extenuating circumstances.
Scheduling Questions
- What is your current availability?
- What are your typical days/hours?
- How do I schedule appointments with you?
- How do I cancel an appointment?
- How much notice do you require to cancel appointments? Is there a cancellation, no-show, or late fee?
- How long are typical appointments?
Treatment Questions
- What areas do you specialize in?
- What is your treatment style?
- What might a session with you look like?
- Do you have experience treating _______?
- Do you have experience treating people like me (fill in your demographic)?
- Do you treat a lot of college students?
- If a mental health emergency arises, will you be available for me to contact?
Getting to Therapy
- Are you on a bus line? Which one?
- Is parking available? Do I have to pay for parking?
- What should I do if I’m running late for an appointment or need further directions?
Insurance Information for Off-Campus Care
BCBS Student Blue
If you have BCBS Student Blue, you aren’t required to use your student insurance to pay for private care, but many students do. Remember that you are responsible for paying any fees you incur that are not paid by your insurance.
Whether you choose to use your insurance plan or not, you should be aware that most providers require upfront payment upon receipt of services.
If you have BCBS Student Blue and have any questions about the insurance, please call Student Blue at 888-351-8283.
You can view the most recent plans on the Student Blue website:
- Mandatory Student Blue Plan
- Research Assistant/Teaching Assistant (RA/TA) Student Blue Plan
- Postdoc Student Blue Plan
2023-2024 Student Blue Mental Health Fees
| Mandatory | Mandatory | RA/TA | RA/TA | Postdoc | Postdoc | |
| In-Network | Out-of-Network | In-Network | Out-of-Network | In-Network | Out-of-Network | |
| Mental Health Office Services | $10 copayment | 50% after $1000 deductible | $10 copayment | 50% after $800 deductible | 20% after $500 deductible | 30% after $1000 deductible |
| Mental Health Inpatient and Outpatient Services | 30% after $500 deductible | 50% after $1000 deductible | 30% after $400 deductible | 50% after $800 deductible | 20% after $500 deductible | 30% after $1000 deductible |
Other (Private) Insurance
If you have a different insurance provider, you must determine your policy’s requirements by contacting your insurer directly. If you’re on your parent’s plan, you may have to speak with your parents to gain access to your insurance. When using other private insurance, you may want to ask your insurance company the following questions:
- Do I have mental health benefits?
- What is the yearly deductible?
- What do the benefits cover?
- How can I find an in-network provider?
- Do I have out-of-network benefits? How much does my plan cover, and how much is my responsibility?
More information and common questions about insurance
Information for Community Mental Health Providers
Students and Counseling Center staff use the MiResource referral directory to search for community care. This allows students to be referred to appropriate off-campus resources when their needs are beyond on-campus services or when students prefer community care.
If you’re interested in learning how you can be listed as a community provider in MiResource, please contact our office at counselingcm@ncsu.edu.
Notice: Currently, the NC State Counseling Center is only adding providers to the referral database who are fully licensed or have at least two years of post-graduation employment and are credentialed with at least one major insurance company.
If you’re already listed in MiResource, you can log in at NC State MiResource.
For technical questions about MiResource, please contact support@miresource.com. For questions about referrals, please contact counselingcm@ncsu.edu or call 919-515-2423.