Resiliency Center

The UIC Resiliency Center provides mental health services to UIC’s College of Medicine medical and graduate students on UIC’s West Campus.  There is no cost to students to receive services.

Services are provided by clinicians who do not have any evaluative role for College of Medicine students.

Please contact Resiliency Center to initiate the intake process.

You can complete this request to set up an appointment: https://www.redcap.ihrp.uic.edu/surveys/?s=LR9MK8YHFFAELHJ8

Or directly contact the Center director, Dr. Jenna Duffecy. Please state that you’re a College of Medicine student in your communication.

She can be reached at: [email protected] 312-413-1225.

An evaluation will be set up with a mental health professional within one week. For more information on services provided and practitioners serving the clinic, please see below.

Services can be provided in person or via telehealth.

Psychotherapy: During your education at UI College of Medicine, the Resiliency Center practitioners will provide up to six sessions of talk therapy lasting between 45 and 60 minutes each. Appointments can be scheduled in advance or on an as-needed basis with the patient’s assigned provider, which will be determined after the intake evaluation. Patients will be triaged to either supportive psychotherapy or cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT)

–Supportive psychotherapy: Supportive psychotherapy aims to relieve symptoms of psychological distress (e.g., stress/overwhelm, low mood, difficulty adjusting to new situations) and increase self-efficacy through interventions such as reflective listening, empathic validation, and development of adaptive coping skills (e.g., relaxation, deep breathing).  Supportive psychotherapy often integrates techniques  from multiple therapeutic modalities and is best suited for individuals experiencing  difficulties with stress management, burnout, grief and loss, and life transitions.

–CBT: Cognitive behavioral therapy is a short-term, goal-oriented form of psychotherapy  that has extensive research support for an assortment of mental health conditions including depression and anxiety. The general premise of CBT is that thoughts, emotions, and behaviors all influence one another in a bidirectional fashion, such that intervening on any one of these will in turn influence the others. The patient and therapist collaborate closely in service of setting concrete goals and developing a treatment plan aimed at achieving them. CBT targets dysfunctional thinking patterns and maladaptive behaviors through interventions including psychoeducation, self-monitoring, and skills training (e.g., challenging one’s thoughts, entering previously-avoided situations).  Between-session assignments will also be assigned to facilitate learning and generalization.

Medication management: Also known as pharmacotherapy, medication management focuses on using safe and effective medications (e.g., selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors, or SSRIs) to alleviate symptoms of conditions including major depressive disorder, anxiety disorders, posttraumatic stress disorder, and obsessive-compulsive disorder. Pharmacotherapy can be used as a standalone intervention or in combination with forms of psychotherapy, depending on the results of the initial intake evaluation as well as patient preferences.

If you are in need of immediate services, please utilize these UIC resources.

https://counseling.uic.edu/crisis-services/

Take a brief confidential online screening to get a sense of how you’re doing.

https://www.helpyourselfhelpothers.org/

Sunnyside is an innovative online intervention designed specifically for medical students. It teaches cognitive behavioral techniques to better manage your mood and decrease stress.  It’s all self directed so you can utilize it on your own schedule. Fill out this brief form in order to have an account created.

https://www.redcap.ihrp.uic.edu/surveys/?s=RNFYEDRFCH

Sometimes you might need more than six sessions of psychotherapy. The Resiliency Center may be able to help connect you to additional treatment. Please reach out if you have questions. Here are some UIC specific resources:

The UIC Counseling Center

https://counseling.uic.edu/

As a UIC College of Medicine student, you have access to treatment at both the Resiliency Center AND the UIC Counseling Center on the East Campus. Sessions at the Resiliency Center do not impact your ability to receive care at the UIC Counseling Center. You can receive about a semester’s worth of sessions at the Counseling Center.

No insurance is required and there is no cost to you to access these services.

UIC Office of Applied Psychological Services (OAPS)

https://psch.uic.edu/research-programs/clinical/office-of-applied-psychological-services/

OAPS is a sliding scale clinic that provides service to the UIC and surrounding Chicago area community. They provide therapy as well as psychological assessment.

No insurance is required but there is a sliding scale fee for services.

UIC Psychiatry Department

https://www.psych.uic.edu/clinical

The UIC Psychiatry department provides psychotherapy, medication management and neuropsychological testing. If you have questions or concerns about utilizing services at the Psychiatry department, please contact Dr. Duffecy.

Insurance is required for care at the Psychiatry department but many plans are accepted, including Medicaid.