Psychiatric services are provided through the Student Health Center (SHC) Psychiatry Clinic located on the first floor of the SHC.
The SHC Psychiatry Clinic assists in meeting our university community’s student mental healthcare needs by providing access to psychiatric assessment and pharmacotherapy, when clinically indicated, for specific mental health conditions.
For new patients, the SHC Psychiatry Clinic’s scope of services is currently limited to the assessment, diagnosis, and treatment of the following conditions:
- Anxiety/Panic Attacks
- Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder with confirmed diagnosis
- Bipolar Mood Disorder
- Obsessive Compulsive Disorder
- PTSD/Trauma and Stressor Disorders
- Schizophrenia with stable presentation
Students seeking mental healthcare for psychiatric conditions beyond this scope of care should, when possible:
- Maintain an existing relationship with their current mental healthcare provider
- Use other Local Mental Healthcare Resources (Note: Inclusion of a resource on this list does not signify an endorsement of the resource or their services by the university. Additionally, off-campus care and transportation are not covered services of the university.)
- Contact their Private Health Insurance Carrier as a resource for covered mental health services in this area (Note: Contact information for your carrier is often available on the back of your health insurance card.)
Students encountering difficulties accessing off-campus mental healthcare may contact the UT Center for Care and Resilience for further assistance.
Mental Health Crisis:
The SHC Psychiatry Clinic strives to meet all healthcare needs but cannot provide timely or appropriate care of acute psychosis or mania nor active suicidal ideation or homicidal ideation. Additionally, it cannot provide acute detoxification services for students experiencing active withdrawal from alcohol or other substances. For concerns such as these, see the following resources:
- Student Counseling Center, Crisis Resources webpage
- Mental Health Crisis Resources list below
- Call UT 24-Hour Helpline at 865-974-HELP (4357)
- Call Emergency Medical Services at 911
New Patient Appointments
Students who are:
- Without a history of prior mental health evaluation or treatment but are seeking initial mental health assessment for their current concern have two options for initiating assessment and care:
- Schedule an appointment with a SHC Primary Care Provider for initial assessment and, if needed, the SHC provider can discuss a possible referral to the SHC Psychiatry Clinic or other off-campus mental health resources. (See scope of services above.) Those particularly interested in initiating pharmacotherapy might want to consider this option.
- Visit the Student Counseling Center website for additional information regarding counseling and behavioral interventions that are frequently beneficial and undergo initial assessment through the Student Counseling Center.
- Currently under the care of a local psychiatric care resource or prescriber are encouraged to continue with that relationship until further on-campus resources are available.
- Currently under the care of a psychiatric care resource or prescriber not located in this area must request their current psychiatric care resource or prescriber to forward a written patient referral along with all pertinent mental healthcare records, including psychological assessment/testing results to the Student Health Center Psychiatry Clinic. After receiving and reviewing the written patient referral and accompanying records, students will be informed if scheduling in the SHC meets their current needs or if an off-campus mental healthcare resource may be better suited to facilitate their optimal care.
- Assessed by a provider in the UT Center for Care and Resilience, UT Student Counseling Center, or UT Student Health Center and determined, in consultation with a SHC Psychiatry Clinic professional staff member, to have a condition within the scope of services of the SHC Psychiatry Clinic may receive a written referral to the SHC Psychiatry Clinic for scheduling purposes.
Established Patient Appointments
Follow-up appointments for established patients will be scheduled at the time of their office visit. As-needed appointments for established patients, when available, may be scheduled by calling (865) 974-5080, option 2, during regular SHC appointment hours.
The Student Health Center complies with all applicable federal and state laws and professional standards relating to the privacy of patient information. The Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) does not apply to the Student Health Center as we are a Family Educational Rights & Privacy Act (FERPA)-covered facility. However, many people are concerned about privacy in the health care setting, so we are providing this information to you on how we protect the privacy of your health care information.
There are, however, several exceptions to confidentiality:
- We are obligated by law to report suspected child abuse (sexual, physical, or emotional) and neglect to the proper authorities.
- We are obligated by law to report suspected elder abuse to the proper authorities.
- We are obligated to take appropriate action if you represent a threat of harm to yourself or to others, and we will take any necessary actions to prevent such harm from occurring.
- If you are involved in court matters, we may be required to release your records.
We encourage you to talk with your SHC healthcare provider if you have any questions or concerns regarding your privacy rights.
In order for the SHC Psychiatry Clinic to release your confidential mental health records or information to anyone else, unless otherwise legally permitted, we must have your written authorization to do so. You will need to sign the appropriate release form and either bring it or send it to the Medical Records Department at the SHC.
Requesting A Release of Confidential Records or Information
The Student Health Center Psychiatry Clinic will release confidential mental health records or information when requested in the following manner:
An Authorization to Release Confidential Information from the SHC Psychiatry Clinic Release Form (e.g. see options below) must be completed and signed by the patient for whom the records are requested.
The Authorization Form must comply with the following:
- With the exception of when records are to be released to a third-party facility or enterprise other than an individual (see number 6 below), be accompanied by a photocopy of at least two forms of identification, such as the front and back of your UT Student ID and the front and back of your State Driver’s License or your Passport photograph page.
- Include the Patient’s Full Name, Social Security Number, and Date of Birth, and the years wherein care was received from the Student Health Center Psychiatry Clinic.
- Include the address to which the records should be forwarded.
- Include a current phone number whereby contact can be made with the patient.
- Be signed by the patient and attested to with the signature of a witness.
- If the records are to be released to a third-party facility or enterprise other than an individual, then a specific name, contact number, and address/fax number of the receiving entity must be provided.
- When requesting only limited information from the records, the time period and items to be released (lab reports, exam form, etc.) must be listed. We will send only the information requested and not the entire chart, unless otherwise specified.
Confidential Records or Information Release Forms
Submitting a Request for Release of Confidential Records or Information
Confidential Records or information may be released by mail, fax, or online (Note: Online release is only available for current students with access to the Student Health Patient Portal).
Requests for release of confidential records or information may be sent to one of the following at the Student Health Center (an authorized release form must be accompanied by at least two forms of identification):
- By mail to the:
Medical Records Department
University of Tennessee
Student Health Center
1800 Volunteer Blvd
Knoxville, TN 37996-3102 - By fax to: 865-974-2632.
- Online (for current students ONLY with UTK netID access): Send an email with your Student ID # requesting your records to firstname.lastname@example.org and your Student Health Center medical records (not including Counseling Center records) will be sent as a secure PDF attachment to your Student Health Portal inbox within 1-2 business days.
Permitting Adequate Time for Release of Confidential Records or Information
Please permit appropriate time for your request to be processed. Prior to the release of your mental health records or information, your records must be reviewed to verify that only authorized information is being released and this process may take several days.
Not all questions about individual health and well-being arise during routine office hours. For after-hours availability, see below.
For emergent after-hours mental health concerns, the Student Counseling Center provides after-hours access to a crisis counselor at (865) 974-2196.
For other after-hours health concerns, the Student Health Center maintains a 24-hour a-day, seven days a week Nurse Advice Line at (865) 974-5080.
Note: The scheduling of appointments and prescribing or refilling of prescription medications are not available after-hours. For those services, patients must call the SHC during regular appointment hours.
UT 24-Hour Helpline
UT Student Counseling Center For emergent mental health concerns after-hours, the Student Counseling Center provides after-hours access to a crisis counselor at (865) 974-2196.
National Suicide Prevention Lifeline
Phone: 1-800-273-8255 or 988
Crisis Text Line
Text TN or HOME to 741741
Live Safe App
Through the Live Safe App choose: Emergency Options.
Distressed Faculty and Staff
Call 865-946-CARE (865-946-2273) if you need help for yourself and don’t know where to start or to share your concern for other faculty/staff (24/7).
Call 1-800-273-8255 and Press 1
Text HELP to 838255
Live Chat: https://www.veteranscrisisline.net/get-help/chat
Call the Trevor Lifeline: 1-866-488-7386
Text TREVOR to 678678
Or Live Chat: https://www.thetrevorproject.org/get-help-now/
Interpersonal /Domestic Violence
Call 1-800-799-7233 (SAFE)
Live Chat: https://www.thehotline.org/
Sexual Assault Center of East Tennessee: 865-522-7273
National Sexual Assault Hotline (RAINN): 800-868-4673 (HOPE)
RAINN Live Chat: https://www.rainn.org/
NOTE: Including a non-UT resource on this list does not signify an endorsement of the resource or its services by the university.