Be Well Resources

The Bureau of Study Counsel is a resource to help students thrive in educational and personal development at Harvard. Services include: academic and personal counseling; groups/workshops on issues related to student life and learning; peer tutoring in specific courses; and the Harvard Course in Reading and Study Strategies. Students are invited to visit the Bureau of Study Counsel website for more information, or call for an appointment with a counselor.

The Center for Wellness & Health Communication (CWHC) at the Harvard University Health Services (HUHS) promotes the lifelong health and wellbeing of those in the Harvard community, including students, faculty, staff, retirees, and affiliates. The CWHC provides services that are focused on the individual through health promotion activities, wellness programs, one-on-one health and wellness education as well as appointments, such as acupuncture, massage therapy, and shiatsu, health resource center, peer education and student health programs, and the Mind/Body Medical Institute. The Center is prepared to meet you wherever you are on the journey towards health and well-being.

The Community Health Initiative (CHI) is a house-based program that uses peer education and advocacy to promote healthy communities at Harvard. Community Health Initiative Representatives focus on prevention through student initiated outreach, education and consultation. They are trained to serve as liaisons between campus resources, like HUHS, and their residential community. Representatives gauge students’ specific health concerns, respond with information and preventive strategies, and refer their peers to the myriad campus and community resources. Past programming has included workshops on better sleep, nutrition, and stress management, as well as yoga classes, tai chi, and massage therapy. CHI also has a special interest in education and advocacy regarding healthy relationships, sexual health, alcohol safety, and mental health issues. The annual “Thrive” event is sponsored by CHI.

Contact is a confidential peer counseling group for everyone, specializing in issues of sex, sexuality, sexual orientation, gender identity and expressions, and relationships.

Drug & Alcohol Peer Advisors (DAPAs) are a select group of student-leaders who have been trained to respond to questions about alcohol and other drug issues at Harvard. DAPAs provide an invaluable service to the University as health opinion leaders, resources to their peers, and ambassadors to the Office of Alcohol & Other Drug Services (AODS). They help to inform and implement programs, policies, and other prevention strategies overseen by AODS.

Eating Concerns Hotline and Outreach (ECHO) is a peer counseling group committed to addressing the serious issue of problems with food, from anorexia and bulimia to body image. ECHO recognizes how silence can contribute to isolation. The hotline is staffed every night.

The Food Literacy Project (FLP) is a partnership between Harvard University Dining Services, Harvard University Health Services, Harvard School of Public Health, and Harvard College that cultivates an understanding of food from the ground up. Education focuses on four integrated areas of food and society: agriculture, nutrition, food preparation and community. The ultimate project goal is to promote enduring knowledge, enabling consumers to make informed food choices.

Clinicians are available to provide advice and treatment of urgent health problems whenever the other health services are closed, including weekends and holidays, 365 days a year. The after-hours entrance is midway down the ramp that runs underneath Holyoke Center between Dunster Street and Holyoke Street, near the Mt. Auburn Street end of the block. Urgent health problems include sudden, serious, and unexpected illnesses, injuries, or conditions that require immediate medical attention. You are encouraged to call AHUCC, if possible, to discuss your concerns with a health care professional, as many issues can be effectively managed over the phone. If your problem requires in-person evaluation OR you simply wish to be seen in person, your telephone call will provide advance notice to the staff who will give you a same day appointment.

A Registered Nurse is available to answer general questions or discuss health-related concerns you might have. This is a confidential service. You can also walk in to the Center for Wellness and Health Communication on the second floor to ask your specific questions.

Anonymous HIV counseling and testing is offered by appointment. You will not be required to give any identifying information. There is a $10 fee for students, but no student will be turned away due to inability to pay. The anonymous testing process takes two weeks. At the time of your appointment, you will meet with a trained HIV counselor before having your test. You will be given a card and a bar code. Two weeks later, you can come in and talk with a counselor and see your results. You must bring your bar code. No test results will be given without matching your bar code to the bar code on the test result at the time of the post-test appointment. This assures you that the results remain anonymous and are yours.

OFF CAMPUS RESOURCES