The short answer: DVC has both in-person brief care and virtual care. Confirm the current allowance for each before choosing which sessions to spend first.¹

Start with DVC Well-being Counseling

Book it: Submit the Well-being Referral Form for in-person care or register for TimelyCare. The current phone number is 925-969-2144. Open the official service page →¹

Who can use it: Current DVC students; TimelyCare’s scheduled mental-health care is for eligible current students age 18 and older. What it costs: Well-being counseling and TimelyCare are free.¹

The limit that matters

The official mental-health page says brief in-person therapy may include up to ten free sessions; DVC also publishes a separate TimelyCare allowance. This is the fact to confirm again at intake, because staffing and campus rules can change during the academic year.¹

If you need help today

Ask the Counseling front desk for a crisis drop-in at Pleasant Hill or San Ramon. After hours: Use TimelyCare TalkNow, 988 or Contra Costa Crisis at 800-833-2900.²

In crisis? Call or text 988 — free, 24/7.

Medication and longer-term therapy

Psychiatry: The page does not promise on-campus psychiatry. When campus care is too short: Well-being staff introduce campus and community services when short-term care is not enough.²

If you use a parent’s insurance, billing paperwork can disclose that care was used. Read the student privacy and EOB route →. If money is the obstacle, compare Medi-Cal →, sliding-scale care →, and California-wide telehealth →.

What to ask in the first appointment

  1. What is my individual-session limit this term or year, and does intake count?
  2. If I need weekly or specialized care, who starts the outside referral?
  3. Is psychiatry separate, and does it require a campus or insurance referral?
  4. What can I use while I am waiting: a group, same-day consultation, or virtual care?
  5. Will any charge or insurance explanation be sent to someone else?

Verification record

Every campus-specific statement above was read on an official Diablo Valley College page. Core access facts are due for re-check by 2026-11-22. A missing number is reported as “not published,” never filled from an old catalog or another campus.

Sources

  1. DVC — Mental Health Resources, read 2026-08-24.
  2. DVC — Health and well-being services, read 2026-08-24.