The short answer: This is brief counseling without campus psychiatry. If medication or ongoing weekly therapy may matter, ask for the outside referral during screening.¹
Start with Behavioral Health Services
Book it: Call Behavioral Health Services for an initial screening with a licensed mental-health therapist. The current phone number is 909-274-4984. Open the official service page →¹
Who can use it: Students currently enrolled in at least one credit course. What it costs: Short-term counseling is provided through student health services with no separate counseling charge published.¹
The limit that matters
Short-term, goal-focused counseling; the official service page does not publish a fixed session number. 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
Behavioral Health Services provides crisis intervention during its posted hours. After hours: Use 988 or the county crisis route when the office is closed; campus counseling is not a 24-hour service.²
Medication and longer-term therapy
Psychiatry: Mt. SAC states that it has no psychiatrist on staff and does not provide psychiatric supervision. When campus care is too short: Students needing long-term care, medication supervision or treatment outside the campus scope are referred to off-campus services.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 →.
Choose the right Mt. San Antonio College door
| What you need | Start here | What to say or ask |
|---|---|---|
| Help today | Behavioral Health Services provides crisis intervention during its posted hours. | “I need urgent support today.” If you may be in immediate danger, call 911. |
| A first counseling visit | Call Behavioral Health Services for an initial screening with a licensed mental-health therapist. | Ask whether intake counts toward the session allowance and when the first clinical visit can happen. |
| Evening or weekend support | Use 988 or the county crisis route when the office is closed; campus counseling is not a 24-hour service. | Ask whether this is crisis-only, one-time support or a route that can schedule recurring care. |
| Medication | Mt. SAC states that it has no psychiatrist on staff and does not provide psychiatric supervision. | Ask whether a referral is required, what a visit costs and who handles refills between terms. |
| Weekly, specialized or longer-term therapy | Students needing long-term care, medication supervision or treatment outside the campus scope are referred to off-campus services. | Say what matters: specialty, identity, location, telehealth, language, insurance and maximum price. |
Before you spend money outside campus
Campus counseling and outside insurance are separate. Before booking an outside therapist, ask:
- Is this clinician in-network for my exact plan—not just the insurance company?
- What will I owe before and after my deductible?
- Does the plan require a campus referral or prior authorization?
- If the clinician is out-of-network, will they provide a superbill and where do I submit it?
If you use a parent’s plan, ask the insurer how to request confidential communications before the first claim. An explanation of benefits can otherwise show that care was used.
What to ask in the first appointment
- What is my individual-session limit this term or year, and does intake count?
- If I need weekly or specialized care, who starts the outside referral?
- Is psychiatry separate, and does it require a campus or insurance referral?
- What can I use while I am waiting: a group, same-day consultation, or virtual care?
- Will any charge or insurance explanation be sent to someone else?
Verification record
Every campus-specific statement above was read on an official Mt. San Antonio 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
- Mt. SAC — Behavioral Health Services, read 2026-08-24.
- Mt. SAC — Students of Concern, read 2026-08-24.