The short answer: The 24/7 line solves immediate support, not recurring therapy. Use the initial screening to request a longer-term referral before brief care ends.¹
Start with Center for Well-being and Wellbeing
Book it: Submit the official initial-screening form for phone, video or in-person care; call to ask about a same-day opening. The current phone number is 310-434-4503. Open the official service page →¹
Who can use it: Students who paid the health fee, including eligible noncredit and emeritus students; intersession eligibility must be confirmed. What it costs: Confidential short-term individual counseling is free.¹
The limit that matters
Short-term counseling; the center does not publish a fixed numerical cap on its current service page. 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
Call the center for same-day availability during office hours. After hours: Call the SMC 24/7 emotional-support line at 800-691-6003.²
Medication and longer-term therapy
Psychiatry: The center does not list medication management as a campus service. When campus care is too short: The center makes insurance-aware community referrals for longer-term or specialized treatment.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 Santa Monica College door
| What you need | Start here | What to say or ask |
|---|---|---|
| Help today | Call the center for same-day availability during office hours. | “I need urgent support today.” If you may be in immediate danger, call 911. |
| A first counseling visit | Submit the official initial-screening form for phone, video or in-person care; call to ask about a same-day opening. | Ask whether intake counts toward the session allowance and when the first clinical visit can happen. |
| Evening or weekend support | Call the SMC 24/7 emotional-support line at 800-691-6003. | Ask whether this is crisis-only, one-time support or a route that can schedule recurring care. |
| Medication | The center does not list medication management as a campus service. | Ask whether a referral is required, what a visit costs and who handles refills between terms. |
| Weekly, specialized or longer-term therapy | The center makes insurance-aware community referrals for longer-term or specialized treatment. | 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 Santa Monica 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
- SMC — Center for Well-being and Wellbeing, read 2026-08-24.
- SMC — Suicide Prevention and Postvention, read 2026-08-24.