The short answer: Six sessions per semester is unusually clear. If you need weekly care for most of a term, ask for the off-campus referral during the first three-session block.¹
Start with Counseling and Psychological Services (CAPS)
Book it: Contact CAPS for an initial appointment; urgent services remain available even when recurring individual sessions are exhausted. The current phone number is 209-228-4266. Open the official service page →¹
Who can use it: Currently enrolled UC Merced students. What it costs: Campus counseling is provided through student services; confirm any missed-appointment consequence when booking.¹
The limit that matters
Three recurring individual sessions, with a maximum of six individual sessions per semester. Groups, workshops and urgent services are additional routes. 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 209-228-4266 and select option 1 for crisis support. After hours: The CAPS crisis option remains available after hours.²
Medication and longer-term therapy
Psychiatry: Student Health and CAPS coordinate mental-health and UC SHIP referrals; ask CAPS whether medication evaluation should begin on campus or through a referred provider. When campus care is too short: UC SHIP members should begin with Student Health or CAPS because off-campus behavioral health generally requires a referral.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 UC Merced door
| What you need | Start here | What to say or ask |
|---|---|---|
| Help today | Call 209-228-4266 and select option 1 for crisis support. | “I need urgent support today.” If you may be in immediate danger, call 911. |
| A first counseling visit | Contact CAPS for an initial appointment; urgent services remain available even when recurring individual sessions are exhausted. | Ask whether intake counts toward the session allowance and when the first clinical visit can happen. |
| Evening or weekend support | The CAPS crisis option remains available after hours. | Ask whether this is crisis-only, one-time support or a route that can schedule recurring care. |
| Medication | Student Health and CAPS coordinate mental-health and UC SHIP referrals; ask CAPS whether medication evaluation should begin on campus or through a referred provider. | Ask whether a referral is required, what a visit costs and who handles refills between terms. |
| Weekly, specialized or longer-term therapy | UC SHIP members should begin with Student Health or CAPS because off-campus behavioral health generally requires a referral. | 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 UC Merced 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
- UC Merced CAPS — Short-Term Individual Counseling, read 2026-08-24.
- UC Merced CAPS — Off-campus referrals, read 2026-08-24.