Student Health and Counselling

What It Is

Portland State offers health care for students through the Center for Student Health and Counseling, also known as SHAC. Services are numerous and include group and individual counseling, prescriptions, medical services, STD testing, vaccinations, dental services, and more.

How It Works

To be eligible for SHAC services, you must be a current PSU student taking five or more credit hours. Here are some tips on how to make the most of the SHAC services.

• Learn about your medical coverage options.
• Deal appropriately with your appointments.
• Participate in your own health: use preventative care to keep yourself healthy.

Where to Find It

SHAC is located at 1880 SW 6th Ave, University Center Building, Suite 200. Appointments for medical or counseling services can be made by calling the clinic at (503) 725-2800 or by coming into the clinic and speaking with a receptionist. You can visit their website at shac.pdx.edu to find more information about what's available. Information for making a dental appointment can also be found on the SHAC website.

College is an exciting and busy time, students often have lots of different things going on at once. As a new student at the university, you'll want to get off to a good start by making sure that you stay as healthy as possible. SHAC offers many resources that can keep your mind and body on the right track. Still, even with good intentions of living a healthy lifestyle, there may be times when you need someone to talk to, even if it is just because you’re stressed out. Not only that, along with all the new people you'll meet at college, you'll also be exposed to new and not-so-new germs. The chances are pretty good that you’ll get sick at some point during your first year at PSU, and knowing in advance where to go for help can be a great relief. Here is some information about all the services that are available to you through your student health center.

Strategies for Success

Learn about Your Medical Coverage Options

SHAC offers comprehensive student health services including medical care, prescription drug services, counseling, as well as psychiatric and academic testing. Your PSU Health Plan also covers basic dental care at a reduced cost through SHAC. The dental office is separate from the medical office and can be reached at shac.pdx.edu/dental.

The university will notify you of your insurance status at the beginning of the year. If you qualify you'll receive a PSU insurance card in the mail. Your card can also be used at off campus medical facilities; see the website for more information about which facilities and how that process works.

While SHAC is useful for a wide range of medical services provided during your appointments, is can also be helpful in ways that may not have occurred to you. For example, SHAC provides students with free items like Tylenol and Band-Aids in case you need them while on campus. SHAC is also one place where you can get your university-required measles vaccination if you haven’t received it yet.

Deal Appropriately with Your Appointments

Making an appointment early in the term will help ensure that you get to see someone in the clinic sooner rather than later. After the first few weeks of classes, other students will start signing up, and it will likely become harder to get an appointment as the term goes on. In order to make sure you get in to see someone, try to make an appointment within the first two weeks of the term. Below you will find some steps to help you make your appointment and get through your first visit at SHAC.

The first step for minor illnesses like colds or a sore throat is to see a nurse. The nurse will then refer you on to a doctor or counselor if and when that's needed.

Step #1: Visit the Health clinic. As you enter, there will be a small sheet on the counter, fill it out with your personal information and reason for being at the clinic. (This is to ensure that your information remains confidential and that you won't have to discuss your personal information out loud.)

Step #2: You must then present your student ID to the person at the reception desk before you can be seen.

Step #3: If this is your first time being seen you must fill out some additional paperwork in order to be entered into their computer system.

Step #4: It's a good idea to bring a book or some homework because the wait can be long, especially if you're dropping in to see a nurse and don't have a pre-scheduled appointment.

Don’t miss your appointment. This could cost you money. If you find out that you're not going to make the scheduled appointment, just call and cancel. They will be glad to give your spot to someone on the waiting list.

Show up early. This is especially on your first visit since you may have some paperwork to fill out. Being late on the other hand is almost as bad as not showing up at all.

Participate in Your Own Health: Use Preventative Care to Keep Yourself Healthy

Not only can SHAC help when your tooth hurts and you need a dentist, but it can also provide information about how to stay in the best shape possible. Doing simple things everyday, like making sure you get enough sleep and eat an apple instead of a candy bar between classes, make a big difference in your overall health and energy level; especially as you're dealing with the new challenges of life at the university. Along with on-campus services to keep you healthy, SHAC has a huge amount of information on things you can do to prevent illness. SHAC informational materials cover a range of topics from eating right and exercising to issues like dealing with alcoholism and smoking cessation. Here are some examples of the types information you'll find at SHAC:

• Avoid Alcohol and Drug Abuse: SHAC wants you to be prepared with the information that you need to make wise and healthy choices. You can go to collegedrinkingprevention.gov to find out more about what alcohol abuse is and how to prevent it.

• Take Care of Your Body: Staying in shape while in college can really help you maintain the energy necessary for writing papers and going to class. It's easy to cut out your exercise routine when you're faced with tests, quizzes, and deadlines for  papers in addition to trying to make it to class and study groups on time everyday. Along with your other responsibilities, finding time to work out can seem challenging at best.

• Eat Right: Doing everything that's expected of you at the university takes time, and it also takes a lot of energy. Treat yourself right by maintaining a healthy diet. Chances are good that you'll have more energy and less of the extreme highs and lows that can come from eating lots of sugar and drinking too much coffee in an attempt to stay revved up for studying and classes. SHAC provides a list of websites that offer information about what foods are good and what food are bad and how to better plan your meals. If you go to eatright.org, you'll find, among other things, a fact sheet on nutrition and what it means to eat right. Another fun and very useful website is yumyum.com. It includes recipes that were created just for you, the college student. These meals are cheap, quick, and healthy and, best of all, they take very little effort to make or clean up. Less time in the kitchen means more time for studying or the game on Saturday, right?

• Take Care of Your Sexual Health: Know how to protect yourself. College is a time to figure out how to be a better student, and it's a time when you may explore and discover new things about yourself. You may find yourself in a new relationship, and you may have questions about sexually transmitted diseases (STDs), pregnancy, or birth control. SHAC provides testing, educational material, and free condoms. The SHAC website also has some great links you can check out to find more information from the privacy of your own computer.

• Keep Your Lungs Healthy: Quit smoking. If you're a smoker and would like to quit, SHAC provides some great websites that can point you in the right direction. SHAC also offers a smoking cessation program when you're ready to take that first big step. 

One Stop Shopping: Dental, Counseling and Wellness Programs

SHAC is like walking into a big box store that has everything you need for the week. At the box store, you can buy toothpaste, groceries and a yoga mat. Think of SHAC in the same way when it comes to your health while you're a student at PSU. Taking care of yourself physically, mentally, and emotionally will help you become the best student you can be at the university. Taking advantage of all that SHAC has to offer is the surest and easiest way to make all of this happen. Take a look at all the services below and take time this week to make a couple of appointments. See if you don’t feel better already!

• Dental: Wasn’t life easy when you got to take a day off school so your parent could take you to the dentist? Well, it’s up to you now. This is one of those areas of life where learning good habits early can save you a world of hurt later. PSU’s health services include dental check-ups and basic care. Make an appointment early in the year, and make sure you get yourself on a regular checkup schedule. For information on the process visit shac.pdx.edu/dental.

• Counseling: Coming to college is a big adjustment, no matter what your background is. You're at a pivotal point in your life, and it's pretty common to feel like you're up to your chin in water. Seeing a “shrink” doesn’t mean the same thing that it used to. SHAC counselors are specially trained to deal with the kinds of stresses that students face. Not only do they have regular counseling services, they also provide a wide range of other services (like career counseling). The best part is that you already pay for these services every quarter (in the student health fee), so why not use them. For more information on what the counseling center can do for you visit, shac.pdx.edu/caps.

• Wellness Resources: Have you ever stopped to consider your whole self? Is it in balance? One great way to get a good start is to take a free online Wellness Assessment Quiz (available at shac.pdx.edu/wellness ). This tool lets you know what you might need to focus on; Physical, emotional, spiritual, environmental, intellectual, and social well-being.

SHAC is one of the most robust of the campus resources at PSU. Take some time to explore the services that they offer, visit the website, or just come by and talk to a staff member. Becoming familiar with these things early on during your time at PSU will make you better prepared when and/if something happens. Staying healthy will help you be a better student by giving you the energy you need to study harder, get better grades, and have a great overall college experience.