Many students report that they drink alcohol or use other substances to cope with their emotions – for example, to relax, reduce stress, and be more socially comfortable. Stigma and misunderstanding often prevent people from asking for help. Compassionate support is available here at Dartmouth if you are concerned about your alcohol or substance use or someone else’s.

• BASICS (Brief Alcohol Screening and Intervention for College Students). This one-on-one Personalized Feedback Session provides a judgment-free environment designed increase awareness and reduce substance misuse.
• Dartmouth’s Department of Safety and Security (DoSS). Student health and safety are the primary concerns for DoSS.
  • For medical emergencies, fires, or crimes in progress, call 911 for immediate help.
  • For other safety and security concerns, call DoSS. DoSS is open 24 hours a day and can connect you to other Dartmouth resources such as your dean on-call, crisis counseling, and other Dick’s House resources.
  • DoSS can also provide support like escorting a student back to their housing or going to the Dick’s House Inpatient Department.
  • Under Dartmouth’s Good Samaritan policy, undergraduates who seek assistance from emergency services or DoSS, as well as the individuals assisted, are protected from Dartmouth disciplinary action for alcohol or drug-related violations.
• Dartmouth Student Health Service
  • Primary Care. Medical help is available for substance use, including alcohol, tobacco, and opioid use. Consider making an appointment to talk about options, even if you don’t want to quit.
  • Counseling Center. Both one-on-one and group counseling sessions can help you explore issues related to alcohol and other drug use.
  • Inpatient Department (IPD). With 24-hour nursing support for up to ten students, the Inpatient Department can provide intoxicated students and others with a caring environment in which to recover when hospitalization is not needed, or upon release from local hospital treatment. There are no fees for overnight observation in the IPD.
• Naloxone. Naloxone, sometimes referred to by the brand name Narcan, is an over-the-counter drug that can temporarily reverse effects of opioid overdose. Students can learn how to administer Naloxone and obtain Naloxone from the Student Wellness Center, the Dick’s House pharmacy, or the 24/7 Dick’s House vending machine. Students administering Naloxone should still call 911 when an overdose occurs.
• Tobacco/Nicotine Cessation. Visit the Student Wellness Center to pick up a free quit kit and make an appointment with a wellness coach.

Online Resources

• Alcohol 101+. This education program is designed to increase your awareness and lower risks associated with the use of alcohol. 
• Cannabis eCheckup to Go. This online program provides personalized feedback regarding one’s individual use patterns, risk, and resources that might be helpful here at Dartmouth.

Community Resources

• Alcoholics Anonymous (AA). While many who participate in AA abstain from alcohol, you do not have to be ready to stop drinking to benefit from AA. Benefits of attending AA can include listening to the stories of others, getting answers to your questions and concerns, participating in discussions, and building friendships.
• Al-Anon/Alateen. Al-Anon and Alateen support relatives and friends of alcoholics in sharing their experience, strength, and hope to solve common problems.
• Marijuana Anonymous. If you want to stop using marijuana, you can attend these free in-person or online confidential support group meetings.

Whether you are exploring your own creativity or consuming work produced by others, intentionally engaging with the arts can awaken your senses and help you to refocus your energy, process individual or collective experiences, or even unlock fresh perspectives that you had never considered before.

Dartmouth offers many opportunities for engaging with the arts:

• Book Arts Workshop Studios –
  • Letterpress –Sign up to attend an introductory letterpress training and then come back to do more on your own
  • Book Binding – Sign up for a small-group bookbinding workshop or come to an open studio session, which does not require advance sign-up
• Ceramics Studio – Sign up for a workshop; materials fee payable with Dash
• Donald Clafin Jewelry Studio – Reserve a spot during open hours for jewelry and metalsmithing; supplies such as beads and stones available for purchase on-site
• Film Society – Join fellow cinephiles for free films, meals, and discussions
• Harold Edward Cable Makerspace – Complete required training for safe and proper equipment use, then get creative with tools like 3D printers, laser cutters, sewing machines, and more
• Hood Museum – Make plans with a friend to visit for free
• Hopkins Center – Generally, student tickets to performances and films are $5 or $10; use the “free” search feature on the events calendar to identify no-cost events
• Hopkins Center Resident Ensembles – Join an instrumental, vocal, and dance performance ensemble

Ensembles open to any interested student, with no audition necessary are:

• Dance Ensemble – Students, staff, and community members of diverse experience levels learning and performing choreographed pieces
  • Marching Band – Students with all experience levels welcome, including beginners; uniform and instruments can be loaned for free

Ensembles that entail an audition to join, are the Coast Jazz Ensemble, Glee Ensemble, Gospel Choir, Handel Society, Symphony Orchestra, Wind Ensemble

• Jones Media Spaces – Get creative in these free, reservable spaces designed for high-quality audio and visual recording and editing
• Library Concert Series – Enjoy free live music on a study break or apply in advance to share your musical talent with others as the featured performer
• Music Practice Rooms – Open to all students
• Woodworking Shop – Complete an orientation training for safe and proper equipment use, then come back during open studio hours; supplies such as wood and glue available for purchase on-site

Dartmouth offers several trainings for students (and employees) who want to learn about mental health awareness, crisis intervention, and suicide prevention.

Learn about the evidence-based, skills-focused options that can best meets you content and time commitment needs through the:

• Dartmouth Counseling Center, which offers the following trainings for students:
  • Campus Connect Suicide Prevention Training. Increase knowledge and skills related to suicide prevention and crisis intervention (~3 hours)
  • Campus Connect Booster Training. A refresher for participants who have completed Campus Connect within the last 2 years (~2 hours)
  • Additional trainings by request, based on group interest and for ongoing purposes, such as the Sexual Assault Prevention Alliance (SAPA) training (~40 hours)
• Student Wellness Center, which offers:
  • Mental Health First Aid. Increase knowledge and skills for responding at three levels of concern, including eight types of crisis situations (~8 hours)

Contact the Dartmouth Counseling Center and/or Student Wellness Center to learn when the next training for students will occur or to request a training for your student group.

Confidential resources may not share your information without your expressed consent unless there is imminent danger to self or others, or as otherwise required by law (e.g., mandatory reporting for sexual violence against minors). 

Confidential resources at Dartmouth include:

• Dartmouth Student Health Service staff (e.g., physicians, nurses, counselors, pharmacists, athletic trainers for varsity athletes, Student Health Service administrators)
• Therapists contracted with Dartmouth (e.g., Uwill and Uhelp counselors)
• Ordained clergy (e.g., the College Chaplain and the Muslim chaplain at the Tucker Center)
• Affiliated ordained clergy (e.g., rabbis at Hillel and Chabad)
• WISE Campus Advocate.

If you disclose thoughts of causing harm to yourself (e.g., thoughts of suicide) to a medical professional, the medical professional will typically ask you additional questions to better understand your situation and how they can help. There are many ways that students and medical providers can work together to support a student’s safety while also protecting confidentiality. It is extremely rare that resources outside of the confidential relationship need to be utilized to ensure safety.

If you want a confidential resource like a healthcare provider to share your information with someone else (e.g., a family member, advising dean), you may be asked to sign a release of information form, or “ROI.” An ROI specifies which information you give permission to share and who you want the information shared with.

Talking with a trained listener can help you identify solutions to problems that are causing you emotional turmoil.

Dartmouth students can access free, confidential mental health counseling through the following resources:

• Dartmouth Counseling Center
  • Individual counseling sessionsstart with a “triage appointment.” A triage appointment is a short phone call that helps the Counseling Center better understand your needs and interests in counseling and make recommendations for next steps (e.g., recurring appointments with a counselor, referral to other resources). Individual counseling at Dartmouth is available in multiple languages.
  • Group counseling is led by Dartmouth Counseling Center professionals. Group counseling can be a great way to get professional support while also sharing ideas and support from peers who have experienced similar challenges.
  • Psychiatric medication management - Trained psychiatrists assist students in managing their psychiatric medications.
• Uwill teletherapy – Unlimited therapy sessions. Students are able to choose a 30- or 50-minute session duration.

Dartmouth students can also access free, confidential mental health support through the Dartmouth Student Health Service (Dick’s House):

• Primary Care Department– Through medical appointments, the Primary Care department can provide medication management, supportive care, and referral
• Inpatient Nursing Department– 24/7 care for students who do not require inpatient hospitalization, but can still benefit from additional medical and emotional support

Because the Dartmouth services described above are free for all students, health insurance is not billed. This means that even if you are a student on a family health insurance plan, your family will not see that you have had medical appointments at Dartmouth.

Confidential pastoral counseling is also available to students at no cost. Pastoral counseling is a confidential conversation that can help you think through situations and options, including questions of faith, loss of a loved one, sexual assault, gender-based harassment, and other life issues. Pastoral counseling is spiritual care, and should not be confused with therapeutic counseling available through the Dartmouth Counseling Center, Uwill, or other healthcare systems.

Grieving a loss can leave you profoundly sad, tired, and numb. Don’t try to push through it alone.

Consider speaking with a trained listener through the:

• Dartmouth Counseling Center or Uwill teletherapy
• Student Wellness Center Wellness Check-Ins
• Tucker Center

Learn more with these resources that can help you process what you are feeling:

• Counseling Center Grief Resources
• Student Wellness Center Grief Resources
• The Tucker Center Grief Resources

For any life-threatening emergency, call 911 for immediate help or go to the nearest hospital emergency department.

• Call 911 for any life-threatening medical emergency, fire, crime in-progress, or other life-threatening emergency.
• Calling 911 notifies local first responders of the emergency so that they can initiate the appropriate emergency response for everyone’s health and safety.
• From Dartmouth’s main campus in Hanover, the nearest hospital emergency department is the Dartmouth Hitchcock Medical Center (DHMC) at 1 Medical Center Drive, Lebanon, NH 03766.

A crisis can vary by individual. When in doubt, ask for help.

A crisis might involve:

• Suicidal thoughts, intent, plan, and/or other risks of harm to yourself.
• Homicidal thoughts, intent, plan, and/or other risks of harm to others.
• Recent traumatic experience (e.g., natural disaster, sexual or physical assault)
• Recent death of someone close to you, or the death of someone not close to you that brings up strong emotions connected to previous experiences you’ve had
• Seeing or hearing things that others do not see or hear.
• Feeling unsafe, a sense of impending doom, or that someone/something wants to hurt you.
• Currently living without basic needs being met (i.e., without access to food, shelter, clothing).
• Unable to perform daily tasks, such as not being able to eat or sleep for several days.
• Experiencing uncontrollable panic or being unable to calm down.

Dartmouth’s mental health resources for urgent or crisis needs:

• Dartmouth Counseling Center: 1-603-646-9442
  • During regular business hours: identify that you are in crisis.
  • After regular business hours: Choose option 1 to connect directly with crisis services.
• Uhelp Crisis Line: 1-833-646-1526
  • Uhelp is a 24/7/365 resource for all Dartmouth students. This means Uhelp is available any time: 24 hours per day, seven days per week, 365 days per year.
  • Uhelp is staffed by licensed crisis counselors.
  • Uhelp crisis line counselors will provide support to the student and use protocols developed with the Dartmouth Counseling Center to determine if additional in-person support is needed.

Crisis Response Resources in the Upper Valley region:

• New Hampshire Rapid Response Access Point: Call or text 1-833-710-6477.
  • If you or someone you care about is experiencing a mental health and/or substance use crisis, connect to trained and caring clinical staff by calling or texting. When in-person support is needed, the West Central Mobile Crisis Response team can provide support.
• Dartmouth-Hitchcock Medical Center Emergency Department: Call 1-603-650-7000 or go to 1 Medical Center Drive, Lebanon, NH 03766
• WISE: Call 1-866-348-9473 or text 1-603-836-9472
  • WISE supports survivors of domestic violence, sexual assault, stalking, and other gender-based violence in times of stress and crisis.
  • Confidential advocates are available 24/7/365 to provide support
  • WISE is a member of the statewide New Hampshire Coalition Against Domestic and Sexual Violence; WISE serves Hanover and many of the surrounding Upper Valley communities in New Hampshire and Vermont.
• New Hampshire Coalition Against Domestic and Sexual Violence: Call 1-866-644-3574
  • Crisis centers across New Hampshire provide free and confidential support services to those impacted by domestic violence, sexual assault, and stalking
  • Confidential advocates are available to provide 24/7 support.

For any life-threatening emergency, call 911 for immediate help or go to the nearest hospital emergency department.

• Call 911 for any life-threatening medical emergency, fire, crime in-progress, or other life-threatening emergency in the United States.
• Calling 911 notifies local first responders of the emergency so that they can initiate the appropriate emergency response for everyone’s health and safety.
• If you are outside the United States, you will need to know how to contact the local police, ambulance, or fire department. The U.S. Department of State maintains a list of emergency numbers by country that may be helpful.

National lifelines, hotlines, and helplines can be used in times of crisis, acute distress, or if you’re just having a hard day and need to talk with someone.

• 988 National Suicide Prevention Lifeline: Call or text 988
  • 24/7/365 support for anyone in the United States (including in United States territories) when feeling emotionally upset, distressed, or having thoughts of suicide.
  • Call, text, and chat options are available, including ASL for individuals who are Deaf or Hard of Hearing. Translation is available in more than 240 languages.
  • Information about what to expect when you call, text, or chat with 988 can help you understand what it will be like to contact 988.
  • According to the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) 988 information page, fewer than 2% of calls to 988 require a connection to emergency services like 911.
• Blackline: 1-800-604-5841
  • A volunteer-based confidential hotline that is geared towards Black, Black LGTBTQI, Brown, Native and Muslim community.
  • Blackline can be used for peer support, reporting of mistreatment, and witnessing and affirming the lived experiences of folx who are most impacted by systemic oppression.
  • Generally open Monday-Friday, 9am-9pm Eastern Time and some weekend hours, based on volunteer availability
• The Trevor Project: Call 1-866-488-7386 or text “START” to 678-678
  • Free, confidential crisis intervention and suicide prevention support for LGBTQ+ young people under age 25.
  • People who want to better support an LGBTQ+ youth can get help from The Trevor Project
  • Telephone, text, and chat services are available 24/7/365
• Trans Lifeline. Call 1-877-565-8860
  • Free, confidential, one-on-one peer support for trans individuals by telephone, as well as support for family members, friends, and professionals who want to support a trans person in their lives
  • All call line operators trans or non-binary identifying
  • English and Spanish support available
  • Generally open Monday-Friday, 1:00-9:00pm ET, but callers may need to call back if call volume exceeds staffing capacity
  • Closed on some holidays (Labor Day and Indigenous People’s Day)
• LGBT National Hotline: 1-888-843-4564 (general line) or 1-800-246-7743 (youth line)
  • Free, confidential, one-on-one peer support for LGBTQ+ people, including a youth hotline for people age 25 and under and adults who support LGBTQ+ youth
  • Telephone and chat services are available.
  • See LBGT National Hotline website for hours of operation.
• National Maternal Mental Health Hotline. Call or Text: (833)-852-6262
  • Free, confidential, 24/7/365 support for birthing parents and their families before, during, and after pregnancy
  • English and Spanish-speaking counselors
  • Interpretation available in 60 languages
• Veterans Crisis Line SAMHSA. Call 1-800-273-8255; TYY 1-800-799-4889; Text TALK to 838255
  • Free, confidential support for veterans, service members, National Guard and Reserve members, and those who support them
  • Individuals do not have to be enrolled in VA healthcare or registered with the VA to call.
  • Call or text available 24/7/365
• Disaster Distress SAMHSA Helpline: Call 1-800-985-5990; Text TalkWithUs to 66746; Deaf or Hard of Hearing ASL Callers Text or Call 1-800-985-5990
  • Free, confidential 24/7/365 crisis counseling and support for people experiencing emotional distress related to natural or human-caused disasters and infectious disease outbreaks.
• Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) Helpline: Call 1-800-662-4357
  • Free, confidential, 24/7/365 information and treatment referral service for individuals and families facing mental health and/or substance use disorders
  • English and Spanish support available by phone; only English available for text messaging
• National Alliance for Eating Disorders Helpline: Call 1-866-662-1235
  • A national eating disorder helpline led by eating disorder clinicians who can provide support and referral to resources
  • Monday-Friday, 9am-7pm ET
• National Sexual Assault Hotline. Call 1-800-656-4673 or chat online at online.rainn.org
  • Free, confidential support created and operated by RAINN, in partnership with more than 1,000 local sexual assault service providers across the country
  • Available 24/7/365
• National Domestic Violence Hotline: Call 1-800-799-7233 or text “Start” to 88788
  • Free, confidential, 24/7/365 services available via telephone, chat, or text
• Strong Hearts Native Domestic and Sexual Violence Helpline: Call 1-844-762-8483
  • Free, confidential and anonymous domestic and sexual violence helpline for Native Americans and Alaska Natives
  • Call or chat options available 24/7/365
• Love is Respect: Call: 1-866-331-9474; TTY: 1-800-787-3224; Text: “LOVEIS” to 22522
  • Free, confidential information on healthy relationships and relationship violence for people ages 13-26
  • Resources for educators and others who support youth to have healthy relationships or end relationship violence
  • Phone, text, and chat services available 24/7/365

Some students find that New Hampshire’s long and dark winters have a negative effect on their energy and mood.

If you feel down for days at a time and can’t get motivated to do activities that you normally enjoy, you should consult with the Dartmouth Counseling Center.

Using a sun lamp, which mimics natural sunlight, may also help to boost your mood.

You can borrow a sun lamp from the:

• Berry Library circulation desk
• Dartmouth Counseling Center – call 603-646-9422
• Student Wellness Center – reserve a lamp by email or stop by the Student Wellness Center in Berry Library 179

Mindfulness and meditation are widely-recognized emotional management techniques that can help you increase focus, improve sleep and memory, and reduce stress.

The Mindful Dartmouth Initiative (MDI) is a campus-wide movement committed to the promotion of mindfulness principles throughout the extended Dartmouth community. Campus-wide mindfulness resources, events, and practice opportunities are listed on the MDI website.

Some additional resources you might use include:

• Headspace App. Free for all Dartmouth students and employees
• Student Wellness Center Mindfulness Resources. Offerings vary in duration, frequency, and format. These include guided recordings that you can listen to at any time, meditation drop-ins with no prior experience or sign-up needed, yoga, and multi-session offerings like Mindfulness for Emerging Adults (MIEA) and yoga.
• Tucker Center Mindfulness Groups.
• Urise. Free for all Dartmouth students.

Time spent in nature can generate feelings of joy and calmness, relieve stress and anxiety, and reduce heart rate, blood pressure, and cortisol levels.

Below are a few places where you can engage with our beautiful campus and surrounding locations, but more options for being outside and in nature can be found on our environmental wellness page.

• Bema. A wooded and grass-covered area located in College Park, this area can serve as an outdoor amphitheater, too.
• Dartmouth/Hanover Walking Routes. several suggested routes with measured distances, including a treasured community favorite: Occom Pond
• Hanover Hikes. Hanover Conservancy’s hiking search tool includes directions, route details, and vivid descriptions.
• LiGraben Meditation Garden. Located at 42 School Street in the Town of Hanover, open noon to sunset
• Life Sciences Greenhouse. Located at the top of the Class of 1978 Life Sciences Center, this greenhouse and living botanical museum is a great place to visit the outdoors, while staying indoors on cold or rainy days.
• Mink Brook. A 112-acre preserve in Hanover, which protects trout, bears, and other creatures
• Nathan’s Park – a park at 33 Maple Street in the Town of Hanover with a gazebo and seating; visiting this park requires ability to go up and down stairs
• Tree Lovers Walk. Check out some of Dartmouth’s most famous trees.
• Upper Valley Trail Finder. Use this online tool to sort trails by difficulty, location, and distance.
• Walking Tour of Campus Sculpture

Peer support can be a powerful resource for meeting other students who can empathize with the challenges you are experiencing and perhaps suggest resources that can help.

At Dartmouth, students have access to multiple forms of peer support. These include:

• Mental Health Student Union – Support from undergraduates who have completed training through the Health Service Counseling Center and Student Wellness Center, available to any Dartmouth student interested in getting support
• Geisel Mental Health and Wellness Representatives – student government leaders knowledgeable about Geisel and Dartmouth resources for fellow Geisel students
• Graduates in Need of Decompression (GrIND) – a Thayer student organization at that seeks to promote general health and wellness among all Thayer graduate students.
• Tuck Mental Health and Wellness Initiative.

Outside of Dartmouth, students may find mental health peer support via:

• National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI) – a nonprofit organization that has affiliates (chapters) across the country working to educate, support, and advocate for people with mental illness and their loved ones, including local affiliates:
  • NAMI New Hampshire
  • NAMI Vermont
• Some of the national lifelines, hotlines, and helplines listed on this Emotional Wellness webpage (link) and the Get Help Now page (link)

Other forms of peer support at Dartmouth include:

• Peer tutoring and other academic support (see the Academic Wellness page)
• Identify-specific peer support (see Social Wellness page)

Many of the resources described on this page like being in nature, engaging with the arts, practicing mindfulness, doing yoga, or connecting with a medical professional can help with stress and anxiety management.

The pages below offer some additional tips:

• Coping with Exam Anxiety
• Stress Management
• Stress Facts and Busters
• Yoga Classes

The Student Wellness Center in Berry Library 179 regularly brings certified therapy dogs to its living room to visit with students.

Other entities on campus sometimes bring therapy dogs to campus, too.

A wellness check-in is a private conversation with a trained lister, offered through the Student Wellness Center. As explained on the Student Wellness Center webpage, a wellness check-in is different from counseling or therapy.

You can schedule a wellness check-in to discuss decisions you are trying to make or other life challenges and growth opportunities. These could be about interpersonal relationships (with roommates, classmates, friends, family, or anyone else!), time management, academics, or a completely different topic!