Counseling and Psychiatric Service (CAPS) at GUMC

After an open letter was signed by more than 500 students after the George Floyd protests, Dr. Jade Sanders was hired in September 2021 in response to the demand of more mental health resources for students who are Underrepresented in Medicine (URM).

As an extension of CAPS, Dr. Sanders works exclusively with medical center students, providing initial triage assessments, consultations, short-term brief psychotherapy, case management/referral services, medical leaves of absence, and workshops/community outreach events. Additionally, she offers staff consultations and trainings.  

For more information about CAPS as a whole, including more in-depth information regarding services, announcements, and additional resources, please visit: https://studenthealth.georgetown.edu/mental-health/ (new window)

Active students in the School of Medicine and Biomedical Graduate Education programs are eligible for Dr. Sanders’ services. Services provided by Dr. Sanders are free of charge. Dr. Sanders’ office is located at Med-Dent SE104 and her in-office days are Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Thursdays. She is also providing telehealth appointments daily.

To request an appointment with Dr. Sanders please email her directly at js5048@georgetown.edu

CAPS emergency information: https://studenthealth.georgetown.edu/mental-health/emergency/ (new window)

Should I schedule an appointment with Dr. Sanders or main CAPS?

If you are a medical center student, it is often quicker if you reach out to Dr. Sanders directly since she is a CAPS clinician who is embedded full time in GUMC. There are times where Dr. Sanders’ triage slots are full and so you may be referred to complete a triage at main CAPS in order to be seen quicker. Due to high demand, there may also be times where Dr. Sanders has a waitlist for ongoing services. If this is the case, she will discuss options with you and help you get the support you need.

Will information I talk about at CAPS be shared with my professors/deans/clerkships/residency programs/anyone at GUSOM?

No. All CAPS records are confidential and are not part of a student’s academic record. No information is released to an outside party (even parents) without the student’s explicit written authorization. Exceptions to confidentiality include information about child abuse, serious risk to human life, and court orders.

Although Dr. Sanders is embedded in GUMC, she is employed through CAPS and is bound to confidentiality through HIPAA. Dr. Sanders will speak with you directly if it is recommended to involve others for support and will discuss specifically the information that will be shared if you choose to consent. Please note that once information is shared, CAPS cannot guarantee privacy from the 3rd party individual.

Can my fellow classmates, other doctors at MedStar, or deans see my private information in the system?

No. Notes from session are kept in a secure electronic health record system that is 100% separate from MedStar. The only people who have access to this system are CAPS employees, who are bound by HIPPA.

Can CAPS help with medication management?

Yes, there are psychiatrists on staff at main CAPS who can help. Please visit https://studenthealth.georgetown.edu/mental-health/services/mental-health-services-psychiatry/ (new window) for more information. Please note that you will still need to complete a triage appointment prior to meeting with a staff psychiatrist.

I’ve been in ongoing therapy before and so am looking for more longer-term care. Can CAPS help?

Yes. Please visit this page for more information about connecting to referrals in the community: https://studenthealth.georgetown.edu/off-campus-referrals/ (new window)

I heard we have a new GUSOM Student Mental Health Fund! How can I apply?

Here is all the information you need! https://studenthealth.georgetown.edu/georgetown-student-mental-health-fund/ (new window)