Skip Navigation

Masks are required inside all of our care facilities. We are vaccinating all eligible patients. Learn more:

Vaccines, Boosters & Additional Doses | Testing | Patient Care | Visitor Guidelines | Coronavirus

Find more COVID-19 testing locations on Maryland.gov.

Johns Hopkins

School of Medicine

Student Support

The Johns Hopkins Student Assistance Program (JHSAP)

The study of medicine and biomedical science is an exciting, fast-paced and challenging venture. At one point or another however, every student experiences stress and tension. Balancing one's studies and personal life can be difficult. Rather than becoming overwhelmed by these often-competing demands, students can learn to cope more effectively with the right skills and support. The Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine is committed to assisting students in developing these tools to deal with stress and other troubles when they arise. With goals including optimizing students' potentials and easing transitions, JHSAP provides support in dealing with the pressures and challenges students face during their academic and professional careers.

JHSAP offers:

  • Identification and assessment of personal, family, and school/work-related issues
  • Short-term counseling and consultation
  • School-life coaching and adjustment
  • Referral to appropriate and accessible services and resources
  • Educational Workshops
  • Crisis Response

JHSAP services are private and confidential, in accordance with state law and University policies. All registered Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine students and their immediate family members are eligible for JHSAP services, and there is no cost for utilizing JHSAP services. There may be fees associated with the other services and resources to which individuals may be referred, though health insurance usually defrays the cost of such care.

The JHSAP clinical staff is comprised of experienced mental health professionals, including psychologists, social workers, and professional counselors.

Some concerns that we can help you with include:

  • Stress and Anxiety
  • Life Transitions
  • School Troubles
  • Academic Performance
  • Family/Marital
  • Interpersonal Relationships
  • Depression
  • Drugs and Alcohol
  • Adapting to a New Environment
  • Productivity
  • Eating Disorders
  • Grief and Mourning
  • Sexual Harassment

The JHSAP provides convenient appointment times and a number of locations including the East Baltimore campus, Bayview, Columbia, and D.C. For more information or to schedule an appointment, call (443) 287-7000 or 866-764-2317, email jhsap@jhu.edu, or visit the JHSAP website.

University Mental Health

If you feel that you need help for a mental health condition, the services of the University Mental Health (UMH) program are available to you so long as you are a full time School of Medicine, School of Public Health or School of Nursing student, a Johns Hopkins Hospital and Bayview Hospital house officer or a post-doctoral fellow. In addition, you may access the program if you are the spouse/domestic partner of a student, house officer or fellow who remains enrolled in the Student Health Plan.

The University Mental Health program psychiatrists are credentialed through the Johns Hopkins Department of Psychiatry. The UMH Director is Dr. Elizabeth Kastelic. For more information or to make an appointment, please call 410-955-1892. If you are experiencing an emergency during non-business hours and can not reach your clinician directly, please also call 410-955-1892 and listen to the message for instructions on how to access the psychiatrist on-call (press '0').

There is no out-of-pocket expense for visits to the University Mental Health program, and you will be seen as many times as is medically necessary to be treated for your condition. All visits are kept in the strictest confidence. While visits to this program are free, individuals who wish/choose to see a mental health provider or psychiatrist outside University Mental Health have to use their insurance and/or pay out-of-pocket, depending on their coverage.

For more information, please visit the UMH website.

The Department of Spiritual Care & Chaplaincy

When faced with illness and hospitalization or other areas in our life, many of us struggle with questions of meaning, hope, faith, even worry. These important issues are common to us all, regardless of our faith.

Chaplains are available 24/7 to everyone and can provide:  

  • Prayer
  • Careful and sensitive listening
  • Encouragement and comfort
  • Discussion of concerns around difficult health care decisions or new diagnoses
  • Emotional Support in times of grief and loss
  • Exploration of hope
  • Religious rituals that could include baptism, communion, confession, blessing, and anointing
  • End of life care discussion
  • Provision of sacred literature and devotional items
  • Assistance with religious/dietary observances

Weekly worship services include:

Catholic Mass (Bunting Family Interfaith Chapel)
Monday-Thursday 7:30am
Saturday 12:15pm
Sunday 12:00pm

Prayer Time with Chaplain (Bunting Family Interfaith Chapel)
Sunday 10:00am

Jewish Minyan (Blalock 175)
Weekdays 1:10pm (Daylight Savings Time 2:10pm) 

Muslim Jumah Prayer (Bunting Family Interfaith Chapel)
Fridays at 12:30pm and 1:15pm

Mindful Pause (Bunting Family Interfaith Chapel)
Tuesdays 1:00pm-1:30pm

Chapels and Quiet Places

  • Jewish Hospitality Suite - Blalock 175 (Kosher food available)
  • Bunting Family Interfaith Chapel - Main level Zayed Building
  • Weinberg Meditation Room - 1st Floor Weinberg lobby

*All chapels are available for prayer and reflection.

If you would like to speak with a Chaplain, please text a request to 410-434-0909. For more information, please visit the Department of Spiritual Care & Chaplaincy website.

back to top button