Rice student therapy and medication management: choosing the right referral

Request an intake, then confirm the appointment

Call the Rice Counseling Center at 713-348-3311 during its published scheduling hours, Monday through Friday, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. The appointment page also offers an availability request form; staff then call to arrange a time.

When contacting RCC, say which service you are trying to arrange and when you can answer a scheduling call. If you use the form, wait for the appointment details rather than treating submission as a reservation. Ask how the intake will take place and whether there is anything to complete beforehand.

• Rice intake and appointment instructions

Sources: Rice Make an Appointment

If you only need a prescriber, ask for care coordination

Rice says students seeking medication management alone are helped with off-campus psychiatric referrals by its care coordination manager. RCC psychiatry follows a referral from an RCC clinician and is linked to individual therapy with the center.

Make your request specific. For example, explain that you already have a therapist and want to discuss ongoing medication care, or that you are seeking your first evaluation. Ask what type of outside appointment to request and how to obtain referral help. A referral is an introduction to a possible next service, not confirmation that the receiving practice has accepted you.

• Rice counseling and psychiatric-service pathways

Sources: Rice Counseling Center Our Services

Ask whether brief therapy fits your goal

RCC uses a short-term counseling model. Its initial assessment can lead to campus therapy or community care when longer-term or specialized treatment is more suitable.

Bring a concrete goal and ask how the proposed service would address it. If you need an ongoing relationship with a therapist, discuss that at the start. Before an outside referral, ask how to stay in contact with the team and what to do if none of the suggested providers works with your schedule or budget. Do not infer a fixed number of sessions from another student’s experience.

Sources: Rice Counseling Center Our Services; Rice Counseling Center FAQs

Separate the student health fee from outside bills

Rice’s FAQ says RCC services are covered through student health fees. It describes off-campus insurance coverage separately and does not promise that every outside appointment is paid in full.

Before booking outside care, give the clinic your exact plan details and ask for a cost estimate for the named clinician and visit type. Check whether therapy and medication visits would generate separate charges. Ask the insurer about any referral or authorization requirement, then record the answer and the date. If the estimate is unaffordable, tell the care coordination manager what barrier you encountered.

• Rice counseling FAQ and cost information

Sources: Rice Counseling Center FAQs

Agree on information sharing and follow-up

RCC’s privacy guidance explains that written permission is generally needed before it shares information with a third party, with stated exceptions. Ask the team which authorization is needed if an outside clinician should receive information.

Before the first outside visit, confirm who is requesting records and whether the receiving office has them. Make a short list of what you want the new clinician to understand. If you already take medication, ask your current prescriber about the transition and whom to contact if your next appointment is delayed. A new evaluation does not guarantee continuation of a previous prescription.

• Rice confidentiality and information-sharing guidance

Sources: Rice Counseling Center Confidentiality

Know the urgent contact route

Rice lists 713-348-3311 for urgent concerns at any time. For an on-campus emergency, contact RUPD/REMS at 713-348-6000; off campus, call 911. Do not wait for a routine appointment-form response when urgent help is needed.

Sources: Rice Make an Appointment

Questions before you arrange care