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We understand the unique challenges that our students face, from academic pressures to personal and mental health concerns. To support you, we offer a comprehensive range of services including mental health support, food assistance, housing, personal counseling, and much more. These resources are designed to help you thrive both personally and academically.
Please do not hesitate to access these resources. It is important to reach out for help when you need it. All inquiries will remain confidential.
The Office of Admissions coordinates the College’s recruitment and admissions to the academic programs. All documents submitted for purposes of consideration for admission or questions related to admission should be directed to this office.
The orientation program is an annual event designed to familiarize the student with the academic demands of the curriculum, college policies and student life. It also provides a forum to introduce key alumni and optometric organizations who offer important perspectives about the profession and the College. Orientation is planned by a student/staff committee that selects and coordinates various activities that include lectures, tours and social events.
The Office of the Registrar coordinates the scheduling of courses and maintains all official student records, which include transcripts, health forms, etc. Any changes to student information should be directed to this office. Additional functions include the preparation and dissemination of the academic calendar, the student health forms and national and state board information.
The Financial Aid Office administers all federal, state and institutional programs available to assist students in financing their education. Counseling is available to assist students in their financial planning, including budgets, loan alternatives and other financial options.
SUNY Smart Track Financial Literacy Website
Financial Literacy training and tools brought to you by SUNY and the University at Albany
A Student Housing Committee assists each student with his/her housing arrangements. Students set their priorities regarding cost, space, distance and area, and the Housing Committee assists the student in locating and securing suitable housing to meet his/her specific needs. The Housing Committee operates under the direction of the Financial Aid Office and is functioning between April and September.
All students are required to maintain adequate health insurance coverage. Students are encouraged to have an optometric examination upon entering the College. Optometric examinations are offered by appointment in the University Eye Center.
The College requires each student matriculating into a degree program to complete and submit to the Office of Student Affairs a health form which contains general health information and a complete immunization record.
The Office of Student Affairs offers counseling to students about health programs and can make referrals to health practitioners and clinics when specific services are required
The Office of Student Affairs seeks to build a vibrant college community that is healthy and supportive in all aspects of life. We care deeply about our students’ well-being and strive to offer the services needed to be successful.
We recognize that at times your academic and clinical training can be stressful. We also understand that extenuating life circumstances can add to the levels of stress experienced by our students.
Mental health issues, including stress, anxiety, and depression, often impact students’ ability to perform at their best, and have adverse effects on well-being in general, as well as negatively affect memory and learning. The College strives to foster well-rounded, compassionate health care providers who flourish in all aspects of life.
There are two general rules of thumb when dealing with distress:
Don’t be afraid to ask for help;
Ask for help as soon as you feel the symptoms of distress.
Common symptoms of stress, anxiety, depression, and other common mental health illnesses, can be found here:
You can take simple yet important steps towards improving your mental well-being. Often, talking with someone about issues that may be causing distress offers great relief.
Proven methods that you can implement to increase positive mental well-being include mindfulness and managing cognitive distortions. For more information on these methods, visit Cognitive Distortions (PDF)
Some students, however, may need more structured assistance.
We offer many services to help students who may be experiencing distress in their lives.
The Office of Student Affairs 11th Floor Safe Zone
The office of Student Affairs offers a supportive, friendly safe zone where you can talk about any issues you may be experiencing in privacy. You can make an appointment to speak with:
Gui Albieri: galbieri@sunyopt.edu
Jackie Martinez: jmartinez@sunyopt.edu
Christian Alberto: calberto@sunyopt.edu
**Walk-ins are also welcome!
About SUNY OPT’s On-Campus Mental Health Counseling
The Student Counseling Service is part of the Student Affairs Office as well as the Center for Teaching and Learning and provides short-term mental health support services to currently enrolled SUNY OPT students. It is staffed by one Licensed Clinical Social Worker who has years of experience helping students deal with a wide range of personal and academic difficulties.
The Counseling Service is not a part of the administration of SUNY Downstate. All information shared with our counselor is strictly confidential and cannot be shared with another person without the student’s consent with rare exceptions that are reviewed in our consent forms.
The Student Counseling Service has been established to help students deal with academically related stress as well as with any other personal concerns that can interfere with their performance in school. Some of these issues include anxiety and fear, depression, low self-esteem, interpersonal difficulties, family problems, and habit control problems (e.g. overeating, alcohol and other drug abuse). It is common for those engaged in graduate studies to experience the need for support, feedback, and guidance in managing the burdens of academic goals, coping with stress, and in creating and maintaining meaningful relationships in their lives. We know that seeking support of any kind can often be a challenge, and we encourage you to contact the Student Counseling Service if you have any questions, would like to discuss if counseling is right for you, or to set up an initial meeting. In an effort to accommodate the varied needs of students, we provide the following services:
On Campus Therapy/Counseling Services:
Students have access to free, confidential mental health support on campus. We have a full-time Licensed Clinical Social Worker on site who provides free psychotherapy, referrals to specialists, referrals for psychiatric (medication) support, and large-scale campus programming. Simply email MentalHealth@sunyopt.edu with your availability to make an appointment to meet (Mondays via zoom only).
Psychiatric Care:
SUNY Telepsychiatry Network: accessed via Counseling Services, STPN offers free, remote, psychiatric care to all students. This service can be accessed through the Counseling Service. You do not need to be in therapy on campus in order to access it, but must make a connection to this remote service through Counseling.
Email mentalhealth@sunyopt.edu to make an appointment for referral to STPN.
24/7 Support: Talk Campus.
Student life can be tough, lonely and overwhelming. If you’d like to talk to someone you can access TalkCampus, an online peer to peer mental health and wellbeing support network, connecting students across the globe anonymously to share the ups and downs of life. The platform is a safe place for students to share, with 24/7 moderation and escalation from a global safety team of trained peer supporters and a professional staff team. It is a judgment free, encouraging zone and SUNY OPT won’t know you’re using it. You can also access a suite of wellbeing resources such as self-directed learning modules, mood-tracking, journaling and mindfulness tips. You don’t need to struggle alone, you can talk to your peers about the unique concerns and challenges you face as a student. How to access TalkCampus The TalkCampus app is available to all students at SUNY OPT. Download TalkCampus for free from Google Play or the App Store, or access it online on your desktop via this link; https://www.talkcampus.io/sign-up 1. Select the ‘Sign up’ button on the home page 2. Enter your [university/college] email address and choose a password 3. Verify your profile via your SUNY OPT email account, you will only need to do this once. Find out more about TalkCampus here https://www.talkcampus.com/sign-up.
Individual Counseling
Counseling is a collaborative process that involves the development of a confidential professional relationship that focuses on personal problems. The objective of counseling is to help students clarify issues, gain insight into your feelings and thoughts and effectively deal with challenges. Counseling sessions enhance an individual’s ability to manage their feelings and behaviors, make healthy choices, achieve personal goals, and feel more in charge of their life.
Nearly all students experience challenges that can interfere with their success or sense of well-being. Counseling can help you improve your ability to balance the many demands on the road towards earning your degree.
Staff
SUNY OPT’s Counseling Service is staffed by one full-time Licensed Clinical Social Worker, Jacquelyn Hunt. Jacky has worked in higher education as a therapist since 2016. Before getting her Masters in Social Work from NYU’s Silver School of Social Work, she was a Resident Director at both Sacred Heart University and LIM College. She has a particular interest in working with young adults and uses an eclectic blend of evidenced-based practices in her work. When she is not in her office on the 11th floor, you can usually find her taking a break in the campus gym.
Making an Appointment By Email
Contact mentalhealth@sunyopt.edu to schedule an appointment via email. In your message, please include days and times when you are available to meet. We will respond to your email to confirm a date and time for an initial appointment. Please keep in mind that the Counseling Service is always closed on weekends and when our clinician is out of the office for sick or vacation time.
A counselor will meet with you to assess the nature of your concerns and determine the best method of addressing them.
ThrivingCampus:
ThrivingCampus is an online directory that allows SUNY Optometry students to access a list of off-campus, licensed mental health clinicians, many of whom specialize in working with students. The website includes various guides and resources that assist students through the process of securing off-campus outpatient care. You can search providers by area of practice (e.g., academic stress, addiction, etc.), therapeutic approach, race, gender, health insurance, and much more.
To visit ThrivingCampus and connect to an off-campus, outpatient provider, click here.
Psychiatric Services & Medication Management
For psychiatric evaluations and medication management, the Student Counseling Center will refer students to SUNY Telepsychiatry Network. The SUNY Telepsychiatry Network program provides telepsychiatry and tele counseling for students struggling with depression, anxiety, and other mental health problems. Services include remote counseling sessions and are provided by clinicians at SUNY Upstate Medical University’s Department of Psychiatry. These services are free and confidential. In order to access this service, please email mentalhealth@sunyopt.edu to set up a short session during which you will work with our SUNY OPT therapist to complete the first set of paperwork. STPN will contact you directly about your initial appointment and you will recieve the second set of paperwork via your SUNY email account.
HeadSpace App:
Interfaith Prayer and meditation room
The College’s interfaith prayer and meditation room (Rm #1220) is meant to serve and accommodate students of all beliefs and to support the holistic wellness of the College community. This room is accessible to the community Monday through Friday throughout the day. If the room is locked please see Ms. Carolina Gomez-Jones in the President’s suite for access.
Suicide Prevention
Students having suicidal thoughts are encouraged to seek immediate help by calling or texting 988.
https://988lifeline.org/talk-to-someone-now/
988 is now the three-digit dialing code that routes callers to the 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline. When people call, text, or chat with the 988 Lifeline, they are connected to trained crisis counselors who are part of the existing 988 Lifeline network, made up of over 200 local crisis centers. These crisis counselors are trained to provide free and confidential emotional support and crisis counseling to people in suicidal crisis or emotional distress and connect them to resources. These services are available 24 hours a day, seven days a week, across the United States.
How to help those with suicidal thoughts
The behaviors listed below may be signs that someone is thinking about suicide.
If these warning signs apply to you or someone you know, get help as soon as possible, particularly if the behavior is new or has increased recently.
Project LETS
Project LETS (Lets Erase the Stigma) at SUNY College of Optometry is a chapter of a national grassroots peer-led mental health and disability justice advocacy organization. Our goal is to end stigma and ableism, build community, form radical peer support collectives, provide intersectional education, and develop advocacy. We are led by and center the voices of students with lived experience of mental illness, madness, Disability, trauma, neurodivergence, and other marginalized identities. Students, faculty, and staff with lived experience are able to apply to become Peer Mental Health Advocates (PMHAs). PMHAs undergo 16-hour training and work by providing peer counseling, disability advocacy services, and rapid crisis support that is independent from the college and fully confidential.
For further information and our list of resources visit here: https://linktr.ee/sunyopt_wellness
The staff in the Office of Student Affairs is available to all students for personal, academic and financial counseling. Referrals can also be made to professionally trained counselors and therapists.
The Office of Student Affairs is dedicated to supporting students experiencing food insecurity. In addition to the resources outlined below, we strongly encourage students facing severe hardship to reach out to our office for assistance.
To provide confidential access to free food for SUNY Optometry students who experience food insecurity, the College established a partnership with Guttman Community College (GCC) to offer our students access to the Grizzly Pantry for access to food items. GCC is conveniently located across Bryant Park (50 West 40th Street). The Food Pantry walk in hours are Monday through Friday 9am-4pm. Students can email connectcenter@guttman.cuny.edu to check in before heading over during walk in hours and to schedule a pickup from the front desk in the evenings when the Pantry is closed. Students must bring their SUNY Optometry ID for verification. There are no limits on the number of visits a SUNY Optometry student may make to the food pantry, nor any questions asked regarding a student’s need for food.
The College Student Pantry is another resource that students in the city can utilize. The College Student Pantry is a food pantry program for college and graduate students in NYC. It is run by student volunteers and is there for any student who needs food, no questions asked.
Known previously as “food stamps,” the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) can help you pay for food. SNAP provides food benefits to low-income families to supplement their grocery budget so they can afford the nutritious food essential to health and well-being. SNAP monthly benefits can be used to purchase food at authorized retail food stores. Students enrolled at least half-time and who participate in a state or federally financed work study program are typically eligible for SNAP benefits.
Interested in learning more about SNAP? To determine your eligibility for the program and other services, please visit https://www.fns.usda.gov/ snap/students or contact Vito Cavallaro, vito@sunyopt.edu.
The Office of Student Affairs administers a peer program to assist students in their academic studies through individual and group tutorials. Students are urged to seek tutoring as soon as the need arises or if recommended by faculty.
A continuing objective of the College is the identification, recruitment, admission and retention of qualified students from underrepresented groups in the field of optometry. As in other health professions, African-Americans, Hispanic and Native Americans are significantly underrepresented in optometry. The College has developed and adopted a minority assistance plan for the purpose of providing the necessary support and services to assist minority students in meeting program demands.
All services including advising and processing of required documents are handled by the Office of Student Affairs. All foreign students are required to enroll in a mandatory health insurance plan made available to all foreign students and their families through the State University of New York.
The primary purpose of the College Work Study Program (CWS) is to promote the part-time employment of students. The program is designed for those students who have great financial need and is intended to relieve the student from incurring an unduly heavy burden of indebtedness.
Students must be in good academic standing and have verified need. It is recommended that first year students refrain from working during the first quarter of enrollment in order to provide for a period of adjustment. All CWS positions will be subject to the approval of the Dean or Vice President supervising the various areas. The Academic Dean will approve all academic related CWS positions.
Each CWS position must have a job description on file that states the purpose, duties and responsibilities entailed. This serves to provide the student with information and sets bounds of time needed for the job. Interviews are arranged through the Financial Aid Office to assure mutual satisfaction.
The College’s interfaith prayer and meditation room is meant to serve and accommodate students of all beliefs and to support the holistic wellness of the College community. This room is accessible to the community Monday through Friday throughout the day.
To request an ID Card. Please fill out this form here.
How Subletting Works in NYC
You may choose to sublet an apartment from a tenant who temporarily leaves the city plans to return to the same apartment after a period of time. Instead of moving out of the apartment, this person may choose to sublet it to another person. This means that someone else (a ‘subtenant’) can live in this apartment and use the furniture and kitchenware until the original tenant returns. You can also sublet an unfurnished apartment.
Subletting is very common in New York City, but you should be cautious if you decide to sublet. A subtenant’s rights are not as clear as those of a primary tenant. You should be sure that you are dealing with a reliable person and that you, too, are reliable. A reliable tenant follows legal procedures when subletting an apartment to you.
To sublet an apartment to you, the tenant must first obtain permission from the landlord. In general, a landlord is obligated to give permission unless he can prove that you would be a ‘bad’ subtenant. For example, the landlord may require information about you and your ability to pay the rent. Generally, you will pay the rent to the tenant, who will then forward the rent to the landlord.
Another item a landlord may request from the tenant is a copy of the sublease. The sublease is a written contract that states: 1. the condition of the apartment and its furnishings, 2. the duration of the sublet, and 3. your responsibilities as a subtenant. Be sure to keep a copy of the sublease for your records. The primary tenant should remove all valuable items from the apartment before you move in. If it is a short-term sublet, the tenant should make specific arrangements with you about mail delivery and telephone messages. The conditions of the tenant’s lease cannot be changed while he is away without his consent.
If you are subletting a furnished apartment, the primary tenant is allowed to charge you more than 10% above the legal rent (this can be verified by looking at the primary lease). You will probably have to pay a security deposit of 50% to 100% of one month’s rent. This amount may vary depending on the duration of the sublet and the furnishings provided, as well as the condition of the apartment. The money should be deposited into a savings account at the bank and returned to you when you vacate the apartment IF the tenant’s home and furnishings have been left in good condition.
(Sources: StreetEasy.com: ‘How to Avoid Being a Victim of a Rental Scam in NYC’ from March 30th, 2015 and The Denver Post: ‘Simple Craigslist Precautions Ensure a Fun – and Safe – Website Exchange’ Lifestyle from May 11th, 2012)
EHS
https://www.studenthousing.org/
Summer prices start at $3450 for about 10 weeks – prices vary by location and the number of bedrooms. Tenants must be students currently taking classes or taking classes the following semester and currently enrolled in an experiential program. International students accepted. Offers housing by semester (fall, spring, summer). Housing for shorter periods or one month may be available as well as group reservations with special inquiry.
NYU Summer Housing
https://www.nyu.edu/summer/housing
Max rent ~$1600 for 4 weeks. Group options available (10 to 75 people, 18 years and older, 3 week minimum stay). First come, first serve basis for nonNYU, nonaffiliated applicants. Some housing requires purchase of meal plan. Applications for summer housing close by mid-May – apply early.
Chelsmore Apartments
http://www.chelsmore.com
$3950 for small 2-bedroom; $3200 for studio. Flat rate of $250/month for utilities (gas, electric, heat, hot water, cable, internet, and telephone line). Furnished bedrooms for minimum one month stay.
AFI Property Management
http://www.afiapartments.com
$3100 for 1 bedroom studio,$3500 for 1 bedroom suite, $4350 for two bedroom suite (average prices; vary by season). All apartments located in UES around 77th St and 2nd Ave. Furnished bedrooms for minimum 30 day stay.
92YResidence
http://www.92y.org/Uptown/92YResidence-Student-Intern-Housing.aspx
$1450 per person for small double room, $2000 for large single room. $250 application fee. Dormitory style student and internship residence. Private or semiprivate furnished rooms with common kitchen and bathroom. List of amenities can be found by clicking the link above. Located in Yorkville within a close walk to the subway.
International House
http://www.ihouse-nyc.org
$976 to $1561 for dormitory style options, $1788 to $2447 for apartment style options. Dining services charge of $145/month. Offers housing for graduate students and people coming to New York to study in other programs. Short-term stay (under 20 days) and long-term stay (few months) available.
AirBnb
www.airbnb.com
Prices vary. Offers a wide range of options. Use with caution and refer to ‘How to Cautiously Navigate Sites Like Airbnb and Craigslist’ for helpful tips.
Craigslist
www.craigslist.com
Prices vary. Offers a wide range of options. Use with extreme caution and refer to ‘How to Cautiously Navigate Sites Like Airbnb and Craigslist’ for helpful tips.
Literarti Housing NYC
http://literati.nyc
Affordable co-living option. $900-$1450 monthly rent, per furnished single room with utilities throughout NYC. Flexible lease terms, 1 month minimum. Roommate housing with easy subway access and opportunity to live with other medical students. Please mention SUNYOPT.edu or sunyopt to get preferential placement/rates.
HomeToGo
https://www.hometogo.com/new-york-city/
Prices vary but they allow you to specify the desired period and length of stay in a flexible date search. You can also filter by desired amenities, accommodation types or properties you can book immediately. Use with caution and make sure to examine all details carefully before booking. This site is similar to AirBnb.
