Health Promotion & Wellness Services
Health Promotion and Wellness Services strives to support inclusive, accessible, and diverse health and wellness opportunities. Our services are provided to empower students to develop a strong foundation to optimize their capacity to learn, reach their potential, and achieve their goals throughout their academic careers and beyond.
Learn about the 8 Dimensions of Wellness
One-on-One Wellness - Personalized Just For You
Meet with a Health Educator, Nutrition Peer Educator, or the Registered Dietitian one-on-one to ask questions, address your health and wellness needs, and build skills to improve wellness.
Please note: All sessions listed below are FREE unless otherwise noted.
Wellness Sessions and Consultations
A $25 fee is applied for missed appointments and when appointments are not canceled at least 24 hours before the appointment time. This fee may also apply for late arrivals.
Birth Control Consultations are for students who are currently UNSURE which method of birth control they would like to start. The purpose of the birth control consultation is to discuss the various birth control options and provide information and space to ask questions about usage, effectiveness, etc. so that you can select a method of choice. Please note: birth control is NOT prescribed at this visit.
Call 301.314.8184 to schedule an appointment.
The Health Center offers a number of sexual health resources.
Sexual Health Consultations are for students who have questions or concerns about sexuality that aren't better suited in an STI testing appointment or a Birth Control Consultation. For example, someone might have questions about navigating sexual health resources, exploring safer sex options, healthy sexual relationships, etc.
Call 301.314.8184 to schedule an appointment.
The Health Center offers several sexual health resources.
The Registered Dietitian Consultation service includes Medical Nutrition Therapy (diabetes, hypertension, high cholesterol, digestive issues) using a holistic, non-diet approach to nutrition and health. The Registered Dietitian-Nutritionist (RDN) provides knowledge and practical skills according to each client’s individual needs and preferences to help them reach their health and wellness goals.
Fees are associated with this service.
The Nutrition Coaching team consists of undergraduate dietetic students supervised by the UHC Registered Dietitian-Nutritionist. This service offers clients support, encouragement and guidance in reaching general healthy eating goals, based on the USDA Dietary Guidelines. The Nutrition Coach will help you break down your nutrition goal into manageable steps and offer ongoing support and accountability.
This is a free service available during the fall and spring semesters only.
Questions about sleep, time management, individual meditation practices, or substance use harm reduction? We’ve got answers!
Call 301.314.8184 to schedule an appointment with a health educator.
Ongoing Wellness Services
Wags for Wellness is the University of Maryland’s signature pet therapy program, offering drop-in visits several times a month. Click below to learn more.
Drop-in, virtual classes offered Monday-Friday during the Fall and Spring semester. Join as often as you please. Health Promotion & Wellness Services also offers on-demand meditation videos, voice recordings, and more in our Meditation Library.
UHC offers comprehensive gynecology, sexual, and reproductive health services, including STI testing, through appointments with medical providers that can be billed to insurance or paid for out-of-pocket. For more information, click here.
UHC also offers a limited number of FREE STI Express Test appointments for registered students with no symptoms weekly throughout the academic year. For more information and to schedule an appointment, go to MyUHC.umd.edu.
For sexual health resources and education, including a map with off-campus resources, click here.
Wellness Education
Mental Health First Aid is a training program that teaches you how to identify, understand and respond to signs of mental illness and substance use disorders. This 8-hour training gives you the skills you need to reach out and provide initial support to someone who may be developing a mental health or substance use challenge and help connect them to the appropriate care.
The University of Maryland Health Center is designated as an Overdose Response Program (ORP) through the Maryland Department of Health. As part of this designation, we offer overdose response resources to the UMD community, free of charge.
One of the most popular resources we offer is Naloxone, an opioid overdose reversal medication. Similarly to how an EpiPen temporarily blocks the life-threatening symptoms of an allergic reaction (i.e. inability to breathe) while emergency medical assistance arrives, Naloxone offers a similar kind of temporary support for those experiencing an opioid overdose.
To get your free Naloxone through the Health Center, all you have to do is attend a brief training, which goes over how to recognize signs of an opioid overdose, instructions for using Naloxone, and what to do as emergency medical assistance makes its way to you and the person in crisis.
Trainings are all offered in the Sahet Room of the Health Center, just past the main entrance to the building, and are free to any UMD community member interested in attending! Registration is required for attendance.
Presentations and workshops are available to classrooms, student organizations, Greek organizations, residence halls, departments, and more!
Wellness Resources
The Any Questions Podcast highlights themes that aren't usually talked about in the wellness presentations that we deliver on campus. Click below to learn more.
Our Peer Nutrition Coaches have taken some of their most frequently asked questions and most frequently led-discussions and turned them into an easy-to-relate-to blog.
Click below to learn more.
Designed specifically for college students, the T-Break guide is a 21-day Interactive Guide to help Lower your cannabis tolerance and re-establish balance.
Click below to learn more.
Fentanyl Test Strips are powerful harm reduction tools which, when used as directed, can detect the potential presence of fentanyl in different kinds of substances. These free resources are offered through our Pharmacy, as part of our Overdose Response Program designation from the Maryland Department of Health. Just bring your UID to the Pharmacy counter and ask for a Fentanyl Test Strip pack. Each pack contains 3 test strips, as well as informational pamphlets from our Substance Use and Harm Reduction Unit in HPWS, and from DanceSafe, a nationally recognized harm reduction nonprofit.
The resource table next to the Health Promotion & Wellness Services front desk on the ground floor of the University Health Center offers the following safer sex supplies for free, grab-and-go style, during regular business hours:
- External condoms
- Insertive condoms
- Lubrication
- Oral dams
- Abstinence kits
For more information about where else to find safer sex supplies on campus and how to request specialty supplies, see our Sexual Health program page.
We also offer up to two bulk packs of safer sex supplies per month for faculty, staff, and student leaders (RA, DFSL chapter leader, student org president, etc.) who are hosting a sexual health event and/or have residential or office space where students can easily access the supplies. Requests are available to pick up at the University Health Center within 2 weeks.
Emergency Contraception (EC) reduces the chance of pregnancy after unprotected sexual intercourse. Common situations in which EC could be used include forgetting to take several birth control pills in a row, having a condom break or slip off, or not using a birth control method during sex. Emergency contraception (EC) is a time-sensitive medication that is more effective the sooner you take it.
EC is available for FREE at the UHC Pharmacy and for $15 at several convenience store locations on campus. Click below to learn more.
Click below for a variety of pre-packaged recordings, activities, handouts, discussion guides, and other resources.
Light therapy is a possible option to address low mood during the fall and winter months. Devices are available for use from McKeldin Library. Students can loan devices for one hour without a referral, or for 28 days with a referral from the University Health Center.
Click below to learn more about seasonal affective disorder, light therapy, how to obtain a referral, and tips and tricks for use.
The University of Maryland, College Park has been recognized as a Skin Smart Campus by The National Council on Skin Cancer Prevention.
We recognize wellness is complex and our current offerings will likely not meet all the wellness needs on campus. We are committed to ongoing learning and trying new and creative ways to increase students' wellbeing.
- To facilitate the adoption and maintenance of positive health behaviors and wellness practices.
- To collaborate with Health Center staff in the delivery of client education services.
- To provide experiential opportunities for peer educators and interns.
- To increase awareness of Health Center programs and services.
- To increase knowledge of personal and community wellness.