Mental Health Services
Olin provides mental health services through Colony Care Behavioral Health group practice at no charge to the student.* Students in need of mental health services may want to connect with StAR, to discuss concerns and options. Other members of the Office of Student Affairs staff are also available to meet with students about these issues. Students are also free to contact Colony Care directly and confidentially.
Colony Care Behavioral Health is a multi-disciplinary group of psychologists, social workers certified nurse practitioners, and psychiatrists. A variety of providers offer a wide array of treatment approaches including short and long term psychotherapy, stress management counseling, cognitive behavioral therapy, medication management and hypnosis. Students seek help from Colony Care for a variety of issues, including but not limited to the following: school stress, relationship issues, family issues, depression, anxiety, postgraduate concerns, eating concerns, sexual assault, grief/bereavement, gender identity, sexual orientation, and/or substance abuse issues.
Making an appointment
A core group of providers work with Olin College students at their offices at 11 River St. in Wellesley, located near the intersection of Rts. 16 and 128. To set up a first time appointment, call Laura Kinney, LICSW at 781.431.1177 x213. Leave a message and a reliable way of contacting you. If your call is urgent, Laura can be paged by following the instructions given on her outgoing voicemail message. For routine appointments, Laura will contact you within the same business day to briefly talk with you about your concerns and needs. Based on this information, she will arrange for the most appropriate provider to contact you to arrange for a first appointment. You may also email Laura at lkinneylicsw@yahoo.com; however, your email message should only include an inquiry and a telephone number where you can be reached. Due to confidentiality issues, Colony Care staff members prefer to schedule appointments via the telephone. To get to the Colony Care offices, turn right out of Olin and take Rt. 135 (Great Plain Ave.) toward Babson. At the rotary, take the second right onto Seaver St., and then turn left onto Forest St. When you reach Washington St./Rt. 16, turn right, and follow this road until you reach River St. Turn right onto River St.; the offices for Colony Care and the parking lot are on the right.
Clinicians from Colony Care Behavioral Health also conduct counseling sessions on Olin’s campus; typically three hours per week are offered and the clinicians staffing those hours vary. These meetings are still confidential and free. Look for more information about these on-campus counseling hours around campus and via email. You can also check with your R2 or the Office of Student Affairs for more information. A clinician from Colony Care may also be available to facilitate time limited discussions for groups of students around a range of quality of life issues (e.g., college adjustment, social relationships, identity development, eating concerns). If you are interested, or know of a group of students who might be interested, contact StAR to explore possibilities. Whatever option you choose, your communications with mental health providers will remain entirely confidential within the boundaries of state law. They will not be shared with college officials unless you explicitly request that they be or if any student’s safety is in question. Olin College will pay for mental health services as described above during the academic year and bills to the college will not include personally identifiable information.
Transportation
Students unable to arrange their own transportation may use Wellesley Transportation by calling 781.235.2200. Olin covers this cost; you need only to sign a receipt given to you by the cab driver at the time.
* Of course, students always have the option to utilize private insurance to access mental health services independently. Check with your provider for information about coverage terms and conditions.