Description of Psychiatric Services

Who We Are.  There are three part-time, licensed, fully Board-certified psychiatrists on senior staff at CAPS.  Psychiatrists are medical doctors who have completed specialty training in psychopharmacology and psychotherapy.   We also have senior psychiatry residents (licensed MD’s in final stages of specialty training) who work with students under the close supervision of the senior psychiatrists.

What We Do. We offer medication evaluations, ongoing medication management when the student’s presenting concerns are within the scope of CAPS services, limited psychotherapy, consultation with students and with others in the Duke community around psychiatric questions, and referral for psychiatric needs that fall outside the scope of CAPS services.

Medication management can include treatment for depression, anxiety, difficulty sleeping, eating problems, and more.  We do not evaluate or treat students for attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder, but we can help with appropriate referral when this is a concern.

Access.  Most commonly, students first meet with one of our therapists before being referred to us for a medication evaluation, but students who know their needs will include consideration of medications may request that their initial visit is with one of the psychiatrists.

Because we schedule a full hour for the initial medication evaluation and then always schedule half-hour follow-up visits for anyone for whom we prescribe medicine, at times there may be a wait to see a psychiatrist.  There are, however, emergency slots during the week for urgent medication needs.