Yale College Community Care (YC³)
Yale College Community Care (YC³)
The YC3 Team is available during the summer! The Community Wellness Specialists can meet with students regardless of their location, whereas the College Care Clinicians may only meet with students who are physically located in CT during the summer months.
Meet Our Staff
Corinne Coia, Director of Student Well-Being
Areas of expertise: athlete specific issues, relationships, performance anxiety, sleep issues, stress management, family dynamics, LGBTQIA+ related concerns, and body image.
Office Location: Silliman College
Click to read Corinne's full bio →
Community Wellness Specialists
Common Topics for a CWS
Stress management, motivation, sleep, communication skills, identity development, time management, LGBTQIA+ matters, difficult conversations, imposter syndrome, procrastination, body image, mindfulness, self-compassion, boundaries, relationships, overall wellness
Brian Hamilton
Areas of expertise: relationships, communication skills, conflict management, LGBTQIA+ related concerns, alcohol and substance use, sleep hygiene, grief and bereavement, imposter syndrome, and managing stress/anxiety.
Office Location: Branford College
Click to read Brian's full bio →
Ricky Belizaire, Wellness Programming
Areas of expertise: communication skills, creating boundaries, time/stress management, self-care, working with members of the LGBTQIA+ community, mindfulness, identity development/exploration, and transitional life stages.
Office Location: Morse College
Click to read Ricky's full bio →
Whitney Simmons
Areas of expertise: interpersonal relationships, communication skills, self-care, and planning/organization, roommate issues/concerns, and athletes.
Office Location: Grace Hopper College
- Make a Zoom appointment with Whitney
Click here to read Whitney's full bio →
*Please note that Whitney is currently on parental leave and will be returning at the end of the fall semester. If you need anything please email either community.wellness.specialists@yale.edu or college.care.clinicians@yale.edu
Angie Makomenaw, Health Promotion & Marketing
Areas of expertise: healthy relationships (family, romantic, friends), communication skills, sleep dynamics, self-care, supporting others, creating boundaries, motivation, imposter syndrome, mindfulness, alcohol and substance use, and is a QPR trainer
Office Location: Pierson College
Click here to read Angie's full bio →
College Care Clinicians
Kim Nguyen, Psy.D.
Areas of expertise: academic stressors, social connections, gender and sexuality exploration, cultural and racial identities, alcohol and substance use, and/or issues relating to grief and bereavement. In addition, international students, and students who are experiencing social political stressors.
Office Location: Pauli Murray College
Click to read Dr. Nguyen’s full bio →
Clara Mesa, LCSW
Areas of expertise: trauma, anxiety, depression, acculturation issues, relationships, identity exploration, communication skills, FGLI related stressors, and life changes/transitions.
Office Location: Branford College
Click to read Clara’s full bio →
Lauren Moss-Racusin, Ph.D.
Areas of expertise: management of stress, anxiety, depression, obsessive and compulsive concerns, and trauma; imposter syndrome and other academic and occupational issues; familial, peer, and romantic relationships; growing independence; and development of cognitive defusion, distress tolerance, emotion regulation, and interpersonal effectiveness skills
Office Location: Davenport College
Click to read Dr. Moss-Racusin’s full bio →
Nicole Cepeda, DSW, LCSW, Clinical Programming
Areas of expertise: intergenerational trauma; familial, peer, and romantic relationships; identity development; cultural experiences and development; FGLI related stressors; and life transitions.
Office Location: William L. Harkness Hall
Click to read Dr. Cepeda‘s full bio →
Need urgent support? To speak to an on-call clinician 24/7 (including after-hours and weekends) call this number: 203-432-0290
About the Program
Yale College Community Care (YC³), a program created through the collaboration between Yale College and Yale Mental Health and Counseling, expands mental health and wellness support to Yale College’s diverse undergraduate student community.
Founded in the spring of 2021, YC³ has ten full-time staff members; five College Care Clinicians, four Community Wellness Specialists and a Director. All team members meet with students individually and through group opportunities. In addition to these services, YC³ team members can assist students who are thinking about pursuing more formal, ongoing therapy through Yale Mental Health and Counseling. Students can schedule YC³ appointments directly.
Mission Statement
Our mission is to provide short-term mental health and wellness services to Yale undergraduates. We offer readily accessible individual and group opportunities that are tailored to a diversity of student needs. A partnership between Yale College and Yale Mental Health and Counseling, we strive to promote a student-centered culture of well-being.
College Care Clinicians are licensed clinical social workers and psychologists who are available to meet with students in locations near the residential colleges for drop-in clinical care. The YC³ clinicians are part of the Mental Health and Counseling staff, and meetings with them are confidential. They also work closely with the rest of the YC³ team on common issues and community programming.
Community Wellness Specialists are available to meet in the residential colleges with students who want to work on practical strategies for overall well-being. They are part of Yale College’s Student Affairs Office and work together with heads, deans, first-year counselors, and peer liaisons as members of the residential college’s support team. The tools and approaches they offer can be used alongside therapy or on their own. The YC³ specialists can also connect students to other resources throughout the university.
Need urgent support? To speak to an on-call clinician 24/7 (including after-hours and weekends) call this number: 203-432-0290.
Mental Health and Counseling
Mental Health and Counseling continues to offer treatment to students who would like to pursue formal therapy in a clinical setting, and the new staff expansion will make it easier and faster for students to be seen. Students can always call (203) 432-0290 during regular business hours to schedule appointments. They can also call that same number any time, day or night, to speak to a clinician immediately.
These two expansions have been made possible by the generous support of anonymous donors and the offices of the president and the provost.
Need urgent support? To speak to an on-call clinician 24/7 (including after-hours and weekends) call this number: 203-432-0290
YC³ Events
YC³ offers virtual workshops for all undergraduate students at Yale College on topics such as: Sleep 101, Mindfulness, Stress Management & Restorative Yoga. For a complete list of our offerings, with instructions on how to sign up, explore the Yale Connect Events List. If you are interested in a therapeutic group offering this semester, please email college.care.clinicians@yale.edu.
If you are interested in YC³ collaborating or leading a program for your Yale College group, organization, or department, please use our request form and someone will get back to you.
If you are interested in YC³ collaborating or leading a program for your Yale College group, organization, or department, please use our request form and someone will get back to you.
