Student Development Resources

Dear Student Parent,

Sending your son or daughter off to college can be an exciting and overwhelming time. It is a season full of emotion and growth for all. The Student Wellness team would like to provide you, the parent, with information that you will find helpful before you send your student off to college. We hope to equip you with resources and knowledge that you will find useful to instruct your student to use when and if the time arises. The Student Wellness team is comprised of the Dean of Student Wellness; Student Care Services (SCS); Wheaton College Counseling Center (WCCC); Student Health Services (SHS), Learning & Accessibility Services (LAS), Academic Advising, Graduate Student Life, the Chaplain's Office, and the Title IX and Equity Office.


Students are given an enrollment confirmation form during their acceptance time that they can use to self-disclose a disability, learning need or physical acute care issue. Students can request accommodations for a learning, mental health or physical disability through the Learning and Accessibility Services Office. Contact our Learning and Accessibility Services Director, Melissa Norton, for further assistance at 630.752.5674 or contact Melissa Norton by email.

When a student reaches the age of 18 years, the federal government views them as an adult for most medical and psychological services. SHS and the Counseling Center must adhere to these federal and state laws of privacy and disclosure of information. This is a difficult hurdle for you as a parent as you are usually the ones paying the bills and believe that you should have access to this information. Information regarding attendance, care, and billing can only be released to parents if a student signs a privacy release of information form. 

College is a fun, but sometimes stressful place. Most of the time all your student may need is a listening ear from you. However, there will be times that further care will be needed. The Counseling Center is staffed by trained and licensed counseling staff. They are specialized in assisting students as they walk through their college years. Counseling services are free. You can contact the Counseling Center at 630.752.5321.

The Director of Student Care Services (SCS) assists students in coordinating and organizing care and support that may require numerous offices or community services to be involved. SCS provides relevant resources on campus and the community that can assist your student with their care. Your student should call the Director for an appointment at 630.752.5022. The Director will guide your student and will partner with them to develop a care plan to care for themselves well.

We believe that it is essential for students to be protected against high medical costs caused by illnesses, injuries and chronic health issues. The College strongly recommends students and families to participate in a comprehensive health plan that offers coverage similar to these guidelines.

Students participating in Passage programs, intercollegiate sports and domestic/international study will have separate health insurance requirements. Visa-holding students will be provided a mandatory comprehensive accident and illness plan while they are students at Wheaton College. There are valuable resources on the Student Health Insurance website.

SHS is a facility that houses a combination of medical and other services. There is a walk-in clinic that students can access to see a nurse. SHS has an in-house pharmacy and laboratory. SHS can assist with any medical or dietary needs. All of these services are available to students regardless of health insurance providers. For more information about the SHS services and hours please visit the website http://www.wheaton.edu/shs

Some services at SHS have a cost and are lower than Medicare prices. A student does not need to pay at time of service; rather these charges are placed on their student account. SHS sends students an explanation of charges to their CPO mailbox. This statement should be sent to the student’s insurance company with a claim form for partial or total reimbursement. SHS does not bill insurance companies directly, nor do we send these statements to the student's home. Students must be proactive in sending these statements home to their parents or their insurance companies.

Every new student will be notified of the entrance medical requirements via their “mywheaton” e-mail account. Parents can learn more about health entrance requirements on the SHS website or Admissions website. Parents are not notified of their student's progress to complete these requirements. Please encourage your student to check their e-mail frequently for information. There is a deadline and a non-refundable late fee if these requirements are not completed on time.

Begin by directing your concern and questions to the Director of Student Care Services. The Director will work with you and your student, coordinating care with campus resources and exploring options to help your student achieve his or her goals. After meeting with the Director of Student Care Services and reviewing your options, depending on the student’s decision, your student will be asked to meet with the Director of Student Care Services to finalize their decision during an exit interview. To set an appointment to begin this process, please call 630.752.5022.

 

We look forward to seeing your student grow and develop over these next few years. 

Sincerely,

Beth Walsh RN, MSN, CPNP
Director, Student Health Services