Welcome Remarks
Vice President of Student Affairs and Dean of Students Gina Casalegno provides a message to the 2020 Pre-College Online Program.
Your Community Advisers and Assistant Director for Pre-College Student Affairs, Amy Dicker, introduce themselves and talk about the 2020 Pre-College Online Program.
Student Life Staff
Amy Dicker
Assistant Director for Pre-College Student Affairs
Hometown: Huntington, WV
Major: originally cultural anthropology at Pitt, finished with Psychology, minor in Crisis Intervention and Trauma Prevention at Carlow University
Office Hours:
- 7:00 a.m. - 10:30 p.m. EST
- ID: 980-0958-6617
Kai Huizenga
Community Advisor
- Carnegie Mellon Senior
- Hometown: Long Valley, NJ
- Major: Performative Storytelling and Technology
Office Hours
- Thurs 8:30 - 10:00 p.m. EST
- ID: 930-237-7702
Neville Caceres
Community Advisor
- Carnegie Mellon Junior
- Hometown: Miami, FL
- Major: Materials Science and Engineering
Office Hours:
- Friday 5:00 - 6:30 p.m. EST
- ID: 982-3812-7369
Amber Griffith
Community Advisor
- Carnegie Mellon Senior
- Hometown: Pittsburgh, PA
- Major: Computer Science
Office Hours:
- Wed 5:00 p.m. - 7:00 p.m. EST
- ID: 92885263138
Joaquinn Foo
Community Advisor
- Carnegie Mellon Senior
- Hometown: Singapore
- Major: Psychology
Office Hours:
- Tues 4:30 p.m. - 6 p.m. EST
- ID: 954-0820-0831
Event Calendar
On-Demand Events
Content warning (all implicit): transphobia, erasure, mental illness, suicide, violence against trans people, violence against BIPOC
Additional Learning Resources/Links:
Scenes from a Black trans life, by scholar and activist D-L Stewart (work)
Student Personal Resources:
National Crisis Lines:
National Suicide Prevention Lifeline
1-800-273-8255
Free and confidential 24/7 support for people in distress
Crisis Text Line
Text HOME to 741741
Free 24/7 crisis support in the U.S.
National Helpline
1-800-662-HELP (4357)
24/7 treatment referral and information
Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual & Transgender National Hotline (LGBT)
1-800-246-PRIDE (7743)
The Trevor Project (LGBTQ+ National Hotline)
1-866-488-7386
Or visit website to chat
Trans Lifeline
1-877-565-8860
Peer support hotline from 10 a.m. to 4 a.m. Eastern time
RAINN (Rape, Abuse and Incest National Network)
1-800-273-8255
How to find a therapist in your area:
- Find out what your insurance benefits are. It would be helpful for you to know what your mental/behavioral health outpatient benefits are. Find out if you have a deductible and if there is a co-payment (out of pocket cost) for the services.
- Find out who your insurance covers. There are many times when you can access your insurance website for a list of providers in the area. If this is not readily available online you can also call them and ask them to fax/tell you a list of providers in your area.
- Narrow down your search. Once you have a list of therapists to choose from consider the following questions: do I have a gender preference? What area/location works better for me? Some therapists list areas of specializations, if that is the case, think what areas would be helpful to you.
- Identify two or three therapists. Because therapists may not always have openings or availabilities in the time frame that you want, we recommend you select two or three therapists from the list that meet your criteria. Be prepared to call and leave a clear message with your name and a phone number for them to reach you in order to schedule an appointment.
- Meeting your therapist. We encourage you to approach the first encounter with openness and honesty, while also recognizing that you are trying to find a therapist who feels like a good fit for you. Notice how you feel when you talk to the person, get a sense of what it feels like when you are with them, and attend to your level of comfort or discomfort with them.
The APA Psychologist Locator and the Psychology Today website can also help you find a provider in your area.