Returning from a Hospitalization
At Student Care Services, we understand being hospitalized for any reason can be a scary experience. Upon hospital release, you are likely facing many questions related to follow up including:
- How do I receive follow up care?
- How should I alert professors that I was out due to a hospitalization?
- I’ve decided not to continue this semester. What are my options?
- My child/loved one was hospitalized, and I want to know more information.
We have developed this website to assist with answering these and other questions about the Baker Act process, and how the University can help support your return to classes, campus, and the community.
If you would like more information about the Baker Act process in Florida, please check out the following information from the National Alliance on Mental Health (NAMI).
For Students
We understand that a hospitalization for mental health (i.e. Baker Act) is rarely an easy process. We have developed this page to assist you with understanding your rights and responsibilities as a UCF student and community member. According to the Golden Rule, 5.006, Section 4b:
“All students identified as threatening self-harm or having attempted suicide must complete a mandated assessment with a licensed mental health professional and/or a physical assessment with a licensed medical provider. Examples of a licensed mental health professional include a UCF Student Health Services psychiatrist, a UCF Counseling and Psychological Services clinician, or a community based counselor or psychiatrist of the student’s choice. Before the mandated assessment is conducted, the Assistant Director of Student Care Serves or designee will first attempt to obtain an Authorization to Release/Exchange Confidential Information form from the student to provide the licensed mental health professional and/or licensed medical health professional conducting the assessment with background information relevant to the reason for the mandated assessment. The Director of OSRR or designee will require proof of participation for the mandated assessment with a licensed mental health professional and/or proof of a physical assessment with an appropriate medical provider.”
The full policy related to Mandated Assessments may be found here:
If you have a meeting scheduled with an off campus psychiatrist or counselor, or an on campus psychiatrist or counselor before your scheduled meeting with Student Care Services, please feel free to print a copy of the form below, and bring it with you to your appointment. Once the form is completed, please return it to Student Care Services.
After hospital release
Upon hospital release from the hospital, it is likely that you will have a number of follow up appointments already scheduled for you with a counselor and/or a psychiatrist. Student Care Services maintains close relationships with a number of different Baker Act receiving facilities around Central Florida, so be sure to check your hospital release paperwork carefully to see if a meeting has already been setup for you. Regardless of any hospital release/after care appointments that have been set, you should check your Knights Email Account to determine the time and date of your meeting with Student Care Services. If a meeting was not set for you by hospital release staff, it might have been set for you by a Care Manager in Student Care Services. If you have not received an appointment with Student Care Services, or if you have questions about, or would like to reschedule an existing meeting, please call our office at (407) 823-5607, and we would be happy to assist you.
What Should I Expect During My Appointment?
On the day of your scheduled appointment with Student Care Services, please arrive to our office at least 15 minutes before your scheduled meeting. Our front office staff will help you get checked in and complete an intake form. This form will help your Care Coordinator better understand some of the challenges you may be facing, and outline where you are already connected on and off campus. Once you have completed the intake form, let our front office staff know, and your Care Coordinator will be with you shortly.
During your meeting with Student Care Services, you and your Care Coordinator will discuss the hospitalization, and your experience at the hospital. You will have a chance to ask questions about upcoming hospital release appointments, and how to get connected to additional resources on and off campus including counseling services, psychiatric services, and additional resources related to your success and wellbeing. You and your Care Manager will also discuss what to do if you have missed any classes as a result of being hospitalized, and what your options may be.
During your meeting with a Care Coordinator, the Mandated Assessment process will be reviewed, and you will be provided with paperwork depending on where you would like to complete this assessment. The assessment must be completed by a licensed mental health provider (counselor, psychologist, or psychiatrist) and returned to our office. You may elect to see a provider on or off campus based on your personal preferences, and your Care Coordinator can discuss how to complete the Mandated Assessment paperwork depending on where you would like to complete this assessment.
After your initial appointment, your Care Coordinator will assist you with scheduling a follow up appointment following your Mandated Assessment in order to speak about how the appointment went, and see what additional resources and/or follow up you may need.
What Should I Do If I Missed Class?
If you missed class due to being hospitalized, please alert your Care Manager during your meeting, and discuss your need for a Class Absence Notice. These notices are a formal notification to faculty regarding your absence. These notices do not constitute an excused absence, and students should work with their faculty members individually to discuss their absence, and what they will need to do to get caught up. If you would like to request a Class Absence Notice, please use the following link:
Medical Withdrawal
If you are thinking about taking a Medical Withdrawal, or if you have questions regarding the process, please discuss with your Care Manager, and feel free to review the document below if you have any questions or concerns.
Medical Withdrawal is overseen by Academic Services. For more information about this process, please visit the following:
For Parents, Guardians and Families
At UCF, we strive to assist students who are experiencing any number of concerns related to their academic and personal success. We recognize that having a student or loved one hospitalized can be very difficult. We have developed this website in order to assist students and parents with the process of transitioning back to campus. In order to assist with answering any questions you may have, Counseling and Psychological Services and the Office of Student Rights and Responsibilities have put together an information sheet regarding the Baker Act process. Should you have any questions or concerns regarding the Baker Act process, please feel free to contact Student Care Services at (407) 823-5607.
Please note that while we are always happy to discuss processes and policies, we cannot comment on individual student cases due to the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA).
If your student would like to sign a release to allow us to speak to a 3rd party, they are welcome to do so, and we would be glad to assist them with that process. We welcome parents, family, and friends as part of the recovery and support process, and thank you for your investment in your student.
