Student Care and COVID-19

Cooper Care Is Available to You, Wherever You Are

Cooper Care is available and free of charge, no insurance needed, to all enrolled students for both physical health and mental health needs 24 hours, 7 days per week.  Through Cooper Care, students can access 24/7 physical healthcare appointments; pre-scheduled 45-minute counseling appointments; as well as TherapyNow, a 15-minute on-demand mental health consultation for more urgent needs. Students can access Cooper Care at www.cooper.care.

Cooper Union Resources

Students who wish to meet with an on-campus counselor (Cassandra or Elizabeth) while Cooper Union offices are closed, and staff are working remotely, may schedule virtual appointments with the counselors.

These scheduled online sessions will replace drop-in sessions for the week.  These hours are available for students to be seen on a first-come, first-served basis – we cannot guarantee that a counselor will be available for an appointment depending on the demand. These sessions are not counted towards each student’s 6 free session allotment.  

To request a scheduled counseling appointment, students should complete this form.

Students will be given specific directions for how to connect with the counselor for their appointment in an email confirming their appointment day and time.

A Note to Our International Students

Due to licensing constraints, Cooper Care, and Cooper’s in-house counselors (Cassandra and Elizabeth) are unable to offer virtual sessions to students while they are physically located outside of the United States. We are working on collecting resources that students can access from their home countries. In the interim, international students in need of support should access Befriender’s Worldwide at to learn about supportive services in their local areas. Additionally, suicide.org provides contact information for crisis support services across the world. International students are welcome to reach out to our offsite counselors to find out about their policies in working with individuals outside of the United States.

Cassandra Jolicoeru Portrait

Cassandra Jolicoeur, LMSW

As the Student Care Coordinator at Cooper Union, my current role includes providing emotional support for our students, managing our offsite counseling program, and hosting a variety of events aimed at stress reduction and skill development. I am continually working on new ways to bring our community closer together. In my individual work, I have helped students with anxiety, depression, grief and bereavement, complex relationship dynamics, story of origin patterns and how they influence present thoughts and behaviors, and a variety of other concerns. In my work, I use a strengths-based, student centered approach that focuses on the student’s goals and unique journey. With warmth, understanding, and compassion, I help students discover mindfulness and self-acceptance in order to gain understanding of their emotions and how they move through the world.

Elizabeth London Portrait

Elizabeth London, MA, LCAT-LP

I am a bilingual (English/Spanish) therapist with over 10 years of experience helping people with anxiety and stress, depression, relationship challenges, major life transitions, substance abuse and complex trauma. My approach is holistic, compassionate and direct and I aim to create a trusting space where students can gain insight and healing, develop healthy coping mechanisms and lifestyle choices, and connect with their innate gifts and capacity for resilience.

Off-Campus Counseling Program

Cooper’s network of off-campus counselors remains available for support.  If you are already seeing a counselor from this group, you can consult with them directly about continuing your sessions.  If you are seeking a counselor for the first time, several counselors in our network can do phone or video sessions; we will update the counselors’ information on the website to reflect this. See more about our Information for our counseling program.

View additional NYC based resources.

In addition to utilizing these resources, self-care experts from The JED Foundation and other organizations recommend getting adequate sleep, eating well, and engaging in exercise, among other tips for practicing good self-care.  Here are some additional resources and tips that you may find helpful:

  • The Centers for Disease Control (CDC) has guidance on managing mental health and coping during COVID-19.
  • Anxiety and Depression Association of America Psychologist Jelena Kecmanovic provides some science-based strategies and tips for coping with COVID-19 anxiety. 

People who already are managing existing mental health conditions should prioritize self-care during difficult times and should contact their clinicians if they have questions or concerns. For immediate and crisis care, click here for national and city-based resources. 

Cooper Union’s website will continue to be updated with our most recent communications and campus updates.

Additional resources on prevention, symptoms, travel, and other information on can be found here:

 

  • Founded by inventor, industrialist and philanthropist Peter Cooper in 1859, The Cooper Union for the Advancement of Science and Art offers education in art, architecture and engineering, as well as courses in the humanities and social sciences.

  • “My feelings, my desires, my hopes, embrace humanity throughout the world,” Peter Cooper proclaimed in a speech in 1853. He looked forward to a time when, “knowledge shall cover the earth as waters cover the great deep.”

  • From its beginnings, Cooper Union was a unique institution, dedicated to founder Peter Cooper's proposition that education is the key not only to personal prosperity but to civic virtue and harmony.

  • Peter Cooper wanted his graduates to acquire the technical mastery and entrepreneurial skills, enrich their intellects and spark their creativity, and develop a sense of social justice that would translate into action.