Wellness is not a one size fits all concept and at Sanford, we strongly believe your wellness matters! We are dedicated to supporting YOUR well-being. For example, we have a dedicated Student Wellness and Engagement Coordinator, Mackenzie Phillips. Mackenzie works specifically with graduate students in our community.
If you need assistance, please reach out to Mackenzie! We’ve also collected Sanford, Duke, and community resources (listed below).
Sanford Resources
Personal Wellness Session
Personal wellness sessions are free, confidential, and open to all MPP & MIDP students.
Need assistance navigating resources, mental health concern, or navigating an area of wellness? Making an appointment with Sanford’s Student Wellness and Engagement Coordinator can be a helpful tool when navigating any of the following areas:
- Mental health concern (feelings of stress, anxiety, depression, or other)
- Explanation and assistance navigating university resources (CAPS, DuWell, Student Health)
- Financial assistance (food, housing, clothing, community resources)
- A space to process tough life decisions
- Improving your well-being (physical or mental)
Mental Health Mondays
Weekly, Mondays from 12:00-1:00 pm, Sanford Room 102
Sanford provides weekly activities, listening groups, workshops, or meditation catered towards graduate student’s interest in prioritizing their well-being.
Wellness Programs
We offer various wellness programs, depending on the time of year.
Have a program request or idea?
Duke Wellness Resources
Student Health
Duke offers a wide range of healthcare services for all Duke students, many services are covered by the student health fee.
Services include: nutrition, wellness promotion, sexual violence support services.
Make an appointment, view hours, after-hours support, and location information.
Counseling and Psychological Services
CAPS offers free mental health support. Their services include individual counseling, psychiatric services, group counseling, workshops, and referrals to community providers.
Make an appointment, view hours, emergency assistance, and location information.
After Hour Support:
TimelyCare, a virtual platform, at no cost to students to receive access to 24/7 support via counselors, mental health professionals, and more. The average wait time is 3-7 minutes.
DukeReach
Case management services for non-emergency situations, which include coordination of care, referrals, and connection to community resources.
Reporting topics include sexual misconduct, physical health concern, mental health concerns, academic success, housing concerns, and accommodations.
Report a concern about a student’s health or behavior.
For emergency situations, please contact Duke Police at (919) 684-2444 or contact the Dean on Call at (984)-287-0300.
DuWell
DuWell Engages students through a variety of wellness experiences across campus in an effort to promote wellness, manage stress, reduce anxiety, and reduce risk.
Community Resources
Food Resources
- The GPSG Community Pantry is open to all Duke graduate and professional students. The pantry is open for in-person shopping on the first and third Saturdays of each month from 12:00pm to 2:00pm. They offer non-perishable food, baby care items, personal hygiene items, and select household essentials. Their address is: GPSG House, 306 Alexander Ave, Durham, NC 27705. Please, direct any questions to gpsgpantry@gmail.com.
- Feed Every Devil: Allows students to donate their extra Food Points through a Duke-managed Food Points pool to support student and address food insecurity. Click here to request points or to learn more.
- Durham Food Resources: A variety of resources to connect members of the Durham community with reliable information on food pantries and access. You can learn more at www.endhungerdurham.org.
Housing Resources
- Duke Graduate and Professional On Campus Housing
- Lancaster Commons: Subsidized off-campus apartment complex reserved entirely for Duke Graduate and Professional students. Located at 2709 Western Bypass, Durham, NC 27705; approximately 2.6 miles from Duke’s campus. Click here to learn more.
- Housing in Durham, Things to Consider
"Acclimating to grad school is a big theme for the students I work with. Also – our students are really talented and helping them see their strengths is important. I use a strength-based approach, to help them see that their seat at the table is earned … sometimes it takes someone else sitting across the table from you to see it yourself and to believe it." Read Mackenzie’s story in our Humans of Duke Sanford series.
Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Statement
Diversity, equity and inclusion are among the school’s core values. Find out about our collective action plan, and our committee on diversity, equity and inclusion.