As the Rice community processes and emerges from the tragic events of August 26, it is important to come together in a spirit of care, compassion, and support. Rice University offers a range of resources and programs to support the health, well-being, and sense of community among faculty, staff, and students.
Access, Equity, and Equal Opportunity (AEEO)
AEEO supports faculty and staff in crisis, responding to reports of domestic and dating violence, employee violence, self-harm, and misconduct. Visit the Get Help webpage for assistance or to submit a report.
Mental Health & Well-being
- Rice's Employee Assistant Program (EAP), SupportLinc, offers expert content and comprehensive tools, including counseling, coaching, virtual support groups, as well as resources for financial and legal consultation and dependent and elder care. The EAP is available to Rice employees and their dependents.
- Aetna's Mind Companion is a digital tool to find and navigate mental health support, providing self-guided programs, coaching, and therapy to its members.
- Teledoc Telehealth provides virtual mental health care daily from 7:00 a.m. to 7:00 p.m. You can connect with a psychiatrist, psychologist, or therapist within 72 hours, with the option for ongoing care from the same provider. These services are available to employees and dependents enrolled in Aetna medical plans, including adolescents aged 13 and older.
- Well-being Outreach Services provides complimentary wellness experiences, such as stretch breaks, mindful movement, meditation, health talks and more to support healthy living for faculty and staff.
- Wellness Wednesdays offer an opportunity for employees to come together as a community for planned activities, such as a walk around campus, pool time, tai chi, and more.
Time Away
Rice’s leave programs offer time away from work to handle personal matters, care for loved ones, or to recover, rest, and recharge.
- Paid Time Off
- Faculty Leaves
- Family Medical Leave
- Parental Leave
- Short Term Disability
- Other Types of Leaves
Work/Life
- Bright Horizons offers back-up care for children and elder/adult relatives of benefits-eligible employees.
- The Emergency Loan Program provides financial assistance to staff and faculty experiencing health and welfare emergencies.
Student Support
- The SAFE Office offers care to students navigating situations of interpersonal violence.
- The Wellbeing and Counseling Center supports student success, providing clinical counseling and wellbeing advising for things like depression, anxiety, sleep, and relationship issues, and managing stress.
- Rice Wellbeing Workshops and Programs empower faculty and staff to support the well-being needs of students.
Additional Resources
- Grief and Loss Toolkit, from SupportLinc
- Suicide & Crisis Lifeline – call 988
- Domestic Violence
- Houston Area Women’s Center
- Houston United Way
The strength of the Rice community is rooted in a shared commitment to caring for one another. By utilizing these available resources, individuals not only take steps to care for themselves but also contribute to a culture of empathy, support, and resiliency.
Call RUPD (x6000) if you or a member of the Rice community is in danger.