Health & Counseling

Student Health and Counseling Services (SHACS) is dedicated to providing Grinnell College students with the highest quality of care and to protecting the privacy of student information.  For these reasons, we prefer not to use email to communicate with our clients.  We use email only to respond to general, non-medical/clinical questions and to send appointment reminders.  If you need to speak with your counselor or nurse, call during business hours.  If he/she/zi is unavailable, leave a message with our receptionist.

If you take good care of your mind and body, your mind and body will take great care of you!  This does not have to involve a lot of time or energy on your part.  Taking good care of yourself really just means identifying the personal balance you need among work, sleep, play, physical activity, social time, and quiet time – and making it a priority to maintain that balance.

It can be easy at Grinnell to live in an unbalanced way.  However, there are all sorts of practices you can add to your day which will help you feel and function well.  Some basics include:

Your care at Student Health and Counseling Services (SHACS) will be confidential.  We will neither acknowledge to others that you are a client here nor discuss your treatment here without your permission. There are some limits to confidentiality, but they occur only in extreme situations.  Your nurse or counselor will discuss the limits to confidentiality with you during your first nursing or counseling appointment, respectively.  You, of course, are free to discuss your care at SHACS with others.

When Student Health and Counseling Services (SHACS) is closed, health and mental health consultation and assistance are still available to you.

Emergency Assistance

Call Campus Safety and Security at 641-269-4600.  Depending on the urgency of your situation, the Residence Life Coordinator (RLC) on call may phone or visit you, or Campus Safety and Security may arrive with emergency responders.

Urgent Care

Health and Mental Health Consultation

All students are required to have health insurance while attending Grinnell.  You may maintain coverage through your existing parental or personal policy, or you may choose to purchase the College’s student group insurance.

Students will not be charged and will not need health insurance for most services provided by Student Health and Counseling Services (SHACS).  Modest fees are charged for immunizations, HIV testing, and Plan B.  However, your health insurance may be necessary, or helpful, if you receive health or mental health services off campus.

1.  You have the right to receive consultation and treatment in a timely fashion which is commensurate with your symptoms. 

Your corresponding responsibility is to be proactive about contacting Student Health and Counseling Services (SHACS) when you start to feel badly, rather than waiting until your need is urgent.  You are also responsible for either attending or cancelling your scheduled appointments here.  

SHACS Online is an electronic record system which allows you to manage your health forms and some of your appointments at SHACS.  It also automatically generates email reminders of your upcoming appointments at SHACS.

Please visit SHACS Online to:

Following are contact numbers for providers of primary health and mental health care and services in Grinnell. This list does not constitute recommendation or endorsement of any of these providers. For information about specialists, dental care providers, and providers and services in other central Iowa locations, please contact Student Health and Counseling Services at 641-269-3230.

SHACS offers integrated health and counseling services.  Our nurses and therapists work closely together to offer you care appropriate for your needs.

Health Services

Our health services include:

•   Nursing assessments and treatment of minor illnesses and injuries

•   Dispensation of over-the-counter medications

•   Testing for pregnancy, HIV, mononucleosis, Strep A, hemoglobin, glucose, and urinalysisfs

•   Dispensation of Plan B (at-cost fee)