猎奇重口

two students taking samples in a conifer forest meadow

Graduate School

Disability Resources

The Graduate School recognizes that our students are diverse and multifaceted, each with their own strengths and needs in order to succeed here at UM. We welcome graduate students to explore the following resources, both on- and off-campus, to have the best and most accessible academic and social experience here. This list, however, is only a starting point of general recommendations. Feel free to reach out to the Office of Disability Services, the Graduate School, and other relevant departments for more individualized assistance and support. We acknowledge that disabilities vary and that some are more visible than others, but all are valid and we are happy to support and advocate for all graduate students during their academic journey.

Key Resources

  • The Office of Disability Equity ensures that programs of the 猎奇重口 are as accessible and usable by students with disabilities as they are for any student. We determine the student's eligibility for reasonable accommodations and coordinate accommodations for those who are registered with our office.

  • Disability Rights 猎奇重口 litigates on behalf of individuals with disabilities to insure their rights to employment, education, health care, transportation, housing, and other services. Besides litigation we also engage in a full range of other efforts to promote the rights of individuals with disabilities – such as, information and referral. training and technical assistance to service providers, state legislators and other policy makers, conducting self-advocacy training, and raising public awareness.

  • Disability Rights 猎奇重口 protects and advocates for the rights of people with mental illness and investigate reports of abuse and neglect in facilities that care for or treat people with mental illness. We also serve people with mental illness who reside in the community.

  • Curry Health Center Counseling Services provides a confidential and inclusive environment to address the personal, behavioral and mental health needs of all UM students. We specialize in addressing the concerns and goals of our diverse UM community. Every student has to navigate a wide variety of stressors and challenges during their college career and we’re here to offer support as well as assist in getting connected to resources on and off campus. Our licensed counselors, social workers and psychologists, as well as advanced graduate students, offer individual and group therapy in addition to urgent counseling. Your initial consultation is no cost and subsequent individual sessions are $25; group therapy is at no cost.

  • Curry Health Center Wellness helps students develop healthy lifestyle behaviors to enhance student success and well-being. Our programs address a variety of topics that impact your health and well-being including stress management, safe partying, healthy sexuality, tobacco cessation, safer sex,  exercise, and healthy eating. By helping students live well, in turn, we help them succeed academically at UM. Our services for students are free of charge.

  • Are you feeling stressed? Overwhelmed? Are you struggling to take care of yourself or find the right campus or community resources? Did you know that as a graduate student, you have access to free wellbeing services? Your Wellbeing Support Coordinator, Olivia Kern, is here to support you. Olivia is a Master of Social Work student that provides one on one support to graduate students in the areas of: Stress & Anxiety; Sleep, Movement, & Nutrition; Time management; Connection to the right resources (food security, Mental Health services, academic help, etc.). Or email directly at: Olivia.Kern@mso.umt.edu 

Community Engagement Resources

    • Disability Services: Aids in the develop physical, emotional, and mental accommodations for students. 

    • Global Engagement Office: Resources for international students (i.e. orientation, newsletter, activities, etc.).

    • Inclusive Excellence for Student Success(IESS): Student-centered office designed to support our diverse community and engage in inclusion and anti-racism efforts at UM.

    • UM Allies: provides visible and easily identifiable spaces for lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer, and non-binary students, faculty, and staff. Open to all regardless of orientation.

    • DiverseU:UM Annual Symposium to foster diversity and inclusivity. 

    • UM Student Groups: Including Black Student Union, LatinX Student Union, Chinese Student Association, etc.

      • Call Curry Health Center Counseling Services to schedule an intake: (406) 243-4712

      • : Society for Advancement of Chicanos/Hispanics and Native Americans in Science. SACNAS is an inclusive organization dedicated to fostering the success of Chicanos/Hispanics and Native Americans, from college students to professionals, in attaining advanced degrees, careers, and positions of leadership in STEM. Open to all.

      • Contact: Erim Gómez (gomez@mso.umt.edu)

      • UM Student Groups

  • Explore this calendar to look at upcoming university events.

    •  Open affirming environment for peoples of all sexual orientations and gender identity expressions.

    • : Creates a more just and inclusive society by developing youth and adult leaders who work to end mistreatment, correct systemic inequalities, and strengthen communities across 猎奇重口.

    •  The people we serve are adults with severe intellectual disabilities who have challenges communicating. has a staff of well-trained Direct Support Professionals who are there to help expand their skills and have a voice in their own self-determination.

    • : 猎奇重口's Statewide Elections have various options for voters with disabilities or voters who need special assistance, including the new (EBRS), available for state and federal elections beginning 30 days before election day and through noon the day before election day.

    • Opportunity Resources, Inc is dedicated to supporting persons with disabilities. ORI supports clients in attaining independence in housing, employment, and as many aspects of their daily lives as possible.

    •  Summit Independent Living is a non-residential private, non-profit organization that offers a wide range of services designed to give people with disabilities the tools and resources that are needed to improve independence, self-confidence, knowledge, skills and access to community resources.

    •  The bulk of Vocational Rehabilitation's service centers on getting people with disabilities to believe in themselves and to set vocational goals and plans consistent with their career dreams.

Mental Health Resources

  • Services listed below with an * are potentially available for free/low cost/sliding

    • Curry Health Center Counseling Services:(406) 243-4712

    • First individual therapy/counseling session no charge – thereafter $25/session*

      • Covered by Student Health Insurance Plan

      • If you want to submit the $25 fee to your private insurance (other than the student plan), you must submit your own claims

    • Free Group therapy sessions *

      • Understanding Self & Others

      • Graduate Student Support Group

      • Overcoming Anxiety

    • Curry 360◦: Medical appointment that incorporates both a medical provider and a behavior health specialist and/or health coach

    • Curry Counseling Urgent Care: (406) 243-4712

      • Same day meeting with counselor if in immediate need *

      • $25/session after that - same insurance information applies

    • Curry Medical Urgent Care: (406) 243-2122

        • Open for telemedicine and in-person urgent care appointments

        • Call before going to Curry

    • (SARC): (406) 243-4429

        • Counseling is available to survivors of sexual assault, relationship violence, stalking, and discrimination

        • 6-8 sessions free *

    • (CPC): (406) 243-2367

    • Individual counseling sessions with PhD students

        • Availability dependent on schedule and case fit

        • No insurance accepted, but reduced, sliding scale fee (lowest starting at $7/session) *

        • Walk-ins not accepted

        • Free program for students around handling stress, maintaining healthy habits, etc. *

        • 6 weeks, 1-on-1 sessions that can be extended

        • Peer and Wellness staff led (certification process)

    • Stress-busting kits

  • There are many services offered through hospitals and private practitioners off-campus. The fee and availability of many of these services may be dependent on your insurance provider and plan. Additionally, most of these service providers have a low income/sliding fee scale program. If it is not clear from their website call and ask. Most places are also not allowed to deny services based on an inability to pay.

      • Nation-wide search engine for licensed/certified mental health providers, including counselors, social workers, psychologists, and psychiatrists

        • Searchable by location, distance, specialty, insurance, gender, and more

        • A partnership for mind and body wellness, combines four thriving businesses into one full-service organization to better serve the community

        • Mental health recovery, clinical and psychiatric, lifestyle and functional medicine, and supported living programs

        • The 猎奇重口 chapter of the National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI)

        • Supports, educates, and advocates for 猎奇重口ns with severe mental illnesses and their families

        • A multi-setting mental health facility serving adults with serious mental illness and veterans

        • Short-term behavioral care for established patients *

        • Sliding-scale fee clinic

        • Non-crisis facility 

        • Psychiatric inpatient and outpatient services, including psychological testing, psychopharmacologic treatment, and psychotherapy

        • Urgent Mental Health Clinic: (406) 327-3034

        • Strengthens and honors individuals, families, and communities throughout their journey with grief

        • Psychotherapy, group therapy, and counseling camps available

        • Residential inpatient treatment for young adults, adults, and seniors with serious mental illness

        • Crisis care and addiction rehabilitation

          • Phone: (406) 532-8949

        • Provides medical health care with a specialty in family health; community health; culturally relevant individual, group, or family specific behavioral health

        • While All Nations specifically serves the indigenous community in Missoula, they welcome all patients

        • Indigenous peoples can be seen for free, and they have a sliding fee scale for qualifying individuals *

        • They also accept Medicaid, Medicare, and third-party reimbursement

        • Treats adults and children with mental health conditions or addiction

        • Offers low income/sliding fee scale program *

        • Shelter, crisis counseling, and support for survivors of domestic and sexual violence

          • 24-Hour Crisis Line: (406) 542-1944

        • Walk-in peer counseling

        • Weekly open support groups

        • In-house short-term therapy

          • Up to 12 sessions offered at no cost *

        • Referrals to community resources

        • Legal, personal, housing, and medical advocacy

        • Free medical clinic that provides health care and gathers forensic evidence for survivors of sexual assault and strangulation

          • Phone: (406) 329-5776

Disabilities, Opportunities, Internetworking, and Technology (DO-IT)

The DO-IT (Disabilities, Opportunities, Internetworking, and Technology) Center is dedicated to empowering people with disabilities through technology and education. It promotes awareness and accessibility—in both the classroom and the workplace—to maximize the potential of individuals with disabilities and make our communities more vibrant, diverse, and inclusive. The categories below contain websites, discussion lists, and online newsletters that may be of interest, provided by DO-IT.

AccessComputing

aims to increase the participation of people with disabilities in computing fields. Their work is two-fold, including (1) direct interventions to support computing students with disabilities and (2) increasing the capacity of computing educators, employers, and organizations to include people with disabilities. When more citizens have access to computing opportunities, and when computing fields are enhanced by the perspectives of people with disabilities, we all benefit.

Through the , they support undergraduate and graduate students with disabilities from across the country in reaching critical junctures toward college and careers by providing advice, resources, mentoring, REUs (research experiences for undergraduates), and funding to attend computing conferences.

    • (NPR). As students return to college this year, many will begin the process of seeking accommodations or making use of their university's support services. However, while laws exist to protect disabled students, they still face many challenges in either receiving services, or knowing what they have a right to access.

    • (The Disability INclusion Blog). Disability:IN, in partnership with White & Case and Thomson Reuters Foundation, has released a report titled “Disability Inclusion in the EU: A Legal Analysis to Guide Corporate Responsibilities Under New EU Disability Inclusive Legislation.” This comprehensive guide offers a blueprint for businesses navigating the European Union’s (EU) new regulatory framework, which for the first time, positions disability inclusion as a central pillar of corporate sustainability reporting. 

    • (International Documentary Association). In June, we had our Washington, D.C., premiere of The Ride Ahead at DC/DOX Film Festival, following screenings at Hot Docs, Seattle International Film Festival, Independent Film Festival Boston, Sydney Film Festival, and Sheffield DocFest. Like these other festivals, DC/DOX embraced Samuel’s disability-centered, youthful point of view through his intimate interviews, innovative camera work, and revealing and funny narration. We hoped this DC screening would be a proud, celebratory accomplishment for our personal documentary. Instead, the event became an accessibility nightmare.

    • (National Science Foundation). The U.S. National Science Foundation is making awards of $48M to the NSF Broadening Participation in Computing Alliances (NSF BPC Alliances), which seek to increase the participation of underrepresented groups in computer and information science and engineering by addressing the unique challenges they face. Through their extended efforts, the alliances are not only increasing diversity but also building more inclusive, innovative and impactful computing communities nationwide.  Our AccessComputing project received new funding.

    • (TechPolicy.press). Neurodiversity is gaining recent media attention as Democratic Vice Presidential candidate Tim Walz referred to his son’s non-verbal learning disorder, ADHD, and an anxiety order as his secret power. US Supreme Court Justice Ketanji Brown Jackson recently revealed her daughter is autistic.Despite this growing attention, too few websites and apps are designed with neurodiverse users in mind. While universities in the US are beginning to integrate software accessibility into computing curricula, the focus on designing software that can benefit neurodiverse individuals remains limited. As an Associate Professor in the School of Information Sciences at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, my recent research with a colleague and students highlights the critical need to teach software design that accommodates and benefits neurodiverse users.

    • (The Chronicle of Higher Education). We’ve been writing a lot lately about the challenges of reaching and teaching this generation of students. They are an anxious bunch who need more structure and incentives than many professors are accustomed to providing. So naturally a thread on X (formerly Twitter) by Sadé Lindsay, an assistant professor of public policy and sociology at Cornell University, grabbed my attention.

    • (3PlayMedia). In this session, Star Peterson will define neurodivergence and non-apparent disabilities, providing key examples and highlighting their prevalence in today’s workforce. Star will also cover common challenges faced by these employees, such as issues with attention, memory, fatigue, sensory processing, and executive function. Attendees will learn about practical accommodations that can be implemented to support these employees more effectively, helping create a more inclusive and productive workplace for all. (Thursday, September 26th at 2 PM ET).

    • (U.S. Access Board). Throughout the month of August, the U.S. Access Board held a series of public hearings on the impact of artificial intelligence (AI) on people with disabilities. On August 8, two hearings (in the morning and afternoon) were held to hear from members of the disability community. Additionally, a panel of speakers delivered remarks on the risks, benefits, and potential of artificial intelligence with respect to accessibility. (Deadline to apply is October 31, 2024).

    • (Google Forms). Motivation: For people with disabilities to feel welcome and to thrive in computing careers, we must work to transform the attitudes and beliefs of Faculty and Students in Academic and Research settings. It does a disabled student no favors to invite them into a research lab, only to have them participate in the same studies they remember being uncomfortable in as a child. To accomplish this, I am hosting a virtual, multi-day workshop for accessibility and therapeutic technology researchers to learn Disability Theory, understand how it applies to their work, and make plans for Transforming lab practices to better welcome, support, and sustain disabled student involvement.

Graduate Student Leave of Absence

If students are required to step out of their programs because of an emergency, they may petition for a leave of absence from their program by filling out a Graduate School Request for Leave of Absence Form. The student's program chair or dean signs the form, and the student submits it to the Graduate School. The Graduate Dean will sign the form indicating approval or disapproval of the leave for the period time requested.  The length of a leave of absence cannot exceed one year, but the student can petition for additional time after one year. Leaves of absence will not be approved for the purpose of working on jobs, research, thesis, dissertations or to establish residency.