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Health & Wellness at UMass Boston
Explore health education, wellness programs, and free resources available to support your physical, mental, and social well-being at UMass Boston. Whether you want to practice mindfulness, learn how to support a friend, access health supplies, or bring a wellness workshop to your group, there are ways to get involved.
Mindfulness & Mental Health
Mindful Moments: Drop-In Meditations
Take a break from your day with Mindful Moments: Drop-In Meditations, a series of guided meditation sessions designed to help you pause, reset, and practice mindfulness.
Sessions are offered at least weekly in a hybrid format, with opportunities to participate in person or virtually. Many sessions feature a theme, offering a chance to explore mindfulness in the context of everyday life, stress, sleep, focus, and other aspects of well-being.
No previous meditation experience is needed. Join when you can, whether it's your first session or you attend regularly.
Who can attend? All UMass Boston students, faculty, and staff.
View Upcoming Mindful Moments Drop-Ins
Have a question or interested in a different time? Email wellness@umb.edu.
How Can Mindfulness Help?
Mindfulness is the practice of paying attention to the present moment. With practice, mindfulness can help you:
- Manage everyday stress
- Improve focus and attention
- Develop greater awareness of your thoughts and emotions
- Build skills for responding to challenging situations
- Create space to pause and recharge during a busy day
You don't need to feel stressed or have meditation experience to participate. Mindful Moments is open to anyone who wants to take a break and try a guided practice.
Mental Health First Aid (MHFA) Training
Learn how to recognize signs that someone may be experiencing a mental health or substance use challenge and how to connect them with appropriate support.
Mental Health First Aid is a nationally recognized training that helps participants build practical skills for responding to someone who may be struggling or experiencing a crisis.
Who should attend? Students, student leaders, faculty, staff, coaches, and others who support young adults may benefit from this training.
Interested in attending a training or arranging one for your group? Email Counseling.Center@umb.edu.
Harm Reduction & Substance Use Support
Free Narcan Kits & Overdose Prevention Tools
Naloxone, commonly known by the brand name Narcan, is a medication that can reverse an opioid overdose. Knowing how to recognize an overdose and respond can save a life.
UHS provides free overdose prevention kits to UMass Boston students and employees. Kits include:
- Narcan nasal spray
- Fentanyl test strips
- Xylazine test strips
- A CPR face shield
- Overdose prevention information and educational materials
How to get a kit: Visit the UHS General Medicine Front Desk in the Quinn Administration Building, second floor, and ask for a kit. No name or personal information is required.
An optional brief demonstration with a healthcare provider is also available. Stay tuned for upcoming trainings via UMBeInvolved.
Learn How to Recognize and Respond to an Overdose
Behavioral Addictions and Substance Use (BASU) Peer Support Group
The Behavioral Addictions & Substance Use (BASU) Peer Support Group offers a peer-led space to reflect on your relationship with substances or behavioral patterns.
The group welcomes students, faculty, and staff who want to talk about their experiences, concerns, or questions in a supportive environment. You do not need to have a particular diagnosis or label to explore whether the group is right for you.
Meetings take place every other week during the academic year. There are no meetings during the summer.
Safer Sex & Reproductive Health
sExpress: Free Safer Sex Supplies
sExpress is UHS's free safer sex supply program for UMass Boston students. Place an online order and choose to pick it up at UHS, or if you live on campus, have it delivered to your Parcel Pending locker.
Available supplies include:
- External latex condoms
- External latex-free condoms
- Flavored latex dental dams
- Personal lubricants
- Emergency contraception
- Pregnancy tests
- Sexual health educational materials
Orders are processed within the program's stated processing timeframe. Check the order form for current pickup and delivery instructions.
You don't have to place an online order to access every resource.
- Condoms:
- Available for free in the UHS Lobby (Quinn 2nd Floor).
- Available for free in UHS exam rooms.
- Available for purchase at U-Market on the first floor of East Residence Hall.
- Emergency Contraception:
- Available for free through the dispenser in the East Residence Hall Lobby, next to the Printing Station.
- Available for free at the UHS General Medicine Front Desk or by appointment
Need Emergency Contraception?
Emergency contraception can help prevent pregnancy after unprotected sex or when a birth control method may have failed. It is time-sensitive, so act as soon as possible.
UMass Boston students can access free emergency contraception through:
- Plan B Dispenser in the East Residence Hall Lobby (as supplies last)
- sExpress Program (not immediate access)
- UHS General Medicine appointment or at the front desk (when the clinic is open)
If the dispenser is empty or you cannot find a same-day appointment, call UHS General Medicine at 617-287-5660 for assistance to reach our clinic or the Nurse Triage Line 24/7. If you cannot access these options promptly, emergency contraception is also available through local pharmacies for purchase.
Request a Wellness Workshop or Presentation
Looking for a wellness program for your class, student organization, department, or campus group? UHS Health & Wellness offers interactive workshops and presentations on health and well-being topics.
Programs can be tailored to your group's interests, audience, and available time, from a brief wellness drop-in or activity to a longer educational session.
Possible topics include:
- Stress management and mindfulness
- Self-care and well-being
- Healthy relationships and communication
- Sexual health and safer sex
- Substance use and harm reduction
- Other health education topics based on your group's needs
Have an idea for a workshop? Let us know what your group is looking for, and we'll discuss available options.
The Checkup: UHS Newsletters
Sign up for The Checkup, our quarterly newsletter, to stay informed about health updates and upcoming events.
Recent Issues
Questions or Want to Get Involved?
We're happy to help you find a wellness program, access resources, or explore opportunities to bring health education to your group.
Email wellness@umb.edu with questions about Health & Wellness programs, workshops, or ways to get involved.