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Slug Support Program

College can be a challenging time for students and during stressful times it is not always easy to find the help you need.  The UCSC Slug Support Program was created to promote early intervention with students of concern to prevent culminating problems from escalating into a crisis.  The Slug Support's goal is to identify students of concern and develop an action plan focusing on retention by providing support and resources. While the Slug Support Program does not provide counseling directly to students, we work very closely with Counseling and Psychological Services to get students the emotional and psychological support they need.

Referrals to the Slug Support Program can be made by the student and/or someone in the UCSC campus community.  If you are a student or know a student who requires support and/or resources, you can start by navigating to the referral page for instructions on making a referral for our services.

Reach out to a Slug Support Manager if

  • There is a student who needs support with basic needs such as homelessness, food, financial support or getting connected to campus resources
  • There is concern about a student’s ability to adjust to the college environment
  • Have questions about support networks and organizations here on UCSC Campus
  • Student may not be in crisis but would benefit from additional support and resources

Slug Support Managers are available to assist students facing a wide variety of issues to include difficulty acclimating to college, need for additional resources, and assistance with navigating campus operations.

Slug Support Managers serve as a direct point of contact for students, staff, faculty and parents if they are unsure of how to help a student who is struggling at school or are generally concerned about a student. The managers will gather information regarding the student’s presenting issue, develop an action plan utilizing campus and community resources, and coordinate appropriate services.

Contacting Slug Support

  • Slug Support Intake Form
    • We invite you to complete the Slug Support intake form to connect with a Slug Support case manager. Please complete the form as accurately and fully as you can. Intakes will be reviewed and assigned to a case manager within 3 - 5 business days. Your case manager will email you an appointment link to connect via Zoom, phone, in person. Please note that during periods of high volume of student referrals, we may need to prioritize timely basic needs concerns and it may be up to two weeks before you there is an open appointment available.
  • If you are seeking financial assistance, please complete the basic needs assessment sheet and upload it to your intake form if possible. If you have questions or need more time, you can share it later with your case manager or get help with filling it out during your meeting.
  • This form is not intended for emergency situations. If you or another student is experiencing a mental health crisis, please contact CAPS at 831-459-2628. Crisis services are available 24/7 by pressing option 3 after dialing.  
  • Support for mental health crises is also available via the Mobile Crisis Team at 831-502-9988, available Mon–Tues, 2:00 PM– midnight and Wed–Sund, noon–midnight.
  • If you have immediate concerns about your safety or others, please call 911. 

Other ways to connect with us:

I am in a Basic Needs Crisis..

  • If you are experiencing a basic needs crisis (i.e., immediate food or housing insecurity as well as health and safety concerns), please call our crisis line at 831-459-7003 Monday to Friday between 9am-5pm. 

Slug Support Managers

Mariah Lyons
Assistant Dean of Students for Student Support Programs, Director of Slug Support
Pronouns: She/Her
(831) 459-3456
mlyons1@ucsc.edu

Betty Desta
Associate Director
Pronouns: She/Her
(831) 239-0006
bdesta@ucsc.edu

Emilee Pakele
Slug Support Case Manager, MSW Intern Coordinator 
Pronouns: She/They
(831)-334-5490
epakele@ucsc.edu