According to the U.S. Department of Heath and Human Services, approximately 1500 colleges and universities in the United States provide assistance programs for students. Student athletes can seek assistance for a variety of personal problems involving living arrangements, interpersonal problems, emotional problems, academic problems, and problems related to athletic performance. Many universities have programs in which professionals such as counselors, psychologists, health educators, and doctors and nurses work together to provide assistance to student athletes.

Some of the services provided include counseling and psychological services, self-help workshops, nutrition assessment, and counseling. In some institutions Certified Health Education Specialists provide individual assistance with stress reduction, time management, tobacco cessation, alcohol and drug evaluation. (Ringhofer and Harding, 1996), have suggested that coaches may be ideally positioned to contact "key" people such as: mental health professionals, health care professionals, health educators, and members of the clergy.