Counseling/Therapy Services

Counseling and Psychological Services operates according to a model where service recommendations are made based on an initial assessment that tries to match each student to the most efficient and appropriate service based on the student’s presenting concern. CAPS offers a multitude of variable length services including Essential Skills Workshops, Focused Care Hour (FCH), Group Counseling, Short-Term Individual Counseling, Short-Term Couples Counseling, and Clinical Care Coordination. A student may be referred to different services throughout the course of treatment, if the initial service does not resolve or improve the presenting concern. If the needs of a student cannot be accommodated through one of the services offered at CAPS, we will facilitate a referral to another local provider who can provide longer-term or more specialized services.  

A referral to a local provider may be provided in the following situations: 

• Ongoing treatment for a student who presents imminent danger to self or others, or is unable to care for themselves. (e.g., a student who seems determined to harm themselves, and has feasible plan to do so; or a student who is experiencing hallucinations and delusions).
• Court-ordered or forensically oriented treatment (e.g., substance abuse treatment, treatment for criminal behavior such as rape or pedophilia, etc.).
• Treatment for disorders of such severity that we cannot provide adequate care (e.g., treatment for a severe eating disorder that requires closely coordinated medical, nutritional, psychiatric, and psychological care).
• Treatment that falls beyond our areas of expertise or outside the scope of services provided by this facility (e.g., a student requesting a higher frequency of services than we can provide).
• Treatment for a student who seeks counseling but nevertheless is fundamentally unwilling to address the disorder in question (e.g., a student who is addicted to cocaine, but adamantly refuses to consider curbing or receive treatment for their drug use).
• Treatment for a student who seeks counseling but nevertheless is noncompliant with the clinician’s treatment recommendations (e.g., client who does not take prescribed medication).
• Treatment for a student whose behavior creates a hostile working environment at the Counseling and Psychological Services office, affecting staff and/or other students (e.g., a student who is verbally abusive towards and/threatens staff).
• Treatment for a student who seeks counseling but nevertheless is noncompliant with CAPS’ policies (e.g., inappropriately utilizing daytime and/or after-hours crisis services).
• Requests for certain types of documentation to meet specific legal or administrative requirements (such as letters in support of having an emotional support animal, and other requests that a CAPS clinician does not feel competent or confident to endorse within the scope of our generalist and short-term treatment practice).   
• Other situations that are determined to be outside of the scope of services provided by this facility or in which case an appropriate clinical staff member determines that treatment to a particular student/client would not be in the best interest of the student/client, another student/client or the proper functioning of this agency. 

If CAPS is unable to offer services, other local treatment options will be discussed.