As a student, you will encounter many new situations that will challenge your personal strengths and require new problem solving skills. These situations and your response to them may result in experiencing personal or academic difficulties making you feel stressed or overwhelmed. The Citadel Counseling Center staff seeks to facilitate your growth and development by helping you to enhance your personal assets, develop more effective coping strategies, and understand yourself better. We are prepared to help you gain the most that you can from your experience at The Citadel.

Eligibility for Services

Currently enrolled Citadel undergraduate and graduate students are eligible for counseling services at The Citadel Counseling Center.

Appointments

Students may schedule a first-time intake appointment Monday through Friday from 8:00 am to 5:00 PM by calling our office at 953-6799 or visiting our office at 203 Richardson Avenue. Subsequent appointments may be scheduled at the conclusion of each appointment, or by telephone.

Individual counseling sessions are 50 minutes in length. If services are not available to meet the student's particular needs, an appropriate referral will be provided.

Confidentiality

In a counseling relationship, feelings of trust are critical. Therefore, counselors maintain confidentiality in compliance with state laws and national ethical standards for psychologists and counselors. The information below provides details about the confidentiality policy of our Center.

All communications between client and therapist will be held in confidence and will not be revealed to anyone outside the Counseling Center unless the client provides written authorization to release information. However, there are legal and ethical exceptions to confidentiality which require that the therapist take responsible action.

These exceptions apply:

• When there is a clear and substantial risk of imminent serious harm to the client or another person. In these circumstances, counselors are legally required to take action to protect life.
• In the case of child abuse or abuse of a mentally retarded or developmentally disabled adult. In these cases, counselors are legally required to report the abuse to Child or Adult Protective Services.
• In the event of a court order for information.

Emergency Services

In the event of an emergency, the student should communicate clearly to the secretary his/her needs and that he/she wants to see a counselor immediately.

After office hours, students can go to the Infirmary and request to speak with a counselor. The Infirmary staff will contact a counselor as needed. Alternatively, students may call 911, go to a hospital emergency room, or call Citadel Public Safety at 953-5114. Expenses incurred off-campus for treatment are the student's responsibility.

Short-term counseling services are free to all students currently enrolled at The Citadel. If a counselor recommends that a student seek long-term psychotherapy services, a psychiatric evaluation, or other specialized mental health services with an off campus professional, the student is responsible for the payment for these off-campus services.

Referral Services For Students

If a student's counseling needs extend beyond the scope of the Counseling Center's short-term counseling model, the student will be referred to off-campus counseling resources. The Citadel Counseling Center staff can offer recommendations for off-campus mental health professionals if a student needs services which are not offered at The Citadel Counseling Center. Referral services for long-term psychotherapy, psychiatric evaluations, or other specialized services are provided as needed. Expenses incurred off campus for psychological services are the student's responsibility.

Referral Services for Employees

Citadel employees are not eligible for counseling services at the Citadel Counseling Center.

Employees who are interested in seeking counseling may consult the Citadel Human Resources' website at the "Employee Relations" link. This website link includes information regarding the Employee Assistance Program (EAP) which provides counseling to Citadel employees. In addition, employees who have questions about the mental health coverage of their particular health insurance policies are encouraged to contact Human Resources.

Alternatively, employees are encouraged to call the Citadel Counseling Center for recommendations of off-campus mental health professionals. Expenses incurred for off-campus psychological services are the employee's responsibility.