View of a college campus building
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A 2024 report by Forbes.com outlined a well-organized plan to navigate the college application process. When deciding which school to attend, students and their families will benefit from vetting the types of support services that are available on campus. According to the 2024 executive summary report by the American College Health Association, many of the top impediments to academic performance relate to mental health and/or stressors, and not course difficulty. Thus, it’s likely that students will need support with their personal lives during their academic careers.
On many campuses, the counseling center is a visible office for student support. However, not all counseling centers are the same and they have varying services and operations. Students and families should vet the counseling center to decide if the campus can meet their specific mental health needs. This vetting should include discussions about scope of practice, session availability, and meeting expectations.
Scope of Practice
In 2022, the American Medical Association defined scope of practice as those activities that a licensed health professional is permitted to perform. Regarding mental health providers, the scope of practice refers to the types of presenting issues and treatment modalities that a therapist has experience, training, and the capacity to treat. It’s unethical for therapists to claim that they can treat any condition or be effective with any individual. Scopes of practice must have limitations so that the public can make informed decisions while selecting a therapist.
Likewise, counseling centers cannot promise that they can treat every student on campus, especially on campuses that have thousands upon thousands of students. Such promises would be unethical, and it’s helpful to reflect how even hospitals refer some patients. As discussed in a 2024 report by Forbes.com, some schools have adopted new models of college health to expand the scope of practice on campus. In summary, students and their families should ask what the scope of practice for the campus counseling center is. This question is especially important if there’s a history of high mental health needs.
Session Availability
According to a 2024 report by Mental Health America, the wait time for campus counseling centers can span weeks, which might be detrimental to some students. It’s important to note that in many areas of the country, it might be quicker to access services on campus as opposed to in the community. In 2022, Psychology.org commented that the average national wait time to access behavioral health services was 6 weeks. Furthermore, unlike community providers, in which clients tend to adjust their schedules to attend a counseling session, campus counseling centers tend to be limited by the students’ schedule. It’s not uncommon for students in high demand majors to report that they have one or two hours available during the week to schedule a session. Such a restricted schedule will prolong any wait time. Thus, when vetting a campus counseling center, it’s not just a matter of inquiring how many appointments are available, but it’s also important to vet the student’s schedule. If a student has a restricted or inconsistent schedule, then the campus counseling center might not be the best fit.
Another item to vet is the availability of crisis services. Some schools, such as the counseling center at Arizona State university, specifically state that they prioritize immediate access for students in crisis. Many schools also offer 24/7 phone counseling helplines. For most families, it will bring peace of mind to know what resources are available in the event of a mental health crisis.
Meeting Expectations
One of the best things that students and their families can do when vetting a campus counseling center is to discuss what they are expecting from counseling. For example, if there’s an expectation that the student will attend sessions more than once a week and/or on weekends, this might not be a fit with the campus counseling center. In addition, if there’s an expectation that counseling will last years, this might not be possible because most counseling centers aren’t equipped to have one student use an appointment slot for that long. Directors of counseling centers can likely explain to students and their families it the center can meet the expectations that are expressed.
Like colleges and universities in general, no two campus counseling centers are the same. Some centers might provide specialized programs for students with high mental health needs and/or have dedicated crisis services. Other centers might offer long-term individual counseling, while some might be limited to short-term counseling that focuses on helping students in mild distress. Vetting support services might give a better picture of what life might be like on campus and help decide which school to attend.