Meeting the Demand for College Student Concerns in College Counseling Centers: Evaluating a Clinical Triage System

University counseling centers, experiencing an imbalance between student demand and available resources, respond in various ways. The current mixed-method study evaluated one university counseling center transitioning from a wait-list system to a triage method of managing demand. Significant reductions in wait time and increase in attendance were found. Clients also reported significantly less distress after triage implementation. No reduction in wait time or increase in symptom severity were found for crisis clients. Qualitative methods assessed staff perceptions of triage, suggesting staff was satisfied with triage because of clinically informed scheduling and increased efficiency.     

The Integration of Health and Counseling Services on College Campuses: Is There a Risk in Maintaining Student Patients’ Privacy?

The formation of integrated centers on college campuses that combine health services and counseling provide clear advantages for students. There is currently no “best practices” model that informs integrated centers’ operational procedures. The “continuity of care” requirement of medical providers can conflict with the strict confidentiality guidelines of counselors, especially as it pertains to the sharing of patient information. Current informed consent procedures also contain deficiencies that should be addressed in integrated centers. Centers might refer to Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) standards which accord psychotherapy notes special status, excluding them from medical records. As we consider the stigma that is still attached to pursuing counseling services, we need to establish a system within integrated centers that does not pose additional barriers to students’ help-seeking behaviors. Despite the challenges, positive collaboration can occur between medical providers and mental health personnel in devising documentation and record sharing procedures that safeguard student patients’ privacy interests.     

Counseling Programs' Informed Consent Practices: A Survey of Student Preferences

This study examined 115 master's‐level counseling students' preferences for content, timing, and method of programmatic informed consent. Students rated the majority of items as moderately or extremely important to receive, and they indicated a desire for the informed consent to be facilitated through a combination of both oral and written methods throughout their programs of study. Results reinforce and go beyond the Council for Accreditation of Counseling and Related Educational Programs (2009) and American Counseling Association (2005) expectations for informed consent. Implications for counselor education are discussed.     

Making the Case for a Comprehensive ADHD Assessment Model on a College Campus

Despite increased demands on university counseling center resources, some centers are offering comprehensive assessments for Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD). The rationale for one counseling center's decision to provide comprehensive ADHD assessments is presented, including the clinical, legal, social, medical, financial, and philosophical factors influencing such a decision. The general characteristics of the students presenting for assessment and the specific ADHD assessment process are described. In addition, the benefits of and drawbacks to such a program, as well as its applicability to other university counseling centers, are discussed.     

Psychiatry Resident Rotations in University and College Counseling Centers: A Pilot Study of Rotation Types and Challenges

With an increased demand for mental health services, perceived increased severity of students presenting for services, and increased number of students prescribed psychotropic medications, university and college counseling center directors have had to increasingly identify psychiatric service options. Psychiatry residents can potentially help fill these needs. To better understand the role of psychiatry residents in university and college counseling programs, we conducted a web-based survey of United States psychiatry residency program directors. This study describes clinical activities and rotation characteristics of psychiatric residents working in counseling centers. Of the 48 residency programs that responded, 27 provide rotations at university or college counseling centers, and of those with rotations, 100% report that the residents rate these as very good or excellent. Expanding psychiatry residency rotations at college counseling centers may be mutually beneficial both to the centers and to psychiatric residents.     

The Counseling Center: An Undervalued Resource in Recruitment,Retention, and Risk Management

A primary responsibility for directors of college and university counseling centers is to explain to various audiences the multiple ways such units are of value to their institutions. This article reviews the history of how counseling center directors have been encouraged to develop and describe the work of their centers. Often overlooked are the contributions that counseling centers make to institutional recruitment, retention, and risk-management activities. Research that demonstrates the relationship between counseling centers and each of these functions is reviewed and some recommendations for counseling center directors are offered.     

College Counseling Today: Contemporary Students and How Counseling Centers Meet Their Needs

There is evidence that today’s college and university students are struggling with emotional and behavioral health problems at higher rates than in past generations. This article explores the various ways, utilizing a range of models, that college and university counseling centers have mobilized to respond to these challenges. We examine literature about the characteristics and concerns of the current student generation along with what counseling centers are doing to respond to the challenge of student needs. We describe a survey (N = 408) of members of the Association for University and College Counseling Center Directors (AUCCCD) and American College Counseling Association (ACCA) that elicited the kinds of services, functions, structures, and organizational relationships found in today’s counseling centers. In addition to confirming the core mission of providing counseling and psychotherapy, the survey revealed widespread counseling center collaboration and consultation activities beyond the counseling room. The survey also indicated a variety of administrative and structural arrangements in the way counseling centers are placed on their individual campuses. Finally, we suggest a framework for planning, executing, and evaluating counseling center and campus initiatives.     

The Preparation of Master's‐Level Professional Counselors for Positions in College and University Counseling Centers

This study investigated college and university counseling center directors’ perceptions of the adequacy of the preparation of master's‐level counselors for work in college and university counseling centers. Results indicated that counselors were rated on average as prepared; however, many directors had concerns about counselors’ ability to work with students presenting more severe mental health issues. Findings are discussed, and implications for the training and preparation of college counseling practitioners are presented.     

Working alliance as a mediator and moderator between expectations for counseling success and counseling outcome among Korean clients

The study examined client’s perceptions of working alliance as a mediator and moderator between client expectations of counseling success and counseling outcome. Participants were 284 adult clients in counseling in university or community counseling centers or private practices in South Korea. Level of functioning at the start of counseling was used to control for counseling outcome. Results of structural equation modeling analyses indicated that working alliance fully mediated the relationship between client expectations of counseling success and counseling outcome. In addition, moderation of counseling expectations by working alliance on counseling outcome was supported. Implications for research and practice are discussed.     

Practicing in the 21st Century College Counseling Center

Although college and university counseling centers often struggle with misperceptions of their work and their role in the campus community, limited research has addressed this issue. In this article, common campus misperceptions are explored. Among the issues that often increase the misperception of counselors and counseling services include misunderstandings by campus departments about the role of counseling for students, the perception that counseling is often a solution to any emotional or behavioral issue, and the difficulty of avoiding dual relationships with students on many campuses. Implications for campus counseling centers, including strategies for combating misperceptions, are discussed.     

Chapter 13 Homicide in the University Residence Halls:

On May 15, 1990, two students were murdered by a third student in the residence halls of a public university. The campus counseling center's attempt to assist the university community to adjust in the aftermath, including services to students, resident halls' staff and residents, university officals, and victims' families, is discussed. Responses to the anniversary of the homicides a year later, recommendations for counseling centers, and a stress management handout for students are provided.     

试论网络心理咨询中的伦理问题及其应对策略

网络心理咨询作为一种新兴的心理咨询模式。正逐渐应用开来。网络心理咨询有其方便、匿名等优点，但在实践过程中。也逐渐显露出一些问题。特别是伦理方面的问题。目前网络心理咨询中存在的主要伦理问题包括咨询资格、知情同意、保密原则、保护原则等。对于这些问题，应该加强研究并加强管理和规范。     

College and University Counseling Centers: Questions in Search of Answers

College and university counseling centers are being influenced by changing populations of students and the concerns of a variety of constituencies and stakeholders about mental health issues. Although counseling centers can be important institutional resources in matters of recruitment, retention, and risk management, new legal and ethical issues and concerns about training programs have emerged. This article reviews research on these emerging questions and considers how counseling centers might respond.     

Ethical considerations for research conducted with human participants in languages other than English

Considerations for conducting ethical research with human participants in languages other than English are addressed to some extent in regulatory and guiding statements for researchers, but in ways that are minimal or vague. In this article, I examine guiding documents for research ethics from four countries: the UK, Canada, Australia and the USA, with a view to analysing how the issue of research in other languages is addressed. Specific attention is paid to four key aspects of research as it relates to language. The first is informed consent. This includes a discussion of how written forms may not be the most appropriate method to ensure consent is informed. The second aspect of language is that of translation and interpretation, including budgetary implications for research. Third, the use of intermediaries such as (but not limited to) translators and local contacts is considered. Finally, considerations for knowledge mobilisation and dissemination of findings are explored. The article concludes with recommendations for researchers, graduate supervisors and research ethics boards.     

Change in Academic Distress: Examining Differences Between a Clinical and Nonclinical Sample of College Students

The purpose of this study was to examine academic distress over the course of a semester for both a clinical and nonclinical sample of college students by administering the Counseling Center Assessment of Psychological Symptoms (CCAPS‐62 and CCAPS‐34) to students at a single university. Results revealed that students who were in counseling showed a significant decrease in academic distress scores, whereas students who were not in counseling showed no significant change in academic distress scores. Implications of these results on future practices for university counseling centers are discussed.     

Mandated Disciplinary Counseling: Working Effectively With Challenging Clients

Mandated disciplinary counseling has been a long‐established practice for many college and university counseling centers. Although the practice is well established, practitioners continue to raise questions about its appropriateness and effectiveness. Student dynamics and other issues influencing the efficacy of mandated counseling are explored. Counseling readiness interventions are recommended to mitigate the types of reactance issues that can be barriers to effective counseling outcomes.     

Interpersonal Violence and Sexual Assault: Trauma-Informed Communication Approaches in University Counseling Centers

A university in the United States Mountain West utilized grant resources to track counseling services for students who were currently experiencing or who had historically experienced relationship violence, sexual assault and/or stalking. This report reflects on the first 2 years of this program, including an overview of prevalence and reporting rates of interpersonal violence from university students. Given the prevalence of recent and historic interpersonal violence among university students, suggestions are offered for bringing a trauma-informed and communication-focused perspective to the solution-focused brief therapy model used in many university counseling centers. A case study outlining these approaches is offered.     

The Dose-Response Relationship at a College Counseling Center

Abstract

Most college counseling centers have adopted session limits for their psychotherapy clients though little evidence exists to support such cutoff points. In the past eight years, a few studies have been published using survival analysis statistics for investigating the speed of recovery in psychotherapy. The outcome of clients at a university counseling center was studied to assess change across time, on a session-by-session basis. The analysis of these data showed that 14 sessions of psychotherapy were required for 51% of clients to meet criteria for clinically significant change. Results were interpreted as suggesting that limiting psychotherapy at college counseling centers may result in improvements that are not clinically meaningful for the majority of clients receiving services.     

Alcohol Use,Psychopathology, and Treatment Utilization in a University Mental Health Clinic

In the general population, alcohol use disorders and psychiatric disorders co-occur. Despite ample evidence of the adverse effects of alcohol use on treatment outcomes, these relationships have not been examined among college students presenting at counseling centers. The purpose of this study was to assess the prevalence of hazardous drinking among students receiving counseling at a university counseling center and to examine relationships between alcohol use, symptomatology, and treatment utilization. Participants were 214 students who had terminated therapy within a 3-year period. Intake assessments of alcohol use, anxiety, depression, and perceived stress were harvested from client files. Analyses indicated that 33% of the sample screened positive for hazardous alcohol use. Findings provided preliminary evidence that hazardous drinking is negatively related to both mental health and treatment utilization in university clinics. In light of this association, coupled with high base rates of risky alcohol use among college students, university counseling centers might consider implementing screening and brief intervention for hazardous drinking.     

Influencing College Students' Perceptions of Videocounseling

Technology has made inroads in the counseling field in the form of e-mail, chat, and videoconferencing. It is not clear, however, whether college students perceive technology to be an acceptable application to counseling. The purpose of this study was to assess students' attitudes and expectations for a particular type of technology application—videocounseling. The results indicated that after watching a simulated videocounseling session students placed greater value in videocounseling, felt less discomfort with videocounseling, and expected videocounseling to be an effective and satisfactory approach. The merits of using such a role induction procedure with college students who consider participating in videocounseling are discussed as well as the implications of this therapy approach for counseling training programs and university counseling centers.