Referral Guide
for Faculty and Staff
The purpose of this page is to provide faculty and staff with information about the services of
CAPS, referral information, and how to assist Rollins students most effectively. The staff at
CAPS hope that this information is helpful to you throughout the year. If you have any questions, please contact us at (407) 628-6340.
CAPS Services
CAPS has a staff of qualified mental health counselors and trained, advanced-level counseling graduate students who offer counseling services to students. Any full time Arts and Science undergraduate students who are currently enrolled at Rollins are eligible for a confidential counseling appointment. During this appointment, the student and counselor will discuss counseling options which may include individual, group, or couples counseling at
CAPS. All services provided by CAPS are free and
confidential. The staff is committed to providing counseling
services and preventive programs which promote personal and
academic success as well as the psychological well-being of
students. Available services include
- Individual counseling
- Group counseling
- Couples counseling (at least one member of the couple must be a Rollins student)
- Crisis intervention (including sexual abuse and/or assault)
- Victim advocacy
- Programming (including stress management, time management, dream interpretation, relaxation, diversity, relationships, etc.)
- Referrals to health care providers in the community
- Informational brochures and handouts on various topics
- Internet-based self-help information
- Consultation services for faculty, staff, students, and administrators
Location
The counseling center is located on the ground floor of McKean Hall behind residential life, facing the lake. The office is open between the hours of 8:30 a.m.
and 5:00 p.m. Monday through Friday.
What is Counseling?
Counseling at CAPS is provided by licensed mental health counselors and third year graduate students who are closely supervised. The staff are highly skilled professionals trained in the understanding of human behavior. When a student meets with a counseling center staff person, s/he is meeting with someone who has had years of experience helping students deal with a wide range of personal and academic difficulties. Counseling center staff work with students to help them identify strengths, locate support resources, and begin a process of change and growth. This work may occur one-on-one with an individual counselor or in a group where six to ten students meet together with one or two counselors. Whatever the format, a student coming to
CAPS is treated with respect and seen as an individual with unique strengths and limitations.
Why Students Come to CAPS
Students come to CAPS for help with concerns such as academic performance, test anxiety, poor concentration, interpersonal relationships, career decisions, and low self-confidence. They also come for help with issues related to their families,
thoughts of suicide, past or recent sexual or physical abuse, current physically abusive relationships, drug and/or alcohol abuse, eating disorders, rape/sexual assault, life-threatening illnesses, and intense grief over losses such as the death of a parent, child, or close friend. Over the course of their education, students go through numerous changes and pressures. During these times of crisis or stress, talking with a counselor at
CAPS may be a beneficial experience.
Your Role as a Faculty or Staff Member
Faculty and staff members on campus have the unique opportunity of having on-going direct contact with students and are in the position to identify students who are struggling. Faculty and staff members should determine for themselves their personal comfort levels with becoming involved with student problems. Becoming the main source of support
for a troubled student can sometimes be overwhelming, frightening, and risky. It is important that you know your own limitations in providing assistance to students and that you are aware of times when the best option is a referral.
Identifying Students Who May Benefit from a Referral
People dealing with personal concerns or problems tend to show signs that they are struggling in some way. The following indicators may be useful in assessing whether or not a referral should be made:
- TALKING ABOUT SUICIDE: If a student talks or writes about suicide, this should be taken seriously. Suicidal thoughts are in themselves not dangerous, but if they include actual plans for suicidal behaviors, the severity of the danger to the student increases dramatically. Suicide is often considered as an option when the person feels hopeless, trapped, out of control, and/or depressed. To make the assumption that talk of suicide is aimed solely toward getting attention can be a potentially fatal mistake. If you become aware of a student who is thinking about suicide, please make an immediate referral to
CAPS. You can also call us for a consultation if you are uncertain of an appropriate intervention or if the student is reluctant to take your referral. If a student clearly states the intent to commit suicide, call
911 or campus security at (407) 646-2999 immediately.
- STATING A NEED FOR HELP: Students will often come to faculty or staff members with direct requests for assistance. Through talking with the student, you may feel that the problems are beyond your scope of knowledge or power to change. Listening carefully to students and their concerns can provide ample evidence to support your decision to refer. If a student comes to you, s/he obviously feels that the relationship with you is important enough to value your opinion or response.
- OBSERVABLE CHANGES: Some students do not directly tell you that there is a problem, but their behaviors can be telling indicators. Distinct changes in academic performance, withdrawal from others, changes in class participation, crying, outbursts of anger, increased or decreased activity, and poor attendance are examples of behavioral changes that you may observe. Severe depression, extreme activity level, conversations that do not make sense, and a marked decline in personal hygiene are examples of potentially serious psychological problems. Any of these observable changes may merit a referral to
CAPS.
- PSYCHOSOMATIC COMPLAINTS: Students who report physical illness or symptoms that cannot be supported by medical evidence may be experiencing psychological problems. Psychosomatic symptoms are very real for the student and should not be treated lightly. Tension headaches, changes in eating patterns, sleep disturbances, fatigue, stomach aches, and other physical pain symptoms are some examples of psychosomatic complaints.
- ALCOHOL AND/OR DRUG ABUSE: Coming to class or a meeting when intoxicated or high is a sign that drug and/or alcohol abuse is a serious problem. Often people drink or take drugs as a way to cope with and alleviate other problems in their life. Unfortunately, the substance abuse itself becomes problematic and interferes with social, academic, and work functioning. We can consult with you on how to conduct an intervention with the student in order to make a successful referral.
- ACADEMIC PROBLEMS: Students who have noticeable negative changes in their academic performance may also be feeling overwhelmed with other areas of their lives. Some students come to classes with difficulty concentrating, performing well on exams, and achieving academically. If the possibility of a learning disability exists, a counselor can meet with a student for a consultation appointment to discuss evaluation and treatment options. Please note that we are not in a position to make a judgment concerning the validity of concerns such as poor concentration, attendance in class or exams, or a requested leave of absence. We feel that professors, residential life staff, and other staff who have more on-going contact with the student are in a better position to make decisions about the academic work of a student than
a counselor whose contact with a student may be for a single appointment. In certain cases, if we have seen a student over an extended period of time in individual counseling, we may be able to make recommendations.
How to Make a Referral for Counseling
If a student approaches you with a problem, take the time to listen in a non-judgmental and respectful manner. If you wish to approach the student with your concerns, do so directly and state your concerns clearly. The following recommendations may help to make the process of providing a referral easier:
- Do not attempt to make a referral when the student is so upset and confused that s/he cannot understand or listen to you. Wait until the student has calmed down enough to be able to converse with you and respond to your suggestions.
- Suggest in a caring, supportive manner that the student may benefit from meeting with a counselor at
CAPS. You may want to explain the following:
- Counseling at CAPS is confidential. This means
that information about the student cannot be
released to other Rollins College offices, family,
professors, etc. without the student's written
permission (one exception being if the student is in danger of harming him/herself or others).
- The services are free to currently registered full time Arts and Science students.
- The first meeting is an intake/consultation session where the counselor listens to concerns and then helps the student to identify ways to address these concerns
effectively.
- Give the student CAPS's phone number, (407) 628-6340. No appointments can be made for a student by a third party without the student
speaking directly to the administrative assistant and asking for an appointment.
- If you feel that the student is in crisis, you can call
CAPS or have the student call from your office.
Advise the administrative assistant that this is an emergency and she will connect you with a counselor immediately. If appropriate, the student will be scheduled for a crisis appointment that day.
Counseling Center Procedures for Making a Counseling Appointment
Students can usually set up an intake appointment within a week of their call to our center. If the situation is an emergency, students can be seen on the day of their call in one of our crisis hours. Students are asked to come in
15 minutes early to their first appointment to complete and
sign forms. The counselor and the student discuss counseling options in this first intake appointment and decisions are made regarding the next steps for the student to pursue. These steps may include no counseling, counseling at
CAPS, a medical evaluation, substance abuse evaluation, a referral to a community mental health practitioner, or in emergency cases, a determination that the student should be sent to the emergency room at a local hospital for further evaluation.
Comments on Confidentiality
The counselors at CAPS are under ethical and legal obligations
to maintain confidentiality. We cannot tell anyone that the student is receiving counseling center services. Counselors adhere
strictly to confidentiality laws for their profession and can only break confidentiality if the student gives them written permission. If a student tells us that you referred him/her and gives written permission to us, a counselor will call to notify you that the student did attend the initial intake appointment. If you would like feedback, you can call us and tell us that you have made a referral and we will directly ask the referred student for permission to contact you. Unless the student gives us expressed written permission, we cannot provide additional information other than the fact that the student did attend the first intake appointment. If you would like more information about a student's contact with
CAPS, you can directly ask the student. The student can decide how much s/he wants to reveal to others.
A counselor may break confidentiality if a client present a
known danger to self or others.
Consultation Services
The counseling center provides consultation services to the entire Rollins College community. We are happy to answer any questions that you have regarding our services, your concerns about a student, and referral options. Your call will be routed to an available counselor. If no counselor is immediately available, the secretary will take your number and someone will return your call within the day. Please feel free to call and talk about your concerns regarding a student, and if indicated, ways to make an effective counseling center referral.
Workshops
The counseling center also provides workshop presentations
that you may be interested in providing to your class or
student group. We offer classroom intervention workshops on
test anxiety, time management, and personal achievement
which can be requested for classes. We can also design
specific workshops for your group based on group needs and
interests. If you are interested in these workshop services,
please call (407) 628-6340 for more details.
Emergency Services
CAPS is open between the hours of 8:30 a.m. and 5:00 p.m. Monday through Friday. When emergencies occur outside of our operating hours, please contact:
- CAMPUS SECURITY AT (407) 646-2999. Campus safety can provide assistance if a student is acting strangely or violently. Campus safety officers have experience working with students in crisis and can provide options for further assistance if needed. In
addition CAPS staff are on-call and will be contacted by campus safety in the event of a psychological crisis.
- THE CRISIS HOTLINE AT (407) 425-2624 is a 24-hour hotline service for anyone in Central Florida. People can call and talk to a trained counselor to determine whether or not there is a serious psychological emergency. The We Care staff will assist the student if suicide
ideation, violence, or psychosis is evident and, if appropriate, will arrange for the student to be taken to a hospital's psychiatric emergency room.
Conclusion
CAPS staff strives to provide services to Rollins College students that will enable them to succeed academically, personally, and in life. We know that you are concerned with similar goals and we believe that we can accomplish these goals most effectively if we work more closely with each and every one of you. We look forward to hearing from you and we welcome any questions, suggestions, and feedback regarding our services. We hope that this handbook has provided you with helpful information about
CAPS's services, resources, and policies.
|
Counseling
and Psychological services - CAPS 
