Mental Health Counseling Services

• Brief interventions for all PPSC students who have problems or concerns that might interfere with balancing life’s demands or academic progress.  

• Provide a wrap-around service model when appropriate that includes referrals to community services for longer mental health interventions or basic needs (housing and food security, utilities, etc.) 

• Provide consultation and education to students, staff, and faculty, related to mental health among college students.  

• Walk-in or call ahead to schedule or meet with an available counselor. ​ 
  
  
• As a student, you will receive 6 sessions, with each session being 50 minutes long. 

• Your counselor will ask questions to assess and better understand what therapy approach is best for your situation.​ Therapy approaches may include Cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT), Solution Focused, Dialectical Behavioral Therapy (DBT), Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR) and more. ​ 
  
  
• You will collaborate with your counselor in creating a treatment plan.​ 
  
  
• If you need further care, we will help with referrals.

Mental Health Counseling records are not a part of your school educational record. We keep separate records from other administrative documents kept on campus and notations about counseling are NOT made on a student's official college record.

Email Policy: Given that email is never confidential, it is our policy to limit use of email for communication as much as possible unless it is the preferred method of communication and permission is given by the client.

The Colorado Department of Regulatory Agencies: The Colorado Department of Regulatory Agencies (DORA) has the general responsibility of regulating the practice of licensed psychologists, licensed clinical social workers, licensed professional counselors, licensed marriage and family therapists, certified school psychologists and unlicensed individuals who practice psychotherapy. The agency within this Department that has the responsibility specifically for licensed and unlicensed psychotherapists is the Colorado State Grievance Board.

Confidentiality exceptions: The Mental Health Counselor’s duty of confidentiality do not apply or is irrevocably waived in the following circumstances:

• If it is suspected, or the student reports, child or elderly abuse
• If action must be taken to protect the student or others from harm
• If ordered by the court to testify or deliver and release records to a third person
• To protect the mental health counselor in a lawsuit or grievance

Confidentiality: Mental Health Counselors are under professional standards that prohibit the disclosure of any information that students tell them during a counseling session, except by a release from the student or under specific circumstances. Exclusions may include: harm to self or others; abuse of a minor, elder or vulnerable adult; health/medical emergency; scheduling, or other circumstances required by Colorado law. Mental Health Counselors will review confidentiality and these exclusions with you.

Confidentiality and Parent Communication with the Counseling Center: The Colorado mental health code ensures confidentiality for people seeking mental health services. We are unable, therefore, to give any information about a student, including whether s/he is being seen at the Counseling Center, without the student’s written consent. This may feel frustrating to you when you are reaching out in concern for your child. Asking the student for permission for the counselor to speak with you may easily resolve this.