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Kansas State University

 

WHAT CAN I EXPECT?
The mission of the Counseling Service is to provide consultation to the campus community and short-term assistance to currently registered students who have concerns in areas of decision-making, crisis intervention, problem-solution, adjustment or matters of personal concern that could interfere with academic success.
During the initial session at KSU-CS, the counselor will clarify and assess your presenting concerns and determine the options available for addressing your needs.
By the end of the initial consultation contact, you may expect to gain at least three things: (1) identification of possible goals you might work toward in counseling; (2) a tentative plan for getting to that goal; and (3) some recommendations about options/resources that you may need to work toward your goal.
When time-limited service is not sufficient to meet your needs, the counselor will then determine if any extended care can be managed within the time and service availability of this agency or if referral alternatives within the community would be more appropriate.

HOW WILL MY COUNSELOR BE ASSIGNED?
Typically for the initial consultation session, the appointment will be arranged based upon matching your schedule to the first available counselor. In some situations, the choice of a particular counselor may depend upon certain preferences/specializations to meet your needs. If you prefer to see a male or a female counselor, please make that request known. Attempts will be made to accommodate your request or to discuss options with you.

Fees

There are fees charged for services. You will be billed for services as follows:

Currently Registered Students may receive up to four sessions each fiscal year (July 1-June 30) at no charge. Charges will be administered at $15.00 per hour for sessions 5-10 and $25.00 per hour for sessions 11 and over.

Non-students (spouses/partners of students, faculty or staff) are seen on a limited basis for one consultation. Additional services are based on staff availability. The initial consultation is at no charge; additional sessions cost $80.00/hour.

Because the demand for services often exceeds the number of appointment times available, students may need to wait for the next available appointment. If you have to cancel an appointment, we ask that you give at least 24 hour notice so that it may open up an appointment time for another student.

If a student does not show for an appointment or does not give at least 24 hours for a cancellation, each of such missed sessions will be considered a session used and pertinent charges will be applied.

There are also fee charges for groups and testing. For details, please check with our office staff or with your counselor.

You may pay for charges at the time they are incurred. An account statement will be sent to you once a month to notify you of an outstanding balance due. The total amount of the balance does not have to be paid immediately, but a minimal payment is expected monthly until the balance is paid in full. If an account goes 60 days past due, it is filed with the university as a delinquency and so marked on your student record until payment is received. If an account goes 120 days past due and you have not contacted Counseling Services to set up a payment plan the account may be sent to a collection agency. KSU-CS currently accepts cash, checks, money orders, Visa, and MasterCard as forms of payment. There is a $30 charge for returned checks.

Insurance Information

The Counseling Services does not process or submit billing to insurance companies for you. However, you may on your own submit a bill from CS to your insurance company for possible reimbursement. Information will not be released to your insurance company without your written permission. In addition, please be aware that some of the services provided here will not be covered by an insurance carrier, so we cannot guarantee that your insurance company will reimburse you for these services. If you have questions about these matters, please discuss it with your counselor.

Confidentiality

We strive to protect your privacy and hold your information in confidence. Our procedures are in accord with professional and ethical guidelines established for counselors and psychologists by the American Psychological Association and the American Counseling Association and with the legal parameters outlined in statutes of the State of Kansas. CS maintains security for all written and computer records of all counseling; financial records of your contacts are maintained indefinitely while clinical notes are maintained for 7 years past the date of your last contact and then are destroyed. Confidentiality means that your contact with this office does not go on your academic record and that clinical materials will not be disclosed to any other office or individual unless you have signed a written release for this to occur.

There are, however, some exceptions to confidentiality. Counselors are required to release certain information in situations in which there is potential harm to yourself or others, in instances of child abuse, or as a result of a court order. While these types of events are extremely rare, you should know that these possibilities exist. In addition, files may be reviewed in the process of agency accreditation visits by professional review teams and data that you have supplied is used in agency evaluation and research. All materials are handled confidentially and no materials with identifying information (except billing purposes) will leave the agency without obtaining specific release to do so.

Our overall goal is to make this a place where you will feel safe to talk about personal concerns.

Supervision/Recording

Our staff represents a variety of professionals and professionals-in-training: psychologists, post-doctoral fellows, master's-level counselors, pre-doctoral psychology interns, and a part-time psychiatrist. Occasionally, we also may have graduate students in an advanced practicum for the Department of Counseling and Educational Psychology. Audio/video recording of counseling sessions is done to improve the effectiveness of all of our counselors through supervision and training activities. Doctoral interns and master's student-trainees are required to audio/video record each session. There may also be an occasional session in which a supervisor may request to observe or sit-in on a session. You may be assured that the content of these sessions will only be used in professional supervision, audio/video recorded materials do not leave the agency, and audio/video-recorded materials will be destroyed after supervision is completed.