New Client Information
You have made an appointment to visit with a counselor at Counseling and Psychological Services. It is important to be aware of some information about our purpose, our services, our staff, what you can expect, and what is expected of.
Location
Steve Clark YMCA and Student Wellness Center 1845 Fairmount St. Wichita, KS 67206
Phone: (316) 978-3216
wichita.edu/CAPS
New Client Information
“We’re Here for You”
Appointments & Costs
In your initial appointment, you will be asked about your reasons for coming to CAPS, what you hope to accomplish in counseling, current symptoms and your personal background. During the initial appointment, you and the counselor will determine whether further meetings are necessary, if you and the counselor are likely to work well together, and if appropriate, a plan on how to proceed. You are under no obligation to continue to meet if you determine that it is not in your best interest.
All counseling sessions are $10.00 each. A $10.00 fee is charged for appointments that are missed or not canceled at least one hour before the start time of the appointment. If the payment presents a difficulty for you, please discuss this with your counselor. The major way you “pay” for the services is through your approach to counseling – being active and intentional about keeping appointments, focusing on achievable goals, and progressing toward those goals. When counseling helps you achieve your academic and life goals, our major purpose is accomplished.
For more information contact us: PH: 316.978.4SWC (4792) Website: http://www.wichita.edu/CAPS
Purpose
CAPS provides mental health treatment, training and prevention to support WSU community wellness, while fostering optimal academic and personal growth. Personal concerns can interfere with your ability to perform academically and/or your ability to benefit from your overall educational experience at WSU. Personal concerns may be of temporary/situational nature or may be more ongoing or long-standing. Counselors in CAPS are prepared to assist you with both situational and more ongoing concerns.
Professional Staff
The professional staff includes licensed psychologists and licensed masters level professionals. A consulting psychiatrist also provides limited psychiatric services. CAPS provides training experiences for carefully selected students completing their advanced graduate degree in the mental health field. All professionals-in-training are supervised by licensed staff. The staff member who you are meeting will provide you with specific information regarding professional background and answer any questions you may have.
Limitations of services
Counseling services through the CAPS are limited in a number of ways that are important for you to know. CAPS is only available to enrolled students. Consultations are also provided to current faculty and staff members. CAPS is not available outside of regular office hours, nor is on-call or weekend coverage provided. Therefore, students can access crisis services by calling the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 1-800-273-TALK (8255) or by going to COMCARE Crisis Center located at 635 N Main, Wichita, KS 67203. If you are in need of services beyond the scope of those provided by CAPS, we will attempt to assist you in locating appropriate services.
Confidentiality
Your appointment with a counselor is treated as a confidential relationship, and information regarding contact will not be released without your authorization. The legal exceptions to confidentiality include possible child or elder abuse, imminent danger to self or others, and the issuance of a valid court order. If you or others with you in the SWC encounter a person who has a reportable communicative disease, the SWC will be required to notify local health authorities that you have been in the office for contact tracing purposes. We will only provide the minimum required information. It is also the practice of CAPS staff to seek consultation with each other and share records with coordinating providers. The use of audio or video recording and direct observation for supervision or consult is our standard procedure. The recordings are treated confidentially and erased after they are used. You may discuss concerns about recordings with your counselor. Mandatory assessment referrals require that we report to the referring department or individual the dates of contact and clinical impressions in order to complete sanctions.
Records
The laws and standards of our profession require that we keep records regarding the services you receive at CAPS. Clinical files are maintained for 7 years past the date of your last contact. Medication files are saved for 10 years past the date of your last contact and then destroyed. Records at CAPS are electronic, and they are stored on secure servers. Access to these files is limited to CAPS staff bound by confidentiality agreements. Consultations with the psychiatrist for medication also involve a clinical record. You have access to your clinical file upon request. Reviews of clinical files are typically conducted with your therapist or another trained mental health professional with CAPS.
CAPS and SHS Information Sharing
CAPS and Student Health Services (SHS) recognizes the close ties between a student’s physical and emotional health. For this reason, CAPS and SHS collaborate and communicate regarding your treatment when it is clinically relevant to your care and/or safety. In doing so, the WSU Student Wellness Center is able to provide the most informed judgments and assist the Student Wellness Center staff members in being most effective with services provided
CAPS Services for Minors
In accordance with WSU General Counsel recommendations and State Law, enrolled students who are older than 14 and under the age of 18 are eligible for services from CAPS without the consent of a parent or legal guardian. However, the student’s parent or legal guardian must be informed that the student has sought services from CAPS by the Director of Counseling Services at CAPS. Students who are minors will talk with their counselor about these limits of confidentiality and the counselor will discuss with the student about completing a Consent to Treat Minors form from a parent or legal guardian for ongoing treatment.
Electronic Communication
It is the policy of counselors at CAPS to not engage in email or other social media contact with therapy clients. If you contact CAPS staff via email or other social media, note that 1) staff may not check accounts regularly, 2) staff may inadvertently miss your message altogether, and 3) electronic communication is subject to interception and is not considered confidential. Bearing this in mind, matters should be handled by means of telephone or face-to-face conversations rather than by electronic communication.