COUNSELING SERVICES
Location: Temporary Classrooms-TZ, Rooms 123 & 127

Phone: (301) 322-0093

General Information | Frequently Asked Questions | Intake & Assessment | Personal Development | Newsletter
Mental Health Links | Counseling Staff | E-mail Counseling Services

Prince George's Community College Counseling Services would like to welcome you to our Web Page. The goal of this web page is to provide an overview of the various services. Each year a significant number of you come for an individual appointment. The reasons range from the need to make adjustments, to motivation problems, to difficulty with anxiety or depression. This web page is meant to make it easier for you to decide how best to use our services.

You might want to start with General Information About our Services to find out more about how and why students make appointments with our staff. To learn about more personal issues, you might use our Mental Health Links/Internet Library.

GENERAL INFORMATION ABOUT OUR SERVICES

Counseling Services Confidentiality Policy

Counseling Services carefully adheres to professional standards of ethics and confidentiality. If a student wants information concerning his/her contact with the Counseling Services staff released, he/she must sign a specific written authorization.

Privacy and Confidentiality

In order to provide effective and up to date services, we sometimes consult with colleagues in Counseling Services about our work with students. Otherwise, information revealed in counseling, even the information that you made appointments is not disclosed to others unless you provide written authorization for information to be released. The exceptions to this practice are:

In all other cases, what you discuss in counseling will remain confidential. In the course of a lifetime most of us will experience several personally traumatic incidents. The break up of an important relationship, serious conflict within the family, failing an exam, the death of a friend or family member, an unwanted pregnancy, a serious health problem, or being victimized by a violent act, etc. There is little you can do to make yourself not experience uncomfortable feelings, but there are things you can do to help promote a healthy recovery. We welcome you to contact our office by phone or to come in person to Counseling Services.

Please note this Web page is not meant to replace a face-to-face consultation with a trained counselor, nor does this page provide "on-line" counseling.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the counseling service?

Counseling Services is a free, confidential and short-term personal counseling that provides assistance to currently enrolled students and college employees. It is based on an "eight session" model for students and a "three session assess and refer" model for college employees. Counseling Services provides consultation to administrators, faculty and managers who are seeking to best help the student and / or employees address concerns that may be impacting academic or work life.

Who is eligible for counseling?

All currently enrolled students are eligible to receive services. College employees are eligible primarily for assessment and referral service.

What happens in the session?

Counseling Services is committed to providing an easily accessible, safe and confidential means for identifying and resolving problems. The counselor offers an initial clinical intake and assessment, followed by recommendations for counseling. Upon the counselor’s clinical assessment and judgement, a decision is made regarding the appropriateness for short-term counseling. If the student’s presenting issue is appropriate, a joint treatment plan is established with the student/client based on proposed goals. If the assessment indicates a need for long term treatment, the student/client will receive referrals to the community.

How are students referred to Counseling Services?

Counseling Services is primarily a self-referred, voluntary program. Faculty, administrators, educational advisors and management refer students/employees to the program. If you are referring a student or employee to Counseling Services, it is important for you to provide specific information. To best meet the counseling demand of students/employees the following information is needed:

Will my session with Counseling Services become a part of my academic record?

Counseling Services’ records are confidential and separate from your academic records. All information about you, even acknowledgement of your visits, is confidential and cannot be released to any other office or individual (even your parents) without your written permission. There are, however, some exceptions to confidentiality. Counselors are required to release certain information in situations, which involve potential harm to yourself or others, in instances of child abuse, elder abuse or neglect, or as a result of a court order. These events are extremely rare. Typically, the only way others would become aware of your seeing a counselor would be if you told them.

What type of service does Counseling Services provide?

Most individuals who use Counseling Services are experiencing development concerns and academic pressures that, at times, leave them feeling anxious, confused, angry, lonely, depressed or overwhelmed. Counseling is aimed at helping to understand and manage these stressors. Any personal issues can be discussed in counseling:

Is there a fee?

Counseling Services is a free benefit to students and employees. The services are covered in the student fees so there is no additional charge to see a counselor. The individual services are designed for those who can benefit from short-term counseling.

Does counseling help?

The majority of students at PGCC who have completed counseling state that they feel better and find it helpful to speak with a counselor. In review of their evaluations, most would recommend Counseling Services to others.

Counseling Staff At a Glance

Saundra Lynch-Ervin

Coordinator of Counseling Services

Email: counseling@pgcc.edu

Beth Adkins

Counselor

Email: adkins@pgcc.edu

Counseling Services reports to: Dr. Margaret Taibi

Dean of Student Development Services

Psychological assessment entails a thorough exploration of the following:

• A client’s presenting problems and concerns
• Therapeutic treatment goals.
• Emotional, academic and social functioning.

Individual Counseling

Following initial assessment, some clients will opt to pursue short-term individual counseling with Counseling Services. Students are entitled to "eight" individual sessions per year if the counselor’s assessment deems the presenting issue to be appropriate for short-term counseling. Individual counseling affords an opportunity to explore issues of concern in a safe, confidential setting on a one-to-one basis with a trained professional.

Crisis Intervention

Crisis Intervention is available to help students and staff toward the resolution of acute personal crisis and provide them with the skills to function and meet the demands of a campus environment. If you believe someone is imminently homicidal or suicidal (i.e., you believe the student is likely to hurt himself/herself or someone else) call Campus Police at ext. 0666 and request an officer immediately.

Referral Guide for Staff and Faculty

As a faculty or staff member you are in an excellent position to recognize behavior changes that characterize the emotionally troubled student. A student’s behavior could well constitute an inarticulate attempt to draw attention to his/her plight ... "cry for help." Your ability to recognize the signs of emotional distress and courage to acknowledge your concerns directly to the student, are often noted by students as the most significant factor in their successful problem resolution. Frequently faculty and staff refer students to Counseling Services.

The following guidelines should prove helpful in making referrals. Initially, the faculty/staff member should personally talk to the student and refer him/her to Counseling Services. Faculty/staff frequently call to schedule an appointment for the student and/or call then walk the student over to Counseling Services, if the situation appears serious. The faculty/staff member can assure the student that his/her disclosures will be completely confidential and do not become a part of his/her academic record. To best meet the counseling demand of students/employees the following information is needed.

1. Reason for referral:
   What behavior or concerns do you have?
   What information about the client do you feel would be helpful?
2. Client history
3. Follow up/feedback request

Local Emergency Referral List

Prince George’s Community College accepts no responsibility for the acceptance, refusal, or quality of care received at the local referrals listed above, nor does this list constitute endorsement of the above listed agencies.

Mental Health Links

Medication Look Up

Medication Lookup : http://www.rxlist.com/

Self-help Pamphlets

The Student Counseling Virtual Pamphlet Collection : http://counseling.uchicago.edu/vpc

Self-help Brochures

American Psychological Association’s Self-help Brochures : http://www.apa.org/pubinfo

Depression Screening

American Psychological Association : http://helping.apa.org/

Counseling Center Village at the University of Buffalo : www.ub-counselingd.buffalo.edu/ccv.html

Counseling Services, Online Screening

Go to www.mentalhealthscreening.org/screening

(Keyword for students is PGCC4ME)

(Keyword for faculty and staff is PGCCPLUS)

National Alliance for the Mentally Ill : http://www.nami.org/

National Institute on Mental Health : http://www.nimh.nih.gov/publicat/index.cfm

Self Help brochures at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign : www.couns.uiuc.edu/Brochures/brochure.htm

The student Counseling Virtual Pamphlet Collection : http://counseling.uchicago.edu/vpc/index.html

Prince George’s Community College is not responsible for any expenses that might occur due to visiting any of the links/resources found on the Counseling Service Site.