Scope of Practice
Welcome! The Dutchess Community College Counseling Center provides an array of no-cost services to currently enrolled students. Our objective is to support mental health and well-being for our students to be successful in and outside of the classroom, educate the DCC community on mental health and wellness topics, normalize and promote utilization of mental health services, and provide access to resources for further mental health support.
The Comprehensive Counseling Model
The DCC Counseling Center offers a comprehensive counseling model of care to help students cope with current stressors and challenges as well as develop habits and skills for supporting their mental health. Within the comprehensive counseling model, Counseling Center staff provide culturally responsive and trauma-informed counseling in the form of short-term individual counseling, short-term group counseling, consultation services, and wellness workshops. Short-term counseling is typically solution-oriented, and sessions are geared toward direct and active intervention to help students achieve specific goals.
Confidentiality
We are committed to protecting student privacy and confidentiality. All information shared with counselors is kept confidential. Your written permission will be required to release information to other parties. By law, there are circumstances when information is required to be released without your consent. Licensed Mental Health Professionals are mandated to report specific information only when there is the possibility of harm to a student or another person, in cases of abuse of a child, elder or disabled person, or under court order. Information regarding confidentiality and limits to confidentiality is outlined in the Informed Consent form given to students during the first meeting. Faculty, college administrators and parents/guardians don't have access to counseling records and your counseling records aren't part of your academic records.
Frequency of Sessions
Frequency of sessions is determined collaboratively between staff and student, taking into consideration assessment, needs and availability. The average number of sessions is typically 4-8 in one semester. Developing adaptive coping skills and mental health practices can serve a student their whole life, and the skills learned can translate into long-term benefits.
Services Provided
The Counseling Center offers support, information and services to address the mental health and well-being of students while promoting autonomy and empowerment. Services offered include:
- Short-term individual counseling
- Short-term group counseling
- Wellness workshops
- Referrals to additional programming offered on campus, campus offices and/or services, or the community
Referrals to Services
Students can be referred to the DCC Counseling Center in a number of ways including but not limited to:
- In-person, phone, or email
- Referred from faculty
- Referred from the Student Resource Navigator
- Referred from the Title IX Coordinator
- Services are not mandated and students reserve the right to not engage with the DCC Counseling Office
Limitations
The DCC Counseling Center does not provide psychiatric or diagnostic services. The DCC Counseling Center is unable to provide psychological evaluations of any type, including but not limited to:
- Neuropsychological evaluations
- Forensic assessments
- Custody evaluations
- Assessment and documentation for service or support animals
- Fitness-for-duty evaluations
- Pre-surgical mental health evaluations
Services that would require referral to longer-term care include but are not limited to:
- Chronic suicidality and/or recent history of multiple suicide attempts
- Serious addiction/substance misuse
- Eating Disorders (requiring medical or psychiatric services)
- Psychotic symptoms (requiring medical or psychiatric services)