Mental Health Counseling
Individual Counseling:
SBCC Student Health and Wellness offers free and confidential individual short-term counseling services. Students must be currently enrolled in a credit class and have paid the student health fee to be eligible for services. The first session is considered an initial intake session where students can explore their concerns with a professional, develop a treatment plan, and determine whether our services fit your needs. Counselors offer short term counseling to students who want to work through specific concerns. We also provide referrals, if at any point, it is determined with careful clinical assessment that other services are more suitable from off campus providers.
If you are experiencing a crisis or emergency please click here to get to our Emergency and Crisis Page.
Mental Health counseling can have both risks and benefits. The counseling process may include discussions of your personal challenges and difficulties which can elicit uncomfortable feelings such as sadness, guilt, anger, and frustration. Counseling has also been shown to have many benefits. It can often lead to better interpersonal relationships, improved academic performance, solutions to specific problems, and reduced distress. These benefits cannot be guaranteed for any particular person depend greatly on your efforts.
Group Counseling Support:
SBCC offers psychoeducational group counseling support at THE WELL (ECC 21). Groups can be a highly effective and unique form of support and is appropriate for many of the same problems as individual therapy. It is well established as an effective treatment for many mental health issues including depression, anxiety, social skills/relationship building, and more!
To visit our current semester’s list of groups please follow this link: The WELL
Your Counseling Rights
Clients have the right to:
- Receive humane care and treatment, with respect and consideration
- Receive services that are culturally sensitive and suitable to your needs
- Have your record and the information you give in therapy sessions kept confidential. Exceptions in the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) Privacy Notice and state and federal laws include:
- a. You are a danger to yourself or others
- b. You are gravely disabled (unable to care for yourself)
- c. In cases of child abuse or suspected child abuse
- Accurate information concerning diagnosis, treatment, risks, and prognosis of an illness or health condition
- Reasonable alternatives to care
- Take part in decisions about your health care, including the right to refuse treatment, except as provided by law
- A second professional opinion regarding diagnosis or treatment
- Have a medical professional explain the benefits, risks and side effects of any medication prescribed
- Participate actively in decisions regarding one’s healthcare and treatment
- Accessible information regarding the scope and availability of services
- Be informed about any legal reporting requirements regarding any aspect of screening or treatment
- Review or ask for a copy of your medical records upon request and written authorization, and ask that they be amended (changed) or corrected
- Revoke your authorization to release except to the extent that action has not already been taken
- Know that sexual intimacy in a professional relationship is never appropriate. You
should report it to the state Grievance Board
Clients have a responsibility to:
- Provide complete and accurate information about one’s concerns, to enable proper evaluation and treatment
- Ask questions to ensure an understanding of the condition or problem
- Tell your provider if you do not understand or do not agree with the plan
- Show respect to health personnel and other patients
- Arrive on time for appointments
- Reschedule/cancel an appointment 24 hours or more before your appointment so another person may see a provider
- Inform the practitioner(s) if one’s condition worsens or an unexpected reaction occurs from a medication
- Provide requests for permission to release health records in writing to SBCC Health and Wellness
Confidentiality
Information discussed in the therapy session and client records are held confidential in accordance with the American Psychological Association, The Board of Behavioral Sciences, state and federal laws, and the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPPA). All counseling records are confidential within legal constraints, and are not part of the student’s academic records. Student Health and Wellness is a training site for Psychologists and Marriage and Family Therapists. Information shared in counseling sessions may be discussed for consultation or intern supervision, but will not be disclosed outside the Health Services and Wellness office.