Student Counseling Services

Scope of Clinical Services

The YSU Student Counseling Services Center provides free, short-term counseling for currently enrolled YSU students.  We work on an appointment basis and will meet with an eligible student to evaluate, assess, and refer to other services as warranted based on the student’s clinical needs. 

The scope of care is intended to outline the appropriateness and limits of the Center’s services to students seeking counseling.

• Current services at YSU SCS are free, short-term counseling for currently enrolled YSU students.
• Students requesting individual counseling will be referred to the appropriate agencies or individuals in the community.
• Assessment appointments are Monday – Friday, 8 am – 5 pm, and two evenings by appointment only.
• YSU Student Counseling Services does not provide psychiatric services in-house.Psychiatric services are available at Mercy Health at Wick (Student Health) via your paid YSU Student Health fee.To access those services, go through your primary care provider at Mercy Health at Wick (Student Health).
• We do not provide Substance Abuse Counseling.
• We do not provide Couple’s and/or Family Counseling.
• We do not provide psychological testing (i.e. cognitive, personality, learning disabilities, attention deficit, etc.)
• We do not provide evaluations or documentation for Emotional Support Animals (ESA), Therapy Animals nor Service Animals.
• We do not provide services for Clients who are court mandated for mental health treatment or Clients who are involved in legal actions that may require forensic and/or psychological testimony.
• We do not duplicate services.  If you are already receiving services from an individual provider and/or through a comprehensive treatment center, it is best to continue that relationship. For students with established care providers out of town, you may wish to discuss our scope of care with your providers in order to best plan for your mental health needs during your time here at YSU.  Will would be happy to consult with you about your needs and where to get them met.

Eligibility for Services

• Currently enrolled Youngstown State University (YSU) students are eligible for services offered by Student Counseling Services (SCS).
• Students must be enrolled in a degree-seeking program at the time they seek services.

  • “Enrolled” is defined as a student who has registered for classes and remains “registered for classes” on the fourteenth day of each term. The Institute verifies enrollment status for all registered students on the fourteenth day of each term.

  • Students may be enrolled full-time (12 or more credit hours), part-time (6-11 credit hours), or less than part-time (1-5 credit hours) to be eligible for services.

  • If a student withdraws from all classes or is withdrawn from all classes, the student is deemed to no longer be enrolled and is therefore no longer eligible for services.

• Students may be eligible for services during summer terms if they were enrolled and completed the most recent Spring Semester AND are already enrolled for the upcoming Fall semester.

Persons Ineligible for Services

• Faculty and staff
• Persons enrolled in programs not affiliated with a degree (e.g., English Language Institute, Police Academy, Dual Enrollment in a high school (ex. College Credit Plus, YEC, etc.), additional affiliation with other Academic Partners not named here.
• New students who have enrolled in the upcoming semester are not eligible for services before that semester begins.

Exceptions to Eligibility

On occasion, there may be exceptions to the eligibility policy.  These instances may include:

• In emergency situations, persons who do not meet the eligibility criteria may be seen for an initial crisis consultation and provided with referrals.
• Clients who withdraw from classes may only be seen for facilitating a referral to an appropriate community provider (if needed).
• Any other exceptions to the above policies as approved through consultation with the Director.

Educational Programs, also known as "Outreach," is the method of extending the care and expertise of Student Counseling Services staff and trainees to the broader YSU community through prevention and intervention services. In our preventive efforts we strive to promote feelings of connectedness and a sense of belonging to our campus community to further the development of well-rounded individuals who better understand and are ready to assume their place in our diverse society.

 

Reaching out to the campus community is an integral component of clinical service delivery and essential to meeting the diverse needs of YSU students. We are committed to bringing prevention and workshops to students who might not otherwise utilize Student Counseling Services.

 

The Student Counseling Services staff is dedicated to fostering connectedness and belonging to YSU students through the offering of didactic and interactive experiences. Each presentation is designed for a 45-60 minute time frame with an audience of at least 10 people. The Objectives of the presentations: improve relationships through healthy communication and adopting healthy coping strategies to provide a path to success both individually and as a community member.

 

Student Counseling Services staff will review the request and do our best to accommodate it. However, during times of heavier clinical demand we reserve the right to modify or decline requests.