What you need to know

YSU Student Counseling Services department is normally open 8am to 5pm Monday through Friday during the academic year, with some exceptions. The office is closed over holiday breaks. If you call after hours or when we are closed, an answering service, staffed by licensed professionals will attend to your call after a brief message and a prompt to press #1.

As a client of YSU Student Counseling Services, you have several rights, benefits, and privileges. Specifically, you have the right to:

• Be treated with consideration and respect.
• Be informed of, and ask questions about your diagnosis, proposed or current services, treatment interventions, and of the alternatives.
• Consent to refuse any service, treatment, or therapy.
• Review the education and experience of staff members.
• Request a particular counselor; however, there is no guarantee that the request can be met.
• Terminate counseling services at any time.
• Have your conversations treated confidentially and be informed of the limitations of that confidentiality.
• Participate in your treatment planning and progress toward your counseling goals.

Client Responsibilities:

You, as the client, have the responsibility to:

• Arrive on time and keep scheduled appointments.
• Call or email the office and cancel at least 24 hours in advance if you are not able to keep your appointment.  
• Be open and honest in your communication with your counselor.
• Treat other students and employees with respect and courtesy.  
• Actively participate in counseling.  

Attendance Expectation:

The effectiveness of treatment is directly related to your commitment to the counseling process. Therefore, it is expected that you attend scheduled appointments. If you are later than 15 minutes, based on the counselor’s schedule, the appointment may be rescheduled. If you cannot make your appointment, we ask you to change or cancel your appointment at least 24 hours ahead of the scheduled time by calling 330-941-3737 or emailing Studentcounseling@ysu.edu This allows us the opportunity to offer the appointment time to another client in need. If you “no show” twice in a row, or you cancel/ reschedule more than 3 times in a row, you are not guaranteed immediate rescheduling or prime counseling times.

Termination Agreement:

Clients who have not had a session in over 30 days will be considered inactive. It is always preferable to have a final session before ending therapy to review and evaluate the sessions and overall progress. After 30 days, anyone wishing to return to active therapy can do so by contacting YSU Student Counseling Services to resume the therapeutic relationship. Clients have the right to refuse or end counseling services at any time.

Clients should be aware that confidentiality of electronic mail (e-mail) transmission or text messaging reminders cannot be guaranteed. For this reason, Student Counseling Services discourages the sharing of compromising personal or clinical information through this medium. In addition, clients should be aware that Student Counseling Services staff may not always have immediate access to, nor monitor, their email communication daily or outside of normal business hours (8am to 5pm, M-F).

At times there is a need for therapists to consult with other professionals or receive supervision as needed to evaluate their efficacy as a counselor and/or social worker. University counselors and/or counseling/social work interns may discuss individual cases to ensure ethical practice and protect client welfare. At times, the entire clinical staff may be included in confidential group consultation on a client’s case. Details of cases will be discussed with supervisors in a confidential manner and all information discussed will remain confidential.

Electronic service delivery (Tele-Health) is defined by ORC 4757-3-01 (GG) as psychotherapy in any form offered or rendered primarily by electronic or technology-assisted approaches, except telephonic, when the therapist and the client are not located in the same place during delivery of services.

Electronic Services Delivery (Tele-Health) will be conducted in accordance with ORC 4757-5-13 standards of practice and professional conduct.

• All electronic contact with the client/student will take place using a secure and encrypted platform.  
• Tele-Health shall require an initial face-to-face meeting, which may be in person or electronically, to verify the identity of the electronic service delivery client.  
• At the first meeting, steps shall be taken to address impostor concerns.  Specifically, the student YSU ID number will be used to identify the client.
• Informed consent forms will be sent to the student via the secured Titanium web-component.  These consent forms shall include information defining electronic service delivery as practiced by the department, and the potential risks and ethical considerations.

Counselors shall not provide services without a client/student’s signed informed consent.  

Links for licensure verification for all YSU therapists practicing in the counseling department can be found on the YSU Counseling Services website to facilitate consumer protection. https://elicense.ohio.gov/oh_verifylicense  

For community referrals, YSU Student Counseling Services Website contains contact information for identifying appropriately trained professionals and agencies who can provide local assistance, including crisis intervention, if needed.  

Confidentiality in electronic service delivery shall be maintained by the licensee: (1) Licensees shall use an encryption method for electronic service delivery), except for treatment reminders, scheduling contacts or other information provided outside of a therapeutic context; and (2) Shall inform electronic service delivery clients details of data record storage in Titanium. Only YSU emails will be used for electronic mail communication.  

Students are informed of the limitations and risks associated with such services in the consent and release form. 

College Mental Health Research & Safety

The YSU Student Counseling Services Department may participate in data collection or research designed to improve our services and expand the knowledge about college student mental health. Participation will only involve contributing anonymous, numeric data provided by those who use our services. Data will be stripped of all personally identifying information and then combined with anonymous, numeric data for statistical analysis. Because data cannot be linked to specific individuals, there is virtually no risk to the client by contributing data. With your permission, we

would like to contribute anonymous, numeric data from the questionnaires and demographic information you provide. Your decision is voluntary and will not affect the services you receive. If you do not want your non identifiable information shared, or if you have questions or concerns, you may contact the Director of YSU Student Counseling Services at (330) 941-2727.

Youngstown State University is committed to the safety and well-being of all campus community members. To maintain your safety, and the safety of others, YSU has formed a Campus Assessment, Response, and Evaluation Team (CARE). This collaborative team coordinates and develops support planning to promote student health, well-being, and a successful academic experience.

If you are involved in a safety concern that requires a referral to, or intervention by the CARE Team, please note that a representative from Student Counseling Services sits on the CARE Team. As a result, this representative will be part of forming an intervention or safety plan that will help to keep you or someone else safe.

Record Storage:

Counseling records and individual documents are maintained in an electronic record keeping system called Titanium©. This system is password protected, and only accessible by YSU counseling staff. In accordance with state licensing guidelines, client records will be kept for seven (7) years after the date of the client’s last contact with our office. Requests for any information from client records must be made in writing by the client. Clients must allow ten (10) business days for fulfillment of the request. Records are faxed to the indicated provider. Note that records subject to release include diagnostic assessment, treatment plan, summary of services, and termination/referral documentation. Testing information will only be released to another clinical individual such as a doctor or licensed mental health professional.

YSU Student Counseling Services manages social media pages on Facebook, Twitter, YSU App, and Instagram. Designated staff members serve as administrators for these accounts and post relevant content. YSU Student Counseling Services will not use social media to gather information about any enrolled student. YSU Student Counseling Services will not accept requests for services through social media. Please contact us to set an appointment by calling 330-941-3737 or email Studentcounseling@ysu.edu

Staff members with personal social media accounts will utilize the highest security level to prevent clients from accessing personal information or sending messages. It is our policy that staff members do not interact with, accept friend, or contact requests from, or follow current or former clients on any social networking sites or blogs. This policy exists to maintain clear boundaries in the therapeutic relationship and to protect everyone’s right to privacy. Additionally, these platforms do not provide a secure environment, and public interactions could compromise your confidentiality. Friend requests from former student clients will not be accepted and will be managed carefully to avoid any potential perception of exploitation or conflicting relationships.

Social Media Policy

The Ohio Counselor, Social Worker, Marriage & Family Therapist Board, and the American Psychological Association (APA) caution that public social networks are not private. Even if access is restricted to invited or approved members, privacy cannot be expected. Participation in such forums implies that anything posted may be seen, read, and commented on by others. Therefore, individuals will be held responsible for posts, comments, links, uploads, and other activities on YSU Student Counseling Services social media platforms.

In line with the Ohio CSWMFT Board, and national APA guidelines, YSU Student Counseling Services staff who use social media and other electronic communication are mindful of how their communication might be perceived by clients, colleagues, university staff and faculty, and the broader professional community. To minimize any potential issues, staff will carefully consider all security settings, typically setting them to "private." Staff will not communicate with current or past students on social media.