In addition to policies found in the Consent To Treatment forms, here are a few general policies that pertain to common student concerns.
Eligibility for services
| We provide clinical services to all full-time Washington University Danforth Campus day students who have paid the Student Health and Wellness fee. | |
| Spouses or partners of full-time students are not eligible for individual counseling or psychiatric services. Spouses or partners are eligible for couples counseling if their spouse/partner has paid the Student Health and Wellness fee. | |
| Students who take an approved medical leave and have paid the Student Health and Wellness fee for the current semester may continue to be seen for counseling for that semester. Exceptions may be made for international students when services cannot be accessed in the local community in their native language, but are available at CCPS. | |
| Upon graduation, students are eligible to be seen until December 31st for the Fall semester and May 31st for the Spring semester. | |
| During summer break, currently enrolled students are eligible to receive services regardless of credit hours, as well as continuing students who are enrolled full-time for the upcoming fall semester. | |
| Admitted first year students enrolled for the fall semester who are participating in a university sponsored summer academic program are eligible for services. | |
| Consistent with its mission to provide only clinical services to students, we do not undertake forensic evaluations (e.g., court-ordered custody evaluations; evaluations for eligibility for disability or emotional support animals, etc.) or make forensic recommendations or provide expert testimony. |
Assessment testing for ADHD
In order to maintain the availability of quality counseling services for students with immediate mental health needs/crises, we do not provide testing services for the diagnosis of ADD/ADHD. See more information on the treatment of ADHD at Habif Psychiatry. For referral information to testing services in the St. Louis community, please call 314-935-6695 or click on the link below.
Attendance Verification Policy
We do not provide written notes for missed classes, examinations, extracurricular activities or employment. Whenever possible, students should schedule visits to CCPS so that there is no conflict with class/work obligations.
Each student who comes to CCPS for services is required to “sign in.” At the conclusion of the visit, the student may request a “walk out note” which has verification of the date of the visit to CCPS. If the student needs to provide confirmation of a visit to an instructor or employer, this form may be used for that purpose and should be adequate documentation that counseling services were actually sought. Diagnosis and treatment are not indicated on the form, following HIPAA federal laws.
Contents of health records are strictly confidential. If a student wishes that CCPS provide diagnosis/treatment of information to the instructor or employer, an authorization for release of information must be signed and placed in the chart. The person authorized to receive this information may then call CCPS at 935-6695 to request additional details of the visit. All such communications will serve only to verify the reason for the visit and should not be interpreted as excusing an absence.
Requesting documentation for academic accommodations
Students needing ongoing accommodations (assistance with note taking, additional time for exams, separate exam rooms) should start this process at the Disability Resource Center.
There may be situations in which CCPS clinicians deem it appropriate to support accommodations for students under their care. While we may be able to verify that there are psychological problems that may have interfered with functioning and support a petition for accommodations, the decision of what, if any, academic accommodations will be granted, is made by the Disability Resource Center working in conjunction with the individual school.
Documentation for accommodations
We provide documentation supporting accommodations only within the context of a treatment relationship. It can take several sessions before a clinician can assess whether a given accommodation is a necessary clinical intervention.
Documentation guidelines
Under the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) and university policy, students must submit appropriate documentation to the Disability Resources (DR) office in a timely manner before they qualify for accommodations. Documentation, prepared by a qualified evaluator, must at minimum substantiate the student’s disabling condition and verify the student’s current need for accommodations in order to have equal access to learning or housing environments or activities.
Documentation of a student’s disability is not part of the student’s academic record. All information related to a disability is treated as confidential and may be disclosed only with the student’s written consent or to those with a genuine “need to know,” consistent with the university’s policy and federal laws.
Documentation for an emotional support animal
University counseling centers all over the country have received increased requests from students to write letters stating that they have a mental health or medical condition that would benefit from the presence of an animal.
Most often these requests are made by students who report some kind of emotional distress or difficulty adjusting to the environment and would like to be able to have an animal to comfort them in a residence hall or an apartment that typically would not accept pets. There is some research evidence that petting dogs can decrease nervous system arousal, increase serotonin, epinephrine and oxytocin (all feel-good neurochemicals).
However, CCPS mental health professionals do not prescribe assistance animals or emotional support animals (ESAs), and we do not issue letters stating that a student needs one or would benefit from having one. We have developed this policy for the following reasons:
| While some believe a companion animal may produce more positive outcomes, little empirical evidence exists to support the conclusion that ESAs are effective in mitigating psychological disorders and related problems. It should be noted that as more research and literature is generated and with the potential for legal standards to change, this policy may be revisited in the future. | |
| Writing a letter means mixing clinical and forensic roles on the part of the mental health provider, which creates ethical dilemmas. These conflicting roles can negatively impact the treatment relationship. | |
| There are many things that may produce similar positive effects in human beings (exercise, music, meditation, etc.). We may recommend those things to you as a part of a healthy lifestyle, but we do not prescribe them. |
We are available to assess and treat you using the knowledge, skills and tools we have been trained to use. We truly understand the love and connection people can have with animals, how they benefit us, and why many students desire to have an animal. However, we are not able to provide documentation to establish the need for ESAs.