Scope of Practice
Scope of practice refers to our ability to meet varying levels of clinical need. When services beyond our scope are required, we provide appropriate referrals to campus, community, or other resources.
The Counseling & Psychological Services mission is to facilitate and support the educational mission of Ohio University and the strategic plan of the Division of Student Affairs. Our aim is to enhance the personal development and academic success of students by providing quality clinical, consultation, and training services.
At CPS, our goal is to facilitate the intellectual, social, and emotional development of the students of Ohio University by helping to reduce the impact of psychological problems for students, and providing information to the general University community about mental health issues. When students require mental health services that are beyond the scope of practice of CPS, we provide appropriate referrals to campus, community, or other resources. While we are sensitive to the fact that some students may have greater needs than others, we balance this reality against our own responsibilities as an agency, as well as the needs of the larger student body and University.
If we believe that a student's needs for services go beyond our ability to meet these needs, we will offer referral information for treatment providers, agencies, or organizations that might be able to meet this need. Please note that we cannot guarantee that these services will be available in the Athens, OH community, and that we may have to refer a student to services in other parts of the state or country. If a student or parent has questions about this policy, or is not sure if we are able to assist with their needs, they are encouraged to contact our Clinical Director or CPS Director at 740.593.1616.
Services provided at CPS:
- Short-term counseling and psychotherapy, including:
- Individual Therapy
- Group Therapy
- Couples Therapy
- Psychiatric medication management, which may need to be coordinated with an outside psychiatric provider if a student cannot be seen throughout the year
- Emergency/drop-in consultation
- 24/7 emergency/crisis coverage
- Evening drop-in hours with Counselors-in-Residence on residential greens
- Limited career counseling services
- Virtual mental health support services
- Togetherall
- WellTrack Boost (a self-guided interactive online therapy program)
- Online self-paced workshops
- Outreach and consultation to University organizations or groups on mental-health-related topics
Services NOT provided at CPS:
- Testing/evaluation for disability claims, custody claims, or other legal proceedings
- Psychological testing for learning disabilities, ADHD, or neurological conditions
- Documentation for Emotional Support Animals (ESA)
- Intensive outpatient therapy (e.g., regularly-scheduled individual sessions which occur more than once per week, and/or have a duration longer than 1 hour)
- Family therapy
- Therapy services for students who are not currently enrolled in classes, due to graduation, withdrawal, or dismissal from the University.
- Therapy/evaluation that is court-ordered or required by any non-University judicial body
- Detox/rehab treatment for individuals with chemical dependency
- Intensive ongoing case management services; for example, daily phone check-ins or daily medication management.
- A situation in which a client has a severe mental health concern, AND, based on available treatment guidelines, clinical knowledge/experience, and professional standards of practice, we believe that this severe mental health concern cannot be treated at CPS without risking probable further deterioration of a person's health and safety.
- CPS cannot contact students who are not our clients with the intention of encouraging them to seek services here.