Scope of Practice

All students are eligible for Earlham’s crisis intervention services. Due to limited resources, a model of brief, goals-oriented counseling is used by Counseling Services. On average, a student is seen for 3 sessions per semester, with a maximum of 6-8 sessions per semester. Students who need long-term or more intensive services will be referred to community resources. Students are responsible for the cost of these off-campus services. Referrals will be made with students’ needs in mind, after meeting with an Earlham counselor, who will follow up with students to assure that a good referral was made.

Counseling Services provides the following:

• Crisis intervention.
• Short-term counseling for such matters as: anxiety, depression, loneliness, identity, stress management, time management, eating concerns, alcohol/drug use/abuse, relationship concerns, grief and loss, family stress, sexual orientation, homesickness, college-related transition, developmental issues, and personal growth and development.
• Assistance for students who have been diagnosed with one or more long-term psychiatric conditions for referrals to off-campus resources, work on time-limited focused goals, and crisis.
• Skills development for academic success, such as coping skills, self-esteem work, stress management, time management, motivational skills, and reduction of performance-related anxiety (such as test anxiety).
• Support and brief counseling for students recovering from sexual assault and/or domestic violence.
• Assessment and referral to other campus resources, such as Health Services and the Center for Academic Enrichment, and referral to community resources, particularly for students whose presenting concerns are beyond Counseling Services’ scope of practice.
• Mental health consultation, education, and outreach programs for students, faculty, and staff.

Limited Service

Counseling Services does not provide long-term intensive counseling and psychotherapy. It is beyond Counseling Services’ scope of practice to provide ongoing counseling and psychotherapy for students who may be diagnosed with a variety of serious, long-term psychiatric conditions, and individuals who appear to be a recurring high risk to themselves or to the Earlham community.

Counseling Services does not provide treatment services for alcohol and drug use/abuse. Counselors will meet with students seeking such treatment for a brief time to provide support, assess the students’ needs, and assist them with referrals to off-campus resources.

Earlham Counseling Services does not prescribe or monitor psychotropic or any other medications. At students’ request, counselors will make a referral to Earlham Health Services or a community physician for medication evaluation.

Students may be mandated for a counseling assessment by an external body (e.g. SJC or CJC, Residence Life, Athletics). These students will be evaluated to ascertain personal motivation and goals for counseling. Students must have personal motivation and goals for counseling; if not, they may be referred to other campus or community resources. If the mandated goals are beyond Counseling Services’ scope of practice, students will be referred to appropriate resources off campus (e.g. alcohol/drug abuse treatment).