Counseling Services Update for Faculty and Staff
With the semester winding down in a few weeks, Counseling Services wanted to make sure faculty and staff knew the wide range of services our office offers as well as provide a few important updates regarding our office’s policies, procedures, and staffing. The staff in Counseling Services are here to help students with their mental and emotional health, as well as any behavioral or interpersonal functioning concerns, so that they can ultimately achieve academic success.
Personal or psychological counseling offers students the opportunity to talk about social, emotional, or behavioral problems that are either causing them distress or interfering with their functioning. Counselors are trained professionals who can respond to their concerns in an objective and non-judgmental manner. The counseling relationship is unique in that it provides a safe forum for students to speak freely, knowing that what is shared will be kept private and confidential.
In addition to our counseling services, we wanted to update the faculty and staff on a couple of matters. First, we would ask that any concerns by a staff or faculty member regarding a student of concern be shared with counseling@hvcc.edu rather than any individual counselor. This provides the ability for any available counselor to be able to address or respond to the concern in question, rather than waiting for a response from a specific counselor. Additionally, if there arise situations where a faculty or staff member, feels unsafe or uncomfortable based on a student’s conduct, please contact Public Safety who can provide a quicker and more appropriate response in these circumstances. Public Safety can then bring a student over to our office for a risk assessment if necessary.
In a similar vein, Counseling Services wanted to make the campus aware of some staffing shortages at the moment. Currently, our office consists of our Senior Counselor Sara Donnelly, Counselor/Outreach Coordinator Kevin Schlicht, and finally, our Graduate Intern Kathleen Collins. There may be times where they may not be counselors immediately available to consult/assist with students of concern, as we have a responsibility to the students utilizing the counseling services discussed above. We ask for your patience if situations like this arise as we work to fill our other positions. Finally, we wanted to remind faculty and staff that Larry Ellis has recently transitioned roles and is now the Director of the Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Office.
Regarding services for students, we also offer a number of wellness services including, but not limited to, our flex space that holds weekly activities like yoga, our relaxation room that provides students a quiet and safe space to engage in self-care and coping activities, and our wellness presentations that provide students with psychoeducation about various wellness topics.
If a student is in need of some support, please have them contact Counseling Services to schedule an appointment with one of our mental health counselors. Our office is available for appointments Monday – Friday starting at 9 a.m., with our last session being scheduled at 3 p.m. Students may call us at (518) 629-7320, email us at counseling@hvcc.edu or stop in at Siek Campus Center, room 260, to schedule an appointment.
Counseling Services
CTR 260
518-629-7320
counseling@hvcc.edu
Visit our website:
Counseling Services Webpage