Student Counseling Services

The mission of YSU Student Counseling Services (SCS) is to provide a safe and supportive environment for students to learn and use skills to successfully manage their emotions and mental health throughout their academic experience. YSU Student Counseling Services (SCS) assists students in becoming socially and emotionally healthy. Mental health counseling is a partnership between client and counselor, meant to help students find solutions and possibilities in life. In the office of YSU Student Counseling Services, state-licensed counselors and therapists provide free and confidential ongoing counseling for enrolled YSU students. To facilitate consumer protection, please visit the Ohio licensure verification.

Introduction:

Welcome to Student Counseling Services (SCS) at Youngstown State University (YSU). The following information will explain our services. If you have any questions or if you would like to schedule an appointment, please contact YSU SCS at 330-941-3737 or email at Studentcounseling@ysu.edu

Eligibility / Availability:

YSU Student Counseling Services are available to returning enrolled part-time and full-time undergraduate and graduate students at Youngstown State University (YSU).
Students in the following programs are not eligible for the services: Youngstown Early College (YEC) | College Credit Plus (CCP) | Workshops | English Learning Institute (ELI) | and Sixty Plus
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.

What to expect in counseling:

State licensed professionals in the YSU Student Counseling Services department offer a variety of free and confidential services to enrolled students. These services include consultations, diagnostic intake assessment, individual counseling, group services, workshops, and referrals.

Services are structured using various counseling models. Both the counselor and the client are active in the counseling process. Attention is placed on the client's presenting concerns. The client's identified problems will be addressed by forming attainable goals and objectives with the client.

A counseling session is normally 45 to 50 minutes in length; and is scheduled based on the client’s need and progress. Every attempt will be made to conduct a session for client’s who arrive up to 15 minutes late to their appointment. Although, their session will be shorter in length. In some cases, if not enough time is available, the session may be rescheduled.

Youngstown State University Student Counseling Services

Frequency of Services: Clinical Counseling and Consultation Session Utilization

Purpose

To provide clear guidelines on the utilization of clinical counseling and consultation services offered by Youngstown State University (YSU) Student Counseling Services, ensuring equitable and effective access for all eligible students.

Policy Statement

YSU Student Counseling Services is committed to supporting the mental health and well-being of enrolled students. Eligible students may participate in individual clinical counseling or consultation services on a bi-weekly basis, with a maximum of eight (8) sessions per academic semester (Fall, Spring, and Summer).

Complementary wellness services, including nap pods, the salt cabin room, and the light therapy room, are available without session limits, during regular business hours, no appointment needed. However, students are required to sign a one-time informed consent document each semester before use.

Scheduling and Frequency

Counseling and consultation services are available by appointment only. Please call 330-941-3737 or email Studentcounseling@ysu.edu to schedule an appointment.
Eligible students may schedule individual sessions on a bi-weekly basis (approximately every two weeks).
Scheduling will be based on clinical availability and student preference whenever possible.
Students are responsible for confirming and attending all scheduled appointments.
Due to the volume of requests, walk-in services are no longer available.

Session Limits

Students are allotted up to eight (8) individual sessions per semester, including intake and follow-up sessions.
Missed, late, or canceled appointments (without adequate notice) may count toward the session limit at the clinician’s discretion.
Consultation Services
Students may access brief consultation services (i.e., single-session problem-solving, resources, or referrals).
Consultation sessions are included in the semester session limit.

Complementary Wellness Services

Nap pods, the salt cabin room, and the light therapy room are available to enrolled students during regular operating hours.
These services are available without an appointment, but signed informed consent is required each semester, prior to first-time use.
Complementary services are designed to enhance well-being and are not a substitute for clinical counseling.

Continuation and Reassessment

At the conclusion of the semester or the eighth session, the student and clinician will review progress and determine ongoing needs.
Students may re-engage in services the following semester with a new session allotment, pending continued eligibility.

Documentation and Confidentiality

All counseling services will be documented in accordance with professional, legal, and ethical standards.
Records are maintained securely in the Electronic Health Record (EHR) system and remain confidential in compliance with HIPAA.

Exceptions and Referrals

Requests for additional sessions due to extenuating circumstances will be reviewed by the Director or designee on a case-by-case basis.
Students needing long-term, specialized, or more intensive mental health treatment will be referred to community providers.

Responsibility

It is the responsibility of all counseling staff to implement this policy with fairness and clinical judgment. Students are encouraged to use their sessions mindfully and engage in treatment planning collaboratively with their provider.

To determine how to best help a student, the first step in the counseling process, after the initial contact, is to set a diagnostic intake assessment appointment. During the DIA appointment, information is gathered, problems are identified, a diagnosis is given, and counseling goals are formed.

Consultation: A consultation is an informal meeting with a therapist. The therapist acts as a mentor, providing guidance, insight, skills, and linkage to ongoing services. Consultations are not counseling sessions. Therapists can offer up to four consultation sessions to a student, per semester, before recommending counseling sessions.
Counseling Sessions: Students seeking formal counseling and a mental health diagnosis for issues big or small, will schedule a counseling appointment with a therapist. The therapist will conduct a Diagnostic Intake Assessment during the first meeting. At this time the counselor will gather information from the student to determine a diagnosis. After the assessment, the student will work with the counselor to form a treatment plan, setting goals the student wants to work toward during the semester.
Workshops: Workshops are non-clinical events that focus on teaching students’ emotional management skills.
Complementary Services: Light Therapy, Nap Pods Sessions, Salt Cabin Sessions, and Sensory Room are all available complementary services used outside or adjacent to counseling sessions. Student using this complementary service will be asked to sign a Hold Harmless/Release Agreement for Activity at YSU before using these services.

Nature of Counseling

There are risks and benefits associated with participation in counseling. For example, counseling may involve the risk of remembering unpleasant events and may arouse strong feelings. Benefits of counseling typically include symptom relief, an enhanced sense of well-being, and increased ability to manage emotions and overall well-being, learning healthy relationships skills, and decreasing social emotional stress and academic pressures.

Confidentiality

University Therapists maintain confidentiality in accordance with the ethical guidelines and legal requirements of their profession. No records or information about any client will be released by Student Counseling Services without written permission from the client. Please be assured that staff will not answer questions about a client from parents, family/friends, professors, employers, etc. without expressed written consent from the client. However, there are certain circumstances that allow mental health professionals to break confidentiality without consent, if necessary. They are:

If a client presents a danger to themselves or another person.
If a client provides a first-hand report of child or dependent adult/elderly abuse or neglect.
Suspicion or report of animal abuse or neglect.
If a client is under 18 years of age and discloses abuse or neglect to their therapist.
In rare cases, counseling records may be subject to court subpoena, court order, or another legal process requiring disclosure.
If there is a risk that requires the disclosure of information, only information that aids in obtaining ongoing care and ensuring safety will be provided.

For more information about the YSU Student Counseling Center, please visit our What You Need to Know page.