Referring Students to the Counseling Center

When you have decided that professional counseling would be helpful for a student, keep these referral tips in mind:   

• Be caring, yet direct, in your suggestion that counseling will be useful. Except in emergencies, it is also important to allow the student to accept or refuse counseling.  
• Suggest that the student call our office, stop by our office or use our online scheduling option. Give the Counseling Center phone number (410-617-2273) and location (Humanities Center 150, one flight up in the turret).
• For more urgent concerns: assist the student more directly in the appointment-setting process by offering to call the Counseling Center with the student in your office.  
• In an immediate emergency (recent loss, sexual assault, or indication of risk to self or others): call the counseling center for crisis consultation and walk the student over to the Counseling Center. 
• Remind the student that our services are FREE AND CONFIDENTIAL.
• Feel free to call the Counseling Center at 410-617-2273 for a consultation. 

A FINAL NOTE ON CONFIDENTIALITY: We are required by law and by professional ethics to protect the confidentiality of all communication between psychologist and client (except in cases where harm to self or harm to others is indicated). Consequently, we cannot discuss with others the details of a student's situation or even indicate whether the student is, in fact, in counseling. In order for information about the student to be released to you or others, we must first get the written permission of the student. However, students are typically more trusting of the counseling relationship if they believe that their privacy and confidentiality are maintained by their counselors. Therefore, it is not our usual practice to request a release of information from a student when he or she is referred for counseling. You may, however, wish to follow up with the student about your referral.