Student Services

If concerns exceed the scope of the Center’s short term counseling focus, or if recommended resources are not available within the university, your counselor will refer you to private therapy or other appropriate community resources. The cost of such therapy is not included in your student fees. Student health insurance, or other comparable health insurance plans, may reimburse part of the cost of private therapy. Your counselor will discuss additional possible options to help defray costs if a referral for private therapy is made.

We are pleased that you have come to use our counseling services. On this, your initial visit, we would like to give you some information about the services we provide and procedures we use. Our goal is to work in cooperation with you to help address your academic or personal concerns while at the University of Maine at Machias. Please feel free to call upon us, and if you have any questions after reading this information be sure to discuss them with your counselor.

Course of Treatment

Course of treatment will be dependent on individual client needs. In order to ensure that services best fit the needs of each client, services will include the development of goals and treatment planning in collaboration with clients. Following your initial appointment, you and your counselor will discuss which service(s) best fit your situation. Intake, assessment and treatment will include examination of each client’s environmental, relational and internal health, with specific attention to problematic areas, and the exceptions to said problems which may offer insight into areas to strengthen in order to achieve therapeutic goals. Services are intended to be short term (less than six months), but duration and frequency will be determined in collaboration with each client. Certain situations require long-term interventions that we cannot provide. In these cases, we will discuss other treatment options with you. Any need for extended individual counseling and/or changes in the services provided to you will be evaluated periodically. These issues will be discussed between you and your counselor.

Confidentiality

Information shared by you in individual or couples counseling sessions, or through testing, will be treated with the strictest confidentiality. Likewise, all participants in group counseling are asked to keep information shared by group members confidential. While information will not be released by Counseling Services staff outside the Counseling Office without your written permission, this counselor may confer with a clinical supervisor to be sure to make appropriate referrals and to improve the quality of services to you. The exceptions to the rules of confidentiality, as required by state law, include the following situations:

1. Serious harm or threat of harm to self or others.
2. Reasonable suspicion of child abuse, or abuse of elder or any incapacitated person.
3. If there is a valid court order which requires disclosure of information.
4. If a client or guardian has voluntarily agreed in writing to the release of information.
5. In defense against legal action or formal complaint which a client makes before a court or regulatory board.
6. During supervisory consultation.

Should any of the above situations arise, your counselor will speak with you regarding these issues, unless doing so would present undue threat of harm to the client or clinician.

Email and Phone Policy

Electronic mail (e-mail) is not a safe means to transmit confidential information. If e-mail is used as a means to communicate there is an inherent risk to confidentiality. Because confidentiality cannot be insured, and because of our belief in the importance of face-to-face contact, we discourage clients from communicating with their counselors on e-mail. Changes in appointments can be made by phone, and with your permission by e-mail. However, general therapy concerns should be discussed in person with your counselor.

Cost of Services

Service provided by the University Counseling Office are free of charge to any student enrolled in six or more credits at the University of Maine at Machias.

Grievance Procedures

Clients have the right to discontinue services at any time. To ensure continued improvement of our services, we respectfully request notification of any concerns directly to the counselor, or to the Dean of Students.

The practice of Counseling is regulated by the Department of Professionals and Finance Regulations, and complaints may be registered by contacting:

Board of Counseling Professionals Licensure
35 State House Station
Augusta, ME 04333
(207) 624-8626

MEDICAL

Physical needs based on health status: illness or injury.

• Temporary or permanent
• Developmental or acquired

PSYCHIATRIC

Emotional needs based on mental health diagnosis.

• Enduring (such as bi-polar disorder)
• Temporary or situational (such as anxiety, depression)

LEARNING DISABILITY

Learning needs based on differences in taking in, processing, and expressing information.

• Organic (neurological)
• Three primary types: Input; Processing; Output

Confidentiality

Students with disabilities have a right to confidentiality. All information concerning a student’s disability is private. This includes written and electronic records, and written and verbal communications. Confidentiality belongs to the individual. This means that a student is free to disclose anything he or she chooses about his or her disability status, but no one else can. This information is “owned” by the individual with a disability and information can be disclosed only with written permission specifying what information is shared, with whom, and for what purpose. Even with permission, information is shared only on a “Need to Know” basis.

Disclosure

If a student discloses his or her disability status to a University employee that person must make the student aware of services provided for students with disabilities. This applies to medical, psychiatric, or learning disabilities. Please refer students to Special Services.

Person-First Language

When we refer to students with disabilities we place the person first. For example, we say “student with a disability,” rather than “disabled student.” Person-first language demonstrates respect for students and understanding that disability is only one aspect of a multifaceted person whose identity and interests extend far beyond her or his disability status.

Disabilities are Discrete

No one form of disability indicates that another disability is present. Disabilities are specific, not global, and one area of disability is balanced by another area of skill. Disability is one aspect of diversity that can enhance awareness and respect for differences.

Remember

Accommodations are not special privileges. They provide equal access for students.