Dear Suspicious,

The short answer is yes and no. Health Services has a Counseling and Psychological Services (CPS) division, which offers short-term counseling services to all students, undergraduates and graduates, who have paid the Health Service fee. All full-time and residential students are automatically billed each semester on their student account for the Health Service fee, and as a result have access to all of the Health Services on campus (including primary and urgent care, counseling, disability services, health promotion programs, and sexual violence prevention and response programs). The counseling service may seem free to some (including your friend), because once students have paid the Health Service fee, there are no additional charges to visit CPS (i.e. no co-pays, office visit fees, etc.).

A professional staff of psychologists, psychiatrists, and social workers is ready to discuss a wide variety of concerns about oneself or others. CPS offers short-term psychological counseling, as well as emergency consultation, and referrals for long-term mental health care. CPS psychiatrists can also evaluate students and provide prescriptions for medication. Special counseling programs and groups are offered for survivors of sexual abuse, students who are HIV-positive, students with eating disorders, adult children of alcoholics, students with work blocks, and for a variety of other issues. Workshops and other special programs are advertised at the beginning of each semester in the Spectator and through Health Services' website.

When long-term or specialized mental health care is recommended, after consultation or assessment, students can be referred to an appropriate resource outside Health Services. In order to utilize the limited out-patient psychotherapy benefit in the Columbia Student Insurance Plan, a student must be seen and referred by CPS to an approved provider. Without a referral from CPS for long-term counseling, students cannot be reimbursed for their mental health care expenses.

In terms of employees, Columbia staff and faculty may make an appointment at CPS to be seen for one visit only, and then would be referred appropriately within the community. For both students and staff, making appointments is strongly encouraged by calling x4-2878. CPS maintains strict standards of privacy and confidentiality governing therapist-client communications.

Alice

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