Scope of Care

The following is intended to inform students and the Ursinus community about the general parameters of the psychological services provided at the Wellness Center and in what instances students might expect to be referred to a different type and/or level of care.

Scope of Clinical Care

Counseling Services has three essential roles for participating in the educational mission of Ursinus College:

  1. providing clinical services that help students achieve their academic and personal goals;
  2. educating the campus community about the psychological and developmental needs of students through community level interventions, including outreach programming and consultation; and
  3. responding to the psychological effects of crisis impacting individual students and the campus community.

The primary focus on the center’s clinical services is on providing students with appropriate mental health care and facilitating personal development. The Wellness Center utilizes a brief therapy model to help students resolve or effectively manage a specific concern, or achieve a desired change in support of their academic and personal goals. Clinical services within this framework include initial assessments to determine the appropriate level of care, group and individual counseling, and crisis intervention. The counseling staff also provides consultation, outreach, and referral services where appropriate. Clinical services are aimed at helping students succeed academically, personally, and interpersonally.

All students seeking clinical care who are eligible for services will receive an opportunity for an initial intake assessment in order to determine the specific needs of the student and how best to meet those needs. Consideration is given as to whether the student’s needs fall within the role and scope of the  Wellness Center. While many student needs can be best served through the Wellness Center, some students may require services and interventions beyond the scope of clinical care for the Wellness Center. The decision about whether or not the needs of the student fall within the scope of clinical care of Wellness will be made after an initial intake meeting with a psychologist, or if needed after additional appointments for further assessment and/or consultation with staff psychologists and/or the Director.

To assist in promoting high quality clinical care decisions, the following factors are considered in determining which students may not be appropriate for clinical services at Ursinus Wellness Center. The professional judgment of Wellness mental health providers will govern the determination in a particular case. The list below reflects general guidelines and is intended only as a guide. Each case will be specifically evaluated in accordance with professional standards and failure to follow this guide does not evidence breach of professional standards or duties in any particular case.

Students with the following concerns and characteristics will likely need a different type or level of care than what is within the role and scope of the Ursinus College Wellness Center. The list below reflects general guidelines and is intended only as a guide.

  • Students who appear to have longer-term treatment needs. Reasons may include:
    • Consistently needing services more than once per week and/or frequent consultation after hours that cannot be stabilized with short term crisis intervention
    • Active eating disorders requiring extensive medical monitoring
    • Concerns which a brief therapy model of treatment will not appropriately address
  • Students who need psychological services other than those offered at Wellness. Reasons may include:
    • Intensive outpatient or inpatient treatment
    • Medical detoxification and/or medical stabilization
    • On-going mandated treatment
    • Comprehensive assessments (e.g., learning disabilities, ADHD)
    • Psychological assessments or evaluations for selection, performance prediction, or forensic purposes (e.g., professional school application, employment security assessment, litigation or legal adjudications)
    • Specialized services beyond the clinical expertise of Wellness Center counseling staff
  • Students who are unable to comply with treatment (e.g., repeated no shows)
  • Students who are already receiving ongoing therapy with another mental health provider
  • Students seeking therapy for the sole purpose of obtaining documentation for another office
  • Students seeking services while away from campus (e.g., away over summer break, Study abroad

Search community provider listings on our Off-Campus Referral Services page.