Referral Guide for Staff & Faculty
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The Initial Appointment
The first appointment a student will have with a counselor is called an "Initial Assessment." Students can usually set up an Initial Assessment appointment within a week of their call to our center, although this depends on the current demands on our service; at busy times of the semester, it may take longer. If it is an emergency, no matter what point in the semester, students can be seen that day by walking into our office.
Students are asked to come in for 90 minutes for their initial Initial Assessment appointment to fill out basic informational forms and then meet with a counselor. The counselor and the student discuss counseling options in this first Initial Assessment appointment and decisions are made regarding the next steps for the student to pursue. These steps may include: counseling at Counseling Services, a medical evaluation referral, a referral to a community mental health center or practitioner or, in emergency cases, a determination that the student should be sent to the psychiatric emergency room at a local hospital for further evaluation.
Some Comments on Confidentiality
The counselors at Counseling Services are under ethical and legal obligations not to release confidential information. We cannot tell anyone that the student is receiving assistance at Counseling Services. Counselors adhere strictly to confidentiality laws for their profession and can only break confidentiality if the student gives direct written permission, or in situations were someone's life is in danger or a minor is being abused or neglected.
If a student tells us that you referred him/her, gives written permission, and requests it, a counselor will contact you to notify you that the student did attend the initial Initial Assessment appointment. If you would like more information about a student's contact with Counseling Services, you can directly ask the student. The student can make decisions about how much he/she wants to reveal to others.
Consultation Services
Counseling Services provides consultation services to the entire University at Buffalo community. We are glad to answer any questions that you may have about our services, your concerns about a student, and referral options. Your call will be routed to an available counselor. We can assist you in making an effective Counseling Services referral.
Workshops
Counseling Services also offers workshop presentations that may be of relevance to your class or student group. We offer workshops on "Test Anxiety"; "Time Management"; and "Stress Management" for example, which can be requested for classes. We can also design specific workshops for your group based on its needs and interests. If you are interested in these workshop services, please call 645-2720 for more details. We do request advance notice of at least 3 weeks prior to the date that you would like us to present. While we cannot guarantee that all workshop requests will be met, we will make every effort to do so.
Counseling Services also offers weekly workshops as part of our "Life and Learning 
" Workshop series each semester. Topics are based around a semester theme but often include: "Procrastination"; "Communication"; Conflict Resolution"; "Relationship Issues"; "Diversity"; and many others. We would be pleased to send you a flyer describing our semester workshops. We would appreciate it if you would keep these workshops in mind throughout the semester and refer students to them when appropriate.
Internet Services
Counseling Services provides access to self-help documents, reading lists, and links to many other internet resources on-line via our home page.
Self-help topics include stress management, test anxiety, communication, depression, identity, and gender issues.
Emergency Services
When emergencies occur outside of our operating hours, contact:
Counselor On-Call (645-2222)
A counselor from the Counseling Services is available for after-hours emergencies. The counselor can be reached by calling the University Police.
University Police (North Campus 645-2222/South Campus 829-2222)
University Police can provide assistance if a student is acting strangely or violently. Their officers have experience working with students in crisis and can provide options for further assistance if needed.
Crisis Services, Inc. (834-3131)
Crisis Services is a 24-hour hot-line service for anyone in Erie County. People can call and talk to a trained counselor to determine whether or not there is a serious psychological emergency. The Crisis Services staff will come to the location of the student if suicidality, violence, or psychosis is evident and, if appropriate, will arrange for the student to be taken to a hospital psychiatric emergency room.
Conclusion
Counseling Services staff strives to provide services to University at Buffalo students that will enable them to succeed academically, personally, and in life. We know that you are concerned with similar goals and we believe that we can accomplish these goals most effectively the closer we work with each and every one of you. We look forward to hearing from you if you have questions, suggestions, and feedback about our services. We hope that this handbook has provided you with helpful information about what Counseling Services has to offer.
Copyright - Counseling Services, State University of New York at Buffalo
