Scope of Care: What CPSC Offers and Who Is Eligible For Services

The following Scope of Care statement is intended to inform students and the Weber State community about the general parameters of services provided for students at the Counseling and Psychological Services Center.

Counseling Center ServicesThe Counseling and Psychological Services Center (CPSC) provides mental health counseling, psychiatric medication support, and outreach to help Weber State students identify barriers to growth, improve coping, and achieve personal goals.

CPSC utilizes a goal-oriented, structured, and solution-focused approach to assist students in addressing issues common in a university setting. Frequently addressed issues include, but are not limited to, the following:

  • Personal issues such as stress, anxiety, depression, loneliness, grief, body image
  • Relationship issues regarding friends, family, partners, roommates and others
  • Developmental concerns such as adjustment, transitions, and identity issues
  • Academic concerns such as motivation, test anxiety, and perfectionism
  • Other issues which may interfere with the ability to take full advantage of education opportunities

CPSC clinical services are designed to support students with mild to moderate distress, or with severe distress that’s likely to reduce rapidly with clinical interventions. Some indicators that severe distress could reduce rapidly with clinical interventions include:

  • Severe distress that is acute/short-term/recent in nature.
  • Severe distress with 1-2 specific symptoms (e.g., panic attacks, social withdrawal).
  • Severe distress that appears in response to adverse situations.
  • Severe distress that is known to reduce rapidly with interventions that CPSC can provide.
     

Eligibility for CPSC Services 

Counseling and psychiatric services are available to currently enrolled WSU students whose concerns fall within our Scope of Care. 

As CPSC resources are limited, the following groups of students are NOT eligible for CPSC services regardless of current semester enrollment:

  • Salaried employees of WSU
  • Lifelong learning students
  • Domestic non-degree-seeking students (Note: International Exchange Visitors are eligible for services)

Utah state law requires that students must be 18 years of age or over to consent to health care, unless they have consent from a parent or legal guardian, or meet other statutory requirements. Otherwise, eligible students under the age of 18 must have signed consent from a parent or legal guardian to receive care at CPSC.

Guidelines for Establishing Care

Students are typically seen first for an initial consultation in which their needs are assessed by a counselor. The counselor consults with a small team of clinicians to determine the most appropriate form of follow-up care. As appropriate, students may be referred to services within the CPSC, to another university resource, to online resources, or to community providers.

When it is determined that an individual's needs may not be appropriately addressed by CPSC services, counselors have an ethical responsibility to provide referrals to community providers who can offer the appropriate level of treatment. The professional judgment of clinical staff guides decisions in each case.
 
To assist in promoting high-quality clinical care decisions, the following factors are considered in determining which students may or may not be appropriate for services at the CPSC.

Clinical Considerations

Common examples of clinical issues better addressed through a community referral include, but are not limited to:

  • Chronic mental health conditions requiring focused and consistent longer-term care
  • Some personality disorders not conducive to treatment based on an academic calendar
  • Chronic high-risk suicidality and/or recent history of multiple suicide attempts
  • Severe and chronic self-injury
  • A history of multiple psychiatric hospitalizations
  • Significant or chronic disordered eating symptoms posing a medical danger
  • Significant or chronic substance use/abuse which compromises therapy
  • Active symptoms of psychosis at risk for progressive deterioration

 Additional clinical considerations that may warrant denial of services or referral to a community provider include:

  • Seeking documentation only to support academic, disability, or other petitions
  • Ongoing treatment relationship with another mental health provider
  • Mandated or required treatment (e.g., counseling ordered through legal proceedings, substance abuse education/treatment, anger management, parenting education, domestic violence treatment, etc.)
  • Counseling required by employers, government agencies, academic departments, or classes
  • Comprehensive psychological evaluation and documentation of any type, including but not limited to:
    • Neuropsychological, forensic, custody, athletic eligibility, and fitness-for-duty evaluations
    • Assessment and documentation for service or support animals
    • State/federal benefit programs (e.g., vocational rehabilitation, social security/disability, veteran services)
    • Pre-surgical mental health evaluations
  • Medication-management-only treatment plans without initial consultant assessment
  • Utilization of services for mental health treatment of ineligible individuals
  • Other situations determined to be outside the CPSC Scope of Care, or in which case a counselor determines treatment would be detrimental to the client or the proper functioning of the CPSC.

Client Engagement

Active participation in counseling provides the best outcomes. Referrals to alternative resources may be necessary for clients with poor engagement in counseling. Some examples include, but are not limited to:

  • A need or desire to be seen more frequently than CPSC can accommodate
  • Excessive utilization of CPSC crisis intervention services indicating standard services are inadequate
  • Unwillingness to provide information sufficient for clinical assessment
  • Inability to identify a treatment goal appropriate for focused therapy
  • Inconsistent attendance
  • Poor compliance with treatment recommendations
  • Inappropriate, harassing, menacing, threatening, or violent behavior

Service Utilization Considerations

Student utilization of CPSC services during their entire academic experience at WSU is monitored. To ensure equitable access for WSU’s large student body, students who have received extensive services at CPSC may not be eligible to receive further treatment, regardless of current enrollment. 

Extensive service usage is assessed by CPSC clinicians upon review of a client's CPSC record. Factors contributing to extensive use include number of sessions, type(s) of services, frequency, duration, attendance, symptom severity, and CPSC capacity. 

If a client’s service utilization is found to be inequitably or inappropriately extensive, available services may be restricted to group counseling, online mental health resources, and community resources.

Service Denial/Referral Process

During the initial consultation or during any subsequent stage of treatment, a clinician may determine that a client’s needs fall outside the CPSC Scope of Care. In such instances, the clinician consults with the Clinical Review Team and/or the CPSC Director regarding case disposition and referral options. If the clinician is a trainee, the supervisor must be consulted.

When a referral is deemed most appropriate for treatment, a client will be provided with information to relevant community resources or may be scheduled to consult with the CPSC Case Manager. CPSC’s Case Manager provides support for continuity of care but it is the client’s responsibility to follow through with referrals. Referrals will, to a reasonable extent, take into account client circumstances regarding insurance, finances, and transportation. CPSC clinicians are not case managers and are not responsible for ensuring that clients follow through on provided referrals. 

Policy Exceptions 

In certain circumstances, CPSC clinicians may be able to provide services that extend beyond our Scope of Care. Circumstances which may warrant such services include, but are not limited to:

  • Appropriate management of a crisis despite extensive use of services
  • Coverage through upcoming graduation within the semester
  • Supporting high-functioning clients with chronic conditions with well-defined therapy goals
  • Longer-term therapy for committed and progressing clients 

Individuals who believe their circumstances represent an exception to the CPSC Scope of Care may submit a Petition for Exception to Policy. The CPSC Director will review all petitions and must approve any exceptions.
NOTE: This document reflects general guidelines and is intended only as a guide. Each case will be individually evaluated in accordance with professional and ethical standards.