The University of the Arts : Counseling Services

Counseling Services

print version

Virginia Tech and General Traumatic Event Resources

24-hour Suicide and Crisis Hotline
How to Make an Appointment
Emergencies
Faculty/Staff Referrals
Counseling Issues
Local Referrals
Psychiatric/ Psychological Disability

The following links will open in another window:

Quick List of Self-Help and Hotline Phone Numbers
Helping Students in Distress: Tips for Faculty
Internet Resources
Community Resources
Resilience in a Time of War
Online Self Assessment
Virtual Pamphlet Collection

We offer students a confidential place to address issues or concerns that may be hindering their academic performance or everyday life, to increase self-awareness, and to learn effective strategies to manage their lives. Our services are available without charge for all students at The University of the Arts. Counseling records are kept strictly confidential and do not become a part of students' academic records.

For students seeing a psychiatrist or other mental health practitioner at home, we suggest that they consider establishing a relationship with a professional closer to the University. This will allow for more consistent monitoring of symptoms and medication, and more immediate help should a crisis arise. For further details, please see Local Referrals.

It is easy to make appointments with the counseling staff (please see How to make an Appointment) and we welcome students to do so.

For emergencies that occur during office hours: a) contact the Counseling Center at 215-717-6630, or b) call Maria Blando, Coordinator of Student Services in the Student Services Office, at 215-717-6617 and she will contact a counselor immediately, or c) ask any Public Safety Officer to page a counselor for emergency assistance, or d) call Public Safety at 215-717-6666.

Never leave a student alone when they are in crisis; ask someone else to call the Counseling Center (215-717-6630) or Public Safety (215-717-6666) or ask any Public Safety Officer to contact the Counseling Center or page a counselor. If no one is available to make a call for you, have the student accompany you to a phone, Public Safety station, etc.

For UArts students experiencing a psychiatric emergency outside of office hours, call 911 or go to a local hospital emergency room. In the Philadelphia Center City area, a nearby facility is:

Hall-Mercer Center (of Pennsylvania Hospital)
245 South Eighth Street (between Locust and Spruce Streets)
215-829-5433

For additional local facilities, see Emergencies.

24-hour Suicide and Crisis Hotline
215-686-4420

How to Make an Appointment
Students may stop by a counselor's office or call a counselor directly (see staff listing below) or call the main Counseling number.

Counseling Center main number: 215-717-6630
Anne Erickson, Counseling Coordinator

Counseling Center Staff
Brian Hainstock, Director of Counseling
Gershman Hall, 401 South Broad Street, Room 307
215-717-6614
Hours: Monday - Friday, 9-5

Karen Eubank, Counselor
Gershman Hall, 401 South Broad Street, Room 307
215-717-6622
Hours: Monday - Thursday, 9-5

Janet Sokoloff, Counselor
Gershman Hall, 401 South Broad Street, Room 307
215-717-6626
Hours: Monday, Tuesday, Thursday, Friday 9-5

If no one is available at the Counseling Center, appointments can be made by Maria Blando, Coordinator of Student Services, 215-717-6617.

Emergencies
For UArts students experiencing a psychiatric emergency outside of office hours, call 911 or go to a local hospital emergency room. In the Philadelphia Center City area, a nearby facility is:

Center City/Southeast Phila
Hall-Mercer Center (of Pennsylvania Hospital)
245 South Eighth Street (between Locust and Spruce Streets)
215-829-5433

Facilities located in other areas of Philadelphia:

Southwest/West Philadelphia
Mercy Hospital
501 S. 54th Street (54th and Cedar)
215-748-9525

Northwest/Germantown/Olney
Germantown Hospital
1 Penn Blvd.
Philadelphia, PA 19144
215-951-8300

North Philadelphia
Temple University Hospital
100 Lehigh Ave.
215-707-2577

Northeast Philadelphia
Friends Hospital
4641 Roosevelt Boulevard
215-831-4616

24-hour Suicide and Crisis Hotline
215-686-4420

Never leave a student alone when they are in crisis; ask someone else to call the Counseling Center (215-717-6630 or Public Safety (215-717-6666) or ask any Public Safety Officer to contact the Counseling Center or page a counselor. If no one is available to make a call for you, have the student accompany you to a phone, Public Safety station, etc.

Faculty/Staff Referrals

Consultation

If you are unsure of how to work with a specific student or handle a situation, call a counselor directly or call The Counseling Center at 215-717-6630.

A brief consultation with a counselor may help you to sort through the relevant issues and explore alternative approaches. (Please note information below re student confidentiality.) The Counseling Center is also able to provide referrals to other professionals in the community. If the student is reluctant to use the University services for whatever reason, you can obtain appropriate referral information from a counselor to give to the student.

Referring to the Counseling Center

Do not attempt to make a referral when a student is too upset and/or confused to understand or listen to you. Simply stay with the student and wait until he/she has calmed down enough to listen and respond to your suggestion. Never leave a student alone when they are in crisis; ask someone else to call the Counseling Center (215-717-6630) or Public Safety (215-717-6666) or ask any Public Safety Officer to contact the Counseling Center or page a counselor. If no one is available to make a call for you, have the student accompany you to a phone, Public Safety station, etc.

Student Confidentiality

The staff members of the Counseling Center are under legal and ethical obligation to keep counseling information confidential. This means that they cannot tell anyone, including faculty or staff, whether a student is receiving counseling services or information that a student has shared with them. There are only two situations in which they would be able to disclose information to you: 1) if the student's physical safety or the physical safety of others is at risk; or 2) when the student gives written permission for the counselor to communicate with you. If you would like feedback regarding the student, please let the counselor know and he/she will ask the student for permission to communicate with you.

Counseling Issues
Many situations arise in which people may feel concerned, confused or just interested - about their own behaviors or how to resolve difficulties. People sometimes hesitate to request help with a problem for a number of reasons such as feeling unsure of whether it is appropriate to do so, not knowing know how to begin to delve into the topic, being fearful of others' responses, or worrying about imposing on others.

We offer students a safe place to discuss any issue that may be of concern to them. Students can attend counseling for whatever length of time seems helpful (e.g., an initial session only, a short period of consecutive appointments, regular weekly sessions). We are glad to see students on an "as needed" basis, however students define that for themselves.

Some common issues addressed in counseling are:

Experiencing some type of crisis
Doubts about succeeding in chosen field or school environment
Low mood, depression, or high level of anxiety interferes with being able to accomplish things
Alcohol or drug use has affected academic performance, complicated personal relationships or the ability to meet responsibilities
Feelings of loneliness and isolation overshadowing other concerns
Uncomfortable at school due to cultural/racial differences
Having problems around eating or body image
In an abusive relationship and don't know how to get out of it
Having a hard time overcoming a loss
Having difficulty getting along with their family, peers or significant other
Worried about the occurrence of particular behaviors, feelings or moods
Want to explore issues related to being gay/lesbian/bisexual/transgender
Homesick and not adjusting easily to the University environment
Cannot decide how to proceed with a crucial decision
Falling behind due to procrastination

Local Referrals
For students seeing a psychiatrist or other mental health practitioner at home, we suggest that they consider establishing a relationship with a professional closer to the University. This will allow for more consistent monitoring of symptoms and medication, and more immediate help should a crisis arise.

The University of the Arts counselors are knowledgeable about services/practitioners in the community and will be glad to make appropriate referrals. Students seeking such assistance may telephone a counselor or make an appointment to meet with one.

Psychiatric/ Psychological Disability

THE UNIVERSITY OF THE ARTS COUNSELING CENTER
Guidelines for the Documentation of a Psychiatric/Psychological Disability

When requesting an academic accommodation based on a psychiatric disability, the necessary documentation should follow the guidelines developed by the Educational Testing Service (ETS). The University of the Arts is using these guidelines as a standard for the documentation of Psychiatric/ Psychological disability. A copy of their guidelines can be obtained from the Student Services Office or by accessing the Educational Testing Service's web site at www.ets.org/disability/psyplcy.html. Below is a brief summary of the guidelines.

The documentation should include a diagnosis by a licensed mental health professional (such as a psychologist, neuropsychologist, psychiatrist, neuropsychiatrist, medical doctor, clinical social worker, licensed counselor or psychiatric nurse practitioner). The professional's name, title and license/credential information should be included and the professional should be impartial, that is, not a member of the student's family.

Since reasonable accommodations are based on the current impact of the disability, the student's evaluation must be current - that is completed within the last six months.

The documentation should include:

A diagnosis and a summary of present symptoms (based on the DSM-IV-TR or ICD-10). Any objective measures used to help substantiate the diagnosis can be cited. (For example, a summary of any assessment procedures and evaluation instruments, their rules and standardized scores if they have been used to reach the diagnosis). A history of presenting symptoms, duration and severity of the disorder, relevant developmental, historical and familiar data should also be included.
A description of current functional limitations in the academic environment as well as across other settings. A psychological disorder usually presents itself across a variety of settings other that just the academic domain.
Relevant medical and medication history, including the student's current medication regimen compliance, any side effect (if relevant), and the student's response to the current medications and how they may impact student's academic performance.
Relevant information regarding current treatment.
A specific request for accommodations with accompanying rationale. A diagnosis in and of itself does not automatically warrant approval of requested accommodations. The evaluator must describe the degree of impact of the diagnosed psychiatric disorder on a specific major life activity, as well as the degree of impact on the individual. A link must be established between the requested accommodations and the functional limitations of the student in the academic setting.

At The University of the Arts, accommodations are usually granted for a twelve-month period but can be considered for an extension by submitting a current letter from a mental health professional. All documentation must be submitted to and approved by the Director of Disabilities before any accommodations can be offered.

Neila Douglas
Director of Disabilities
Student Services Office
The University of the Arts
320 South Broad Street
Philadelphia, PA 19102
Telephone 215-717-6616

Traumatic Event Resources

Please Note:

We list the following web sites as resources for information. In no way are we suggesting that these resources substitute for help from a qualified mental health professional. We do not take responsibility for or necessarily endorse the contents or perspectives of these web sites. The following site offers guidelines for assessing the credibility of online sites.

Stanford Guidelines for Web Credibility
http://credibility.stanford.edu/guidelines/index.html

Traumatic Event Resources

Tips for College and University Students: Managing Your Distress in the Aftermath of the Virginia Tech Shootings
http://helping.apa.org/articles/article.php?id=151

Tips for Parents on Coping With Trauma
http://www.smu.edu/healthcenter/counseling/ct_parents-trauma.asp

American Psychological Association Help Center
http://www.apahelpcenter.org/

National Center for Post Traumatic Stress Disorder
http://www.ncptsd.va.gov/

Brief Tips about Self-Care and Self-Help Following Disasters
http://www.ncptsd.va.gov/ncmain/ncdocs/fact_shts/fs_self_care_brief.html

Managing Traumatic Stress: Tips for Recovering from Natural Disasters
www.apahelpcenter.org/articles/article.php?id=69

Resilience in a Time of War
http://www.apahelpcenter.org/featuredtopics/feature.php?id=43&ch=2

Coping with Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) and Recommended Lifestyle Changes for PTSD Patients
A National Center for PTSD fact Sheet
http://www.tema.ca/lib/Coping%20with%20PTSD%20and%20 Recommended%20Lifestyle%20Changes %20for%20PTSD%20Patients.PDF

Life after Loss, Dealing with Grief
http://www.utexas.edu/student/cmhc/booklets/Grief/grief.html

Contact Us
Directions
Privacy Policy
Site Map

©2008 The University of the Arts
320 South Broad Street • Philadelphia, PA 19102