Tele-mental health refers to the provision of mental health services from a distance using live interactive video teleconferencing. Clinicians utilizing tele-mental health to provide therapy must comply with the relevant licensing laws in the jurisdiction where the provider is physically located when providing care and where the client is located when receiving care. In the United States, the jurisdictional licensure requirement is tied to where the client is physically located when he or she is receiving care, not where the client lives (Turvey et al., 2013) or used to live. Thus, if a student is receiving teletherapy, the therapist must be licensed in both the state where they are located and in Maryland (where the student is located). If the therapist does not comply with these requirements, we do not acknowledge these services as meeting criteria for outside counseling. In these cases, the student must find another local therapist (Turvey, C., Coleman, M., Dennison, O., Drude, K., Goldenson, M., Hirsch, P., ... & Malik, T. S., 2013). ATA practice guidelines for video-based online mental health services. Telemedicine and e-Health, 19(9), 722-730.

*SCC assists students in crisis who may consult with a counselor in person or by phone as needed to assess danger to self and others and connect student with community/local resources.

For exact closing information, students can sign up for UMB Alerts at http://www.umaryland.edu/alerts/ or click on the UMB homepage at http://www.umaryland.edu/.

Under normal conditions, the Student Counseling Center opens at 8:30 a.m. If the University opens late or closes early, the center will do the same. Appointments scheduled during the time that the University closes will be canceled automatically. For example, if you have a 9 a.m. appointment and the University opens at 10 a.m., your appointment will be canceled. If your appointment is at 11 a.m. and UMB opens at 10 a.m., you will be expected to arrive at the scheduled time. However, if a student thinks it is not safe to travel from their home because of the weather, we ask that you call in and reschedule the appointment. If your appointment is canceled because of inclement weather, please call the Student Counseling Center during regular business hours when the University reopens to reschedule your appointment.

For after-hours crisis information, please click here.

Cancellations:
Because of the heavy demand for services, if a student needs to cancel an SCC appointment, the student should call 410-328-8404 at least 24 hours (one business day) in advance of the scheduled appointment time. If a student has a same-day urgent reason for canceling, the student should call 410-328-8404 and speak with their SCC treatment provider or leave a message with information related to the need for cancellation. Please note that students who frequently cancel or reschedule counseling appointments or medication management services may be required to meet with their SCC counselor to assess treatment barriers and, if necessary, develop a new treatment plan before resuming SCC services. 

Late Arrivals:
If a student arrives more than 10 minutes late for a scheduled appointment, the student may be asked to reschedule.

No-Shows:
If the SCC does not receive a student’s notice of cancellation by 4 p.m. the day before and the student does not show up at the scheduled appointment time, it will be recorded as a “No-Show.” The following apply regarding “No-Shows”: 

• A “No-Show” for counseling follow-up appointments will count against a student’s total allocated number of counseling sessions (six per semester/12 per academic year).
  
  
• Two consecutive “No-Show” follow-up appointments may result in suspension of SCC counseling and medication management services for a period of six months starting from the student’s last date of contact with the SCC. Outside referral assistance and walk-in consultation services (Daily at 1:30 p.m.) are available to suspended students as needed.
  
  
  • First “No-Show”: SCC provider will contact the student (by phone/voice mail or email) requesting that the student contact their SCC provider within one week in order to resume services.
    
    
  • Second “No-Show”:  SCC provider will contact the student (by phone/voice mail or email) to inform the student that counseling and/or medication management services through the SCC will be suspended for six months. The SCC also will send written notification to the student and provide a list of community resources to assist the student in continuing their care. The student may use walk-in daily (1:30 p.m.) consultation services and/or request to meet with an SCC provider to receive assistance with community resource referrals. If a student had been receiving medication management services through the SCC, an SCC psychiatrist will determine how to bridge medication concerns and may choose to provide one last 30-day scrip as required by state law.
    
    
  • Students whose SCC services have been suspended may be eligible again for SCC services at the end of the six-month period after undergoing a new evaluation to reassess needs.

Initial Intake Evaluation:
Students who visit the SCC for the first time must schedule an appointment to meet with an SCC counselor for an initial intake evaluation. This initial intake evaluation is not a counseling session but rather an opportunity for the SCC counselor to evaluate treatment needs and determine whether the SCC will be an appropriate setting to meet those needs and the student’s required level of care. A student who cancels, reschedules, or does not show for two or more intake evaluations may be required to meet with the SCC director or designee for an assessment of treatment access barriers before the student may schedule another intake evaluation. To learn more about the first appointment, click here.

Disability accommodations at UMB are determined and coordinated by Educational Support and Disability Services (ESDS). To learn more about its services, visit www.umaryland.edu/disabilityservices.

If you received services at the SCC, SCC is able to provide you with a Summary of Services letter. The letter may include diagnosis, treatment plan, and clinical assessment of the individual at the time when services were rendered.  

A Summary of Services letter does not serve as a disability evaluation, proof of fitness record, or prognosis of mental health for use by outside entities. However, the letter may be helpful to you if you choose to seek an independent evaluation from a qualified examiner.

If a student needs an assessment that is outside SCC’s scope of services, SCC is available to assist with outside referral to a qualified outside provider.

Final documentation will be released by fax, regular U.S. mail, or arrangements can be made for documents to be picked up at the center. SCC requires advanced noticed of 10 business days beginning from the date the student signs the SCC Release of Information Form.

Who to Contact

• Your health care provider at the Counseling Center — 410-328-8404
• Executive Director, Counseling Center — 410-328-8404 or eptr001@umaryland.edu 
• Clinical Director, Counseling Center — 410-328-8404 or jsilverman@umaryland.edu
• Assistant Vice President for Academic and Student Affairs — 410-706-5433 or palvarez@umaryland.edu
• Ethicspoint Hotline — https://secure.ethicspoint.com/domain/media/en/gui/28588/index.html

When presenting your issue ...

Please be ready to share the following information when you contact us:

• The nature of your complaint.
• The name(s) of the person(s) involved.
• The date on which the problem occurred.
• Your ideas about how you would like us to help.

Our investigation will include: 

• Talking with you so that we know your concerns.
• Contacting and talking with the person(s) named in your complaint.
• Reviewing all appropriate documents, including your counseling record, if necessary.
• Collaborating with you on a possible resolution, as appropriate.

What to expect from the process:
Your counselor or someone else from the Counseling Center will contact you, review your complaint, and make every effort to resolve your concerns at that time. We make every effort to resolve issues within 30 days, but that might not always be possible. 

A written communication will be sent to you with the resolution of your complaint.