Faculty FAQ

Counseling FAQ 

For faculty, staff, and administrators. 
Consider these thought from the JED Foundation. 
Two guiding principles form the foundation of JED Campus. First, support for emotional well-being and prevention of suicide and serious substance misuse must be seen as a campus-wide responsibility. No longer can these issues fall solely, or primarily, to the health and counseling centers. While those offices have an important role to play, it is the responsibility of everyone on campus to promote and protect the mental health of the student body.Second, these efforts that promote emotional health, suicide prevention and substance misuse prevention must have support from leaders on campus. It is imperative that senior leadership, including the President and Board of Trustees, not only acknowledge the importance of supporting student mental health and well-being, but make this work a priority and shared value for the entire campus community. 
A student informs me that they have been seeing a counselor. Can I reach out to that counselor to obtain more information? 
Counselors cannot provide any information (or even confirm or deny that they are seeing/ have seen a student) unless the student has signed a release of information specifically designating the type of information to be shared. Counselors may speak to what support they provide to students generally and it is helpful to review our website so that you can familiarize yourself with our department. Invite us to your class or departmental meeting to discuss how we can work together. 
Can I request that a counselor come to a meeting with a student? 
If the student has signed a release of information and requested that the counselor attends a meeting to advocate for the student then it is appropriate for a counselor to attend the meeting as a student advocate. In this role counselors provide emotional support to students and may assist in clarifying communication but do not have supervisory or disciplinary power over participants in the meeting. 
A counselor can still attend the meeting and provide general consultation regarding potential general classroom management strategies and accommodations but the counselor cannot discuss a student or provide information about a student without a specific release. 
A student’s behavior in class is interfering with the learning environment for other students. Can I refer the student for counseling? 
Counselors are able to work with students whose classroom presence is causing a disruption however, counselors cannot perform disciplinary actions and counseling should not be part of a disciplinary consequence. Follow up regarding a student’s participation and progress in counseling will only occur at a student’s explicit request, once a release of information has been signed. A student has the right to refuse to release this information. Please note that this is also a situation where a C.A.R.E. Team report should be submitted. 
A student’s behavior in class is creating a safety hazard for the teacher and the other students in the class. Can I contact a counselor to come handle this situation? 
No. In a situation involving the immediate safety of students and staff/faculty campus security or 911 should be immediately contacted. According to Washington State law, counselors are prevented from practicing outside of their areas of competence. Please note that this is also a situation where a C.A.R.E. Team report should be submitted. 
A student expressed suicidal ideation and/or intent. Should I refer the student to a counselor? 
Yes. Immediately. Our counselors can offer resources and support to assist students with these feelings. Please note that this is also a situation where a C.A.R.E. Team report should be submitted.

 
Important Notes 

Communicating with counselors via electronic communication 
If a faculty member would like to consult with a counselor regarding a student they have concerns about in their class, please do not send an email with student identifiers in the message. Our counselors will not respond. Please send a generic message without identifiers, as email is not a confidential form of communication. 
Referring a student in crisis 
If there is a student in crisis, please contact the front desk of the Counseling Center for immediate response rather than contacting your department counselor directly. Staff will be able to dispatch messages accordingly. If for any reason you are not able to reach our front desk, please walk the student over to the Counseling Center or contact security at 206.934.5442. 
Counseling Center, Room BE 3166 
M – F, 8 a.m. – 4:30 p.m. 
P: 206.934.5407 
E: Counseling.Central@seattlecolleges.edu 
If you are experiencing a mental health emergency/ need immediate assistance outside our working hours/availability and cannot wait until we are open or available, please call 911, the King County Crisis Clinic at 866.427.4747 and/or text the Crisis Text Line by texting HOME to 741741.