Scope of Practice

Eligibility for Services

The Counseling Center provides clinical and outreach services for currently enrolled NDSU students. Other than students participating in the ADHD assessment process, there are no fees affiliated with the use of Center services.

Services Provided

The NDSU Counseling Center is equipped to meet a wide range of needs presented by today’s students. In order to maximize our resources in meeting students’ counseling needs, the Center operates within a short-term or intermittent model of individual treatment. The primary goal of the Center’s clinical services is to provide students with appropriate mental health care and assist with personal development. Clinical services include initial assessments, individual counseling, couples counseling, group counseling, psycho-educational programs, and referral to community resources when appropriate. As space allows, there are no limits for involvement in therapy or support groups, or in workshops and outreach activities.

The Center encourages students to schedule an initial assessment appointment to determine the best response to their needs. The decision about whether or not the needs of the student fall within the scope of practice of the Center will be made after the initial assessment appointment. The professional judgement of the Center’s mental health providers will govern this determination. When a student’s needs require a more intensive level of care than can be provided by the Center, Center staff will help the student transition to resources outside the University.

Students are typically first seen for an initial assessment appointment to determine the most appropriate response to their needs. Determination of whether a student’s concerns fall within the scope of services offered by the center is made following this assessment and is guided by the professional judgement of Counseling Center clinicians.

If a student's concerns are sub-clinical or can be addressed through sub-clinical or less intensive support the student may be:

• Offered Solution Sessions, defined as one-at-a-time, focused meetings designed to support the development of self-initiated wellness plans.
• Referred to campus partners better suited to address their identified needs.
• Referred to the NDSU Community Counseling Clinic as appropriate.

When clinically indicated, a referral for brief ongoing counseling within the Center may be made. Clients may be assigned based on clinical fit and availability to:

• A licensed professional staff member, a graduate trainee supervised by a licensed profession or a psychiatric resident completing a psychotherapy rotation at the center under the supervision of a licensed professional.
• An appropriate therapy group or a psychoeducational workshop.

If it is determined that a client’s treatment needs require longer term care, resources or specialized competencies beyond those available within the Center, or if ongoing services are not currently available due to space, clinicians will assist the client in obtaining a referral to an appropriate external provider or agency, or a referral to case management to identify appropriate external resources.

Situations that may require a transfer of care include:

• A need, or request, to be seen more than once a week for individual therapy.
• A need, or request, for uninterrupted individual services from semester to semester.
• A need, or request, for a treatment modality not provided by Center staff members.
• Lack of motivation or engagement in treatment, as evidenced by:
  • An unwillingness to provide information sufficient for clinical assessment.
  • The inability to identify a treatment goal appropriate for short-term or intermittent therapy.
  • Inconsistent attendance.
  • Poor compliance with treatment recommendations.
• Individual counseling initiated only to earn credit for a class.
• A need, or request, to be seen differently than what Center staff have clinically recommended.
• Comprehensive psychological assessment of any type, including but not limited to:
  • Neuropsychological evaluations.
  • Forensic assessments.
  • Custody evaluations.
  • Assessment and documentation for service or support animals.
  • Fitness-for-duty evaluations.
  • Pre-surgical mental health evaluations.
• Students who are already receiving ongoing therapy with another mental health provider.
• The presence of one or more of the following, such that treatment would consist of mandated treatment, an intensive outpatient program, or a higher level of care:
  • Chronic suicidality and/or recent history of multiple suicide attempts.
  • Severe and chronic self-injury.
  • Court-mandated assessment or treatment requirements.
  • 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.

Please note that the nature and complexity of presenting concerns are considered in making the appropriate treatment recommendation(s). Cases are evaluated individually and the professional judgement of the mental health provider(s) will determine the treatment decision in each particular situation.