I begin the referral process by making a safe space in my office for the student to share their distress. My next step is to inform the student that I am limited to academic counseling, and then explain to them the options for outside referrals (North Carolina Community College System Department of Student Development Services, 2008). I give the student the information necessary to contact the agency, then offer to assist them with the initial contact if they wish. Then I instruct the student to come back and visit with me again in a short period of time, depending on the severity of the case.

            Students in severe distress can also receive limited in-house assistance from campus security and our Student Life office. If the student cannot be left alone, these offices can provide a space until the appropriate agencies or authorities arrive. In the most severe of cases, our college calls 911, and ensures the student is safe until emergency services arrives to assist.

            For outside referrals, I utilize the college-maintained list of local organizations which offer intensive out-patient and in-patient mental health services, such as the Betty Hardwick Center or Oceans Behavioral Hospital. We also have a list of local LPCs who work on sliding scale fees if the student needs a less intense intervention. As noted by the ACA code of ethics, counselors provide the appropriate referrals and maintain open communication, but if the client declines the referrals, it is not the duty of the counselor to force the client to follow-up with the referring agency (ACA, 2014).

            FERPA and counseling confidentiality standards must be strictly followed during the referral process (North Carolina Community College System Department of Student Services, 2008). If the client declines a referral or requests that their information not be shared, as a counselor, I must respect that decision. The only action I might take is to contact campus security if I felt there was an imminent threat to another individual on campus, but the exact cause of the client’s distress should still be kept confidential if possible (Cisco College, 2023).

            As an academic counselor, there is currently no guidance from my organization on the number of referrals to provide, but I will try to adhere to the suggestions laid out by the ACA, which suggests “clients should be given a minimum of three referrals for other providers who are located within a reasonable distance” (Natwick, 2017, p. 18). That way, once I become an LPC, I will already be adhering to their best practices.

            I begin the referral process by making a safe space in my office for the student to share their distress. My next step is to inform the student that I am limited to academic counseling, and then explain to them the options for outside referrals (North Carolina Community College System Department of Student Development Services, 2008). I give the student the information necessary to contact the agency, then offer to assist them with the initial contact if they wish. Then I instruct the student to come back and visit with me again in a short period of time, depending on the severity of the case.

            Students in severe distress can also receive limited in-house assistance from campus security and our Student Life office. If the student cannot be left alone, these offices can provide a space until the appropriate agencies or authorities arrive. In the most severe of cases, our college calls 911, and ensures the student is safe until emergency services arrives to assist.

            For outside referrals, I utilize the college-maintained list of local organizations which offer intensive out-patient and in-patient mental health services, such as the Betty Hardwick Center or Oceans Behavioral Hospital. We also have a list of local LPCs who work on sliding scale fees if the student needs a less intense intervention. As noted by the ACA code of ethics, counselors provide the appropriate referrals and maintain open communication, but if the client declines the referrals, it is not the duty of the counselor to force the client to follow-up with the referring agency (ACA, 2014).

            FERPA and counseling confidentiality standards must be strictly followed during the referral process (North Carolina Community College System Department of Student Services, 2008). If the client declines a referral or requests that their information not be shared, as a counselor, I must respect that decision. The only action I might take is to contact campus security if I felt there was an imminent threat to another individual on campus, but the exact cause of the client’s distress should still be kept confidential if possible (Cisco College, 2023).

            As an academic counselor, there is currently no guidance from my organization on the number of referrals to provide, but I will try to adhere to the suggestions laid out by the ACA, which suggests “clients should be given a minimum of three referrals for other providers who are located within a reasonable distance” (Natwick, 2017, p. 18). That way, once I become an LPC, I will already be adhering to their best practices.