Counseling Services: Mission and Access
Mission
The mission of Counseling Services is to meet the developmental and emotional needs of students, faculty, and staff, as well as the needs of students with disabilities, within a Christian community. This will be done while complementing the mission of the Student Affairs Division to accomplish the University Mission.
Counseling Services will provide a comprehensive guidance and counseling program to assist students to define and accomplish personal and academic goals. This program includes:
- Regularly providing short term, goal oriented, individual as well as group counseling on an as needed basis for students, faculty, and staff with a variety of issues.
- Consulting with faculty, staff, and parents regarding the developmental needs of students.
- Referring students with serious problems to specialists or special programs.
- Conducting guidance workshops and training on topics central to student growth and development.
- Responding promptly to crisis situations involving the Samford University community.
- Serving as a resource on issues critical to emotional well being and developmental growth.
- Providing limited psychological testing to aid in counseling and referrals.
- Participating in the planning and implementation of programs that facilitate the effective operation of Samford University.
Counseling Services will work with students, faculty, and staff to provide equal access to all institutional programs and services for qualified students with disabilities by:
- Determining appropriate accommodations on a case-by-case basis.
- Working with faculty and staff as well as on our own to see that reasonable accommodations are provided in a timely manner.
- Advocating between the University and people with disabilities.
- Encouraging people with disabilities to advocate for themselves.
Access
- Students and residents are introduced to Counseling Services through various routes. Presentations are made during orientation of each new group of freshmen and their parents. Presentations are also made through Horizons and other academic classes, meetings of organizations, new faculty workshops, etc. These presentations include basic information about Counseling Services, such as location, services available, and description of the counseling staff. A number of clients are self-referred on the basis of information given during these presentations.
- Faculty and staff are reminded periodically of the Center's services. A professor, faculty advisor, or staff often refers students. However, the student comes to Counseling Services voluntarily and is not required to participate in counseling. At times, a student enters an agreement with faculty or staff to attend counseling or counseling may be required as a result of a Values Violation. The student still has the choice as to whether or not to attend. If the student does attend, the faculty or staff member will be notified that the client did or did not keep the appointment, but no further details of what is discussed are related. Most clients seek services on their own or are referred by peers who have found our services useful.