Counseling Services
Overview
The mission of Counseling Services at SAIC is to assist students in meeting their emotional, psychological, and mental health needs and to contribute to a campus environment that facilitates the healthy growth and development of students.
The service carries out its mission through several essential roles and functions: counseling and psychotherapy, crisis intervention, consultation, care management, and mental health promotion. Counseling Services is staffed by full-time doctoral-level licensed psychologists, a licensed clinical professional counselor, a mental health promotion specialist/registered art therapist licensed as a professional counselor, postdoctoral fellows in psychology, and part-time psychotherapists from local doctoral psychology programs working under supervision.
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- Anxiety, fears, worries, and nervousness
- Academics, schoolwork, performance
- Depression
- Self-esteem and self-confidence
- Finances
- Concentration
- Uncertain about future, life after college
- Procrastination and getting motivated
- Stress management
- Decisions about career or area of study
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Currently enrolled degree-seeking SAIC students may receive up to 16 sessions of free, confidential, short-term counseling and psychotherapy per degree program. Referrals to off-campus providers are available for open-ended psychotherapy, psychiatric evaluation and medication management, group therapy, intensive treatment programs, and emergency psychiatry services.
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Information about the SAIC-sponsored student health insurance plan designed for SAIC students and their dependents can be found at saic.myahpcare.com. Questions may be directed to Academic Health Plans at 855-844-3023 or saic_studentinsurance@saic.edu.
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Counseling and psychotherapy are confidential. Information communicated to SAIC counselors will not be disclosed to anyone outside Counseling Services without written consent from the client. There are rare exceptions to this policy. These are when, in the judgment of the counselor, disclosure is necessary to protect the patient or someone else from serious harm or when the law requires disclosure.
Schedule an Appointment
To schedule an appointment, call 312.499.4271 or email us at counselingservices@saic.edu. Regular Counseling Services hours are 9:00 a.m.–5:00 p.m. Students will typically meet with a psychotherapist for an intake session within a few days of contacting Counseling Services. Students in crisis will be seen as soon as possible.
Online Services
ThrivingCampus
ThrivingCampus is a free online directory for SAIC Students to connect with off campus mental health clinicians. The service also provides various guides and resources that assist students through the process of securing off-campus mental health care.
If you have questions about how to find a clinician, what type of provider you might want to meet with, and what questions to ask please visit the ThrivingCampus Help Guide.
Togetherall
Togetherall is a safe, anonymous and free, online peer-to-peer community for mental health support.
The entire platform is moderated by registered mental health practitioners 24/7 to ensure:
– The community remains vibrant, supportive and inclusive.
– Risk is identified and escalated to crisis supports as appropriate.
– Students are navigated to resources available in the platform and through their campus.
Telus Health Student Support (THSS)
Telus Health Student Support (THSS) is a free and confidential mental health and wellbeing support service available to you 24/7:
– Real-time chat and phone support available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week (no appointment needed)
– Short-term scheduled support available via phone, video or in-person-where available (call to set up initial appointment)
– Connection with a professional counselor
– Access to virtual fitness sessions, articles, podcasts, and more
– Confidential and at no cost to you
– Telus Health Student Support counselors have experience working with diverse student populations and offer support in five core languages: Mandarin and Cantonese (Simplified Chinese chat), French, Spanish, and English. Additional languages are available upon request.
Mental Health
Counseling Services staff members are available for consultation.
- Consultation topics often include:
- Emotional, psychological, or other health issues affecting academic performance
- Coping with mental health disorders
- Adjustment to major life transitions
- Responding to others’ distressing behavior
- Population-specific topics: international student stress; LGBTQ student needs
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Care management support is provided to students who have been hospitalized due to mental illness and strives to ensure that support needed from family, treatment providers and SAIC is in place. Care management is not counseling or treatment and is not confidential, rather, the students’ medical and personal information is protected by the care manager and considered private.
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Mental health promotion activities offered by Counseling Services emerge out of joint interests of the SAIC community and the Counseling Services staff. Mental Health First Aid (MHFA) training is offered to students, faculty and staff on a regular basis. Students who complete MHFA are invited to become part of the Wellness Center Student Support Network, a group of student leaders who regularly meet with the goals of enhancing natural peer support and implementing initiatives that support student mental health and wellness at SAIC. Additional programming is available on request.
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Most distressed or troubled students who come to Counseling Services do so on their own. Faculty and staff who have frequent contact with students can also identify troubled students and assist them in obtaining appropriate help. Read more about how you can help.
Mental Health Crisis Response
If you or another student are out of control, violent, or immediately a danger to self or others, immediate intervention is needed. Examples of crises are: when a student threatens suicide, homicide, or intends to physically harm self or others.
If You See a Student in Crisis
- Call Campus Security at 312.899.1210 or, if you’re on campus, press the orange emergency button on a house phone.
- When reporting a concern, describe the crisis, report the student's name, and indicate where the student can be found.
- If necessary, Campus Security can take steps to ensure that the student is escorted to the nearest hospital emergency room. Campus Security can also reach an on-call Counseling Services staff member as necessary.
If You Are Experiencing a Crisis
- If you would like to speak to someone outside of normal business hours, please call the Counseling Service After Hours Line at 312.499.4271 (after hours press 1 to speak to a counselor).
- The Northwestern Memorial Hospital Psychiatric Emergency hotline is also available 24-hours a day for consultation and further assistance. This service can be reached at 312.926.8100.
- If you are experiencing a mental health emergency please call 911 or go to your nearest emergency room.
Predoctoral Advanced Externship Training
SAIC Counseling Services offers Predoctoral Advanced Externship training. At SAIC, we are committed to providing excellent training and support for our trainees as they serve the SAIC student body. Our philosophy of training reflects our value in helping pre-professionals develop advanced skills in multiculturalism, ethical provision of services, and professional identity. Our trainees are exposed to Counseling Services' essential roles and functions, including counseling and psychotherapy, crisis intervention, consultation and outreach programming. Detailed information about our program can be viewed below. Please email any questions to: Carly Hodge, Psy.D. Training Director, Counseling Services, chodge4@artic.edu.
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SAIC offers Advanced Practicum Externship opportunities for doctoral psychology students. Our focus is providing brief, integrative psychotherapy to a diverse population of undergraduate and graduate, international and domestic art students. We are committed to providing our clients with ethical and supportive treatment and providing our trainees the tools for success in their work with our student population.
Our value in training is to increase the skillset and confidence of our trainees through a focus in the following areas: brief therapy, intake assessment and triage, consultation, clinical documentation, and crisis intervention. Additionally, we focus on general competencies such as ethical practice, multicultural competence and professional development.
Expectations
Externs are expected to be on-site for 20 hours a week (two full days and one half day) throughout the academic year (late August until the end of May). They will receive two hours of individual supervision (one hour with the Training Director, and one hour with a secondary supervisor) as well as one hour of practicum seminar each week. Typically, Tuesday mornings from 9:00–10:00 a.m. are required for seminar, subject to change. Externs are expected to carry a caseload ranging from 8–12 individual psychotherapy clients. In addition to providing psychotherapy, each extern is expected to conduct intake assessments and provide crisis intervention, clinical consultation, and referrals/recommendations. Externs are also expected to participate in relevant on-site training to enhance their experience.Eligibility
This is considered an Advanced-level Practicum. Interested applicants should be enrolled and be in good standing in a doctoral program in clinical or counseling psychology. Applicants should have already completed at least two years of doctoral level practicum experience (basic/intermediate and diagnostic) and have experience providing psychotherapy. Candidates should also have some prior exposure to or interest in psychodynamic and/or existential-humanistic theories.Apply
The SAIC Counseling Services externship program is not an ACEPT member, but we welcome applications from students whose schools have membership to this organization. We offer interviews on a rolling admission basis until all interview openings are filled. We adhere to ACEPT's timeline regarding Pre-notification and Notification day. When the application process begins at the beginning of February, interested applicants should submit the following materials in one PDF document:- Cover letter describing your experience and interest in our site
- Resume or curriculum vitae
- Transcript from your program (an unofficial transcript is acceptable)
- Two letters of recommendation from mental health professionals who are familiar with your clinical work
Writers can choose to email the letter directly to Dr. Hodge (chodge4@artic.edu) or via the applicant.