Below is a copy of the form each client receives and signs prior to their first appointment.

OAKLAND UNIVERSITY COUNSELING CENTER INFORMED CONSENT INFORMATION

The Counseling Center provides personal, career, and diagnostic counseling/assessment for students, faculty, staff, and the general public. Please sign in at the reception window prior to each appointment.

CONFIDENTIALITY:
Counseling is confidential. Information obtained during counseling sessions will not be disclosed to any outside persons or agencies without your written permission, except when required by law (e.g., where there is reasonable suspicion of abuse of children or elderly persons, where the client presents a serious danger of violence to another, or where the client is likely to harm him/herself unless protective measures are taken). As part of the counseling process, your counselor may consult with or receive supervision from another member of the professional staff.

If someone referred you to the Counseling Center at the University (e.g., physician, advisor, RA) and they inquire, may we confirm that you did schedule an appointment?



Yes_______ No_______ Does Not Apply_______

INITIAL APPOINTMENT:
At your first appointment with a counselor, the two of you will discuss the issues that lead you to schedule an appointment. The counselor will talk to you about how the Center is best able to provide the kind of help you need. When the Center is unable to provide the type of service you need or request, we will refer you to an appropriate outside agency.

TRAINING/SUPERVISION:
This Center trains graduate students from mental health professions. You may have one as a counselor/therapist. Graduate students are supervised by professional staff. Graduate student therapists may ask your permission to record sessions for confidential supervisory purposes. Taping will only be done with your consent. Neither the Counseling Center nor a specific counselor can guarantee specific results.

RESEARCH:
The Counseling Center collects data for our own internal planning and to educate the University community about the issues facing Oakland's students. All data is present in group form, and to maintain confidentiality, no information about individual students is provided.

SCHEDULING POLICY:
Services at Oakland University's Counseling Center are provided on an appointment basis. Counseling appointments typically last 45 minutes. The appointment usually begins at quarter past the hour. When you request services at the Center, time is reserved on a counselor's schedule for your appointment. Thus, missed or canceled appointments prevent valuable, and limited staff time from being offered to other people in need.

In an effort to insure that the Center is providing services in the effective manner possible, we have established the following policies:

• Please call if you will be late for an appointment
• Please call if you need to cancel or reschedule an appointment. You will be charged for appointments that are missed or canceled with less than 24 hours notice.