Policies

The Kutztown University Counseling Center protects the confidentiality of information shared during sessions. We are ethically committed to confidentiality and FERPA laws. Your visits and the information you share in your counseling sessions are confidential and will only be shared with individuals outside of the KU Counseling Center with your written consent, with the following exceptions:        

• If you are assessed to be a danger to yourself or another person, your counselor may disclose confidential information for the purpose of protecting you or others from harm. This disclosure of confidential information may include notification to other KU personnel, family members, or others. All employees are Pennsylvania mandated reporters.
• Faculty counselors and graduate student trainees work as a treatment team, and may share your information with each other in order to consult about providing appropriate counseling and/or referrals to you.
• Your information will be stored in an electronic health record. We sometimes use email and/or text to communicate regarding student clients, i.e. regarding appointment reminders or missed appointments, letters to professors sent at your request, etc.  Please be aware that email is not a confidential medium.
• If you have been referred to the hospital for a mental health evaluation, we may notify Public Safety & Police Services, emergency transport staff and KU Clinical Services, and/or the Dean of Students Office. We may also consult with these offices regarding student safety, treatment recommendations and follow-up.
• If a counselor has reason to suspect, on the basis of their professional judgment, that a child, elderly, or disabled person is being or has been abused, they are required to report the suspected abuse to appropriate agencies.
• If you are referred by the court or are involved in litigation, the court or your attorney may want information about your treatment. You may wish to consult your attorney about such matters before you become involved in counseling.  The court has the right to order the release of confidential records under certain circumstances.

• Services are available to all undergraduate and graduate enrolled students that have paid the KU Health Center fee. All students may be seen for consultation, referral and crisis intervention, but only those who have paid the Health Center fee are eligible for on going sessions.
• Students who receive current counseling services at KU Counseling Center may not be eligible for concurrent or on going employment or training experiences here.
• We reserves the right to decline or discontinue services if we determine that, based upon clinical judgment, the nature or severity of concerns renders KU Counseling Center inappropriate for your care. This may happen at the time of initial consultation, or during the course of treatment if your symptoms change or worsen. Services may also be declined or terminated due to student non-compliance with treatment recommendations, lack of progress in treatment and/or missed appointments. 
• If we are not able to provide you with counseling services, we will provide you with a referral to a provider off-campus.

We will provide a record or summary to a third party, such as another treating professional providing mental health services. It is important to note that in keeping with the ethical and legal standards of confidentiality, your written permission through a signed Release of Information form is necessary to share any information about your treatment.

Generally, we may issue a treatment summary letter outlining clinical services. If you are requesting an entire record, a signed release is needed.