psychiatric services

The specialists at CPS provide psychiatric evaluations and medication management to students in concurrent counseling at CPS who have been deemed appropriate for those services. Students can receive a referral for a psychiatric evaluation from their CPS clinician. Psychiatry team members work in collaboration with their counseling colleagues to provide the most effective overall care for each student client. CPS policy indicates students involved with psychiatric services must be currently receiving treatment from a CPS clinician.

The following are important considerations before a student begins a psychiatric medication:

• The university charges a per-session (including no-shows) fee for psychiatric services. Students must review the fee policy before consenting to see the psychiatric services provider.

• If a student would like to start a medication near the end of the semester and is planning on leaving the Berks County area, it may not be possible for the CPS psychiatric services providers to prescribe that medication. If the student leaves the area, the provider would not be able to provide the appropriate medical follow-up necessary to ensure the medication is working in a safe and effective manner. Initial prescriptions will likely not be written during the last two weeks of classes; however, students can be connected with our referral guide here to find care at their future location.

• If a student is already on medication(s) prescribed by a CPS psychiatric services provider and is planning to be away from campus, CPS providers may continue to prescribe for the student depending on the student’s location, mental health stability, and need for follow-up. Students will need to speak with their prescriber about their care while they are away from Kutztown University.

• Students must inform psychiatric services providers about their substance use before being prescribed medication. Substance use includes the regular use of alcohol, marijuana, vaping any substance, and the use of an illicit or controlled substance. Failure to disclose this information can result in serious consequences to the student’s health.