A meeting with a
counselor outside
the counseling
center personalizes
the first contact
and mitigates the
discomfort of
telephone triage.
many schools, has developed a telephone triage system for
students seeking counseling. Within 24 hours, a caller requesting services is scheduled for a 15- to 20-minute telephone
screening. The counselor asks questions about previous
mental health treatment, medical problems, eating and body
image concerns, alcohol and other drug use, thoughts of
suicide, and other self-harming behaviors. Appointments are
scheduled based on acuity, and some routine cases may be
referred off campus.
This system has been vital to providing appropriate services
to students in a timely manner. However, some students find
conveying personal information to a stranger on the phone
uncomfortable enough to prevent them from calling. Let’s
Talk and CCI provide a complementary path. For example,
many students express anxiety about speaking on the phone
and prefer to make the first contact in person at Let’s Talk.
A meeting with a counselor outside the counseling center
personalizes the first contact and mitigates the discomfort
of telephone triage.
Cornell’s counseling center also provides psychiatry services,
and students are required to have a counselor of record if they
are receiving psychotropic medication. Let’s Talk and CCI
clients who request or would benefit from medication are
encouraged to seek traditional counseling services. Reluctant
students may be motivated to enter counseling knowing it is a
requirement for receiving medication.
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Integration with Medical Services
Medical services staff also play a key role in reaching those
students who have not accessed counseling but are receiving
routine medical care. Like many health services at colleges
and universities, Cornell’s health service routinely screens
for depression and other mental health concerns. Students
reporting moderate to high levels of depression, anxiety, and
substance use are referred for additional support, either at the
counseling center or, in some instances, with a care manager
who suggests self-management strategies. For students reluctant to accept a referral, medical staff can offer information
on Let’s Talk as an alternative to counseling or an opportunity
to speak with a counselor before agreeing to regular appointments. Students reporting acute environmental stressors,
such as dysfunctional relationships with professors, impending eviction, or limited money for food and clothing, are
connected with CCI counselors for advocacy and to access
resources quickly.
Overcoming Administrative Challenges
Recordkeeping Questions
Consultation and student support create novel administrative
challenges related to recordkeeping. It is difficult to claim that
a service is something other than counseling if the contact
results in a clinical note in a student’s chart. Regardless of
