Counseling and Psychological Services continues to provide services during pandemic
Ohio University’s Counseling and Psychological Services remains available to provide professional mental health services via telehealth for OHIO students, whether on campus or away, if they live in the state of Ohio.
State licensing restrictions do not permit CPS staff from providing services to students who live outside the state. A licensed mental health clinician can only provide services to a client if they are licensed in the state where the client resides, during the time when the service is provided.
This is true for all mental health clinicians across the nation. This is an issue that is faced by all other university counseling centers across the nation. CPS clinicians are licensed to provide services to those who reside in Ohio.
When the pandemic started back in March and when the University moved to remote learning, CPS continued to provide support as best it could, including to those who were out of state within the guidelines that were allowed for emergency situations, and worked with those students to connect them to providers in their local communities.
“This is an issue faced by all states. There are efforts underway to pass laws at the federal level to allow mental health professionals to practice across state lines,” CPS Director Paul Castelino said. “Currently, we continue to provide phone consultation to students who are residing out of state to help them connect with services in their local communities.”
Student who are not in Ohio can also access a number of our psychoeducational and support services. CPS has two online workshops (https://www.ohio.edu/student-affairs/counseling/workshops): Anxiety Toolbox, for those looking for tools to better manage anxiety, and Getting Unstuck, for those interested in managing symptoms of depression. Coping Clinic (https://www.ohio.edu/student-affairs/counseling/coping-clinic) is another resource that will be starting in a few weeks to provide some information and support to those coping with any number of stressors including school, isolation, uncertainty, as well as the impact of COVID on being a student.
Students who live in Ohio can call CPS at 740-593-1616 for crisis management, consultation and referral services, individual and group therapy, psychiatric services, and more. CPS counselors are available to provide drop-in phone conversations between 9:45 a.m. and 3:15 p.m. Monday through Friday to discuss concerns. Click here for more information on CPS’ services during the COVID-19 pandemic.