Information for Parents

 

College is a time when students find out more about themselves as people, and learn how to navigate the larger world, acquire the skills to become independent adults. the Counseling Center' role is to promote, encourage and enhance these kinds of growth opportunities for students.

 

Some students struggle when they face the inevitable challenges of life. Many students find it helpful, regardless of the source of their difficulties, to have someone who can help them during those tough times. That's when counseling can be valuable. the Counseling Center offers a non-judgmental, confidential place for students to sort out problems and come up with solutions. Since the focus is on developing better problem-solving skills, counselors help students understand their difficulties and devise strategies that will help them achieve their goals. It's up to the student to put those into practice, and work toward improving their approaches to situations.
We know that you want your student to grow emotionally, socially, intellectually, physically, and spiritually (the “Five Dimensions of Wellness”) while in college. We consider these five dimensions in our approach with students, and offer a variety of services to encourage growth and development. These include:

 

Academic skills development.

Many students come to college needing to strengthen their general academic skills, such as time management, note taking, reading textbooks, and test taking. Some can't do as well as they'd like because anxiety interferes with their performance on tests or classroom presentations. Counseling staff members are experienced in helping students understand the source of the problem, and coming up with more effective approaches in the classroom.

 

Career planning.

At Mines, we know that about half of incoming students have not clearly decided their academic major. Another 20-25%  realize that their initial choice isn't a good fit for them. In the Counseling Center, we offer interest and personality inventories to help students learn about their personality type, interests, skills, and values. We work closely with the Mines Career Center, which helps students to find out about various career options that might be of interest and continue to evaluate their career development throughout their lives.

 

Personal counseling.

Some students feel that their coping strategies are often challenged by the academic rigor at CSM, others arrive with anxiety or a depressive disorder, or other issues that they need help to manage or resolve. Still others find that relationships can sometimes be difficult, or that they want to develop their interpersonal skills. Counselors are here to help students learn how to resolve issues and develop their skills for personal and academic growth.

 

Consultation and Referral.

the Counseling Center staff members regularly consult with faculty, staff, parents, friends, and others who have concerns about students. While legal and ethical requirements prevent us from revealing information shared during counseling, we can discuss how we typically handle various situations. If you have concerns about your student, we're happy to talk with you about those and suggest options. We also make referrals to off-campus providers when that would best serve the student's needs. For example, we routinely refer students whose primary issues are Substance Abuse or Eating Disorders to off-campus providers, because treatment for these issues tends to be long term and highly specialized.  Students are responsible for arranging to see off-campus providers and paying for those services.  CSM operates a small PPO that extends the mental health coverage of students participating in the school’s Student Health Insurance Plan (SHIP). More information about our Special CSM the Counseling Center Referral Benefit can be found in the Benefit Plan Brochure http://healthcenter.mines.edu/Insurance-Information. 

 

Emergencies.

If we are notified that a student is potentially at risk to self or others, we will complete an emergency assessment as soon as possible. The counselors at Student Development Services are under ethical and legal obligations not to release confidential information. We cannot confirm or deny that the student is receiving counseling services. Counselors adhere strictly to confidentiality laws for their profession and can only release information with the student's written permission. One exception, in the case of danger to self or others, involves breaking confidentiality of the student without permission so that the student or others are protected.


If you believe that your student could benefit from counseling, encourage him or her to contact the Counseling Center at 303-273-3377. No appointments can be made for a student by a third party without the student directly requesting an appointment. We're happy to find a time when s/he could meet individually with a counselor and come up with a plan to address concerns.