Scope of Care
Scope of Care and Model of Therapy
Services through the UAS Counseling Office are guided by the following goals:
Facilitate a tiered counseling service system which ranges from crisis services, referral to community supports, short-term individual counseling, group therapy, wellness activities, and peer connections.
Create and partner with the campus community to serve and support students and focus on improving mental wellness and safety.
Collaborate with community partners to support the mental health of UAS students.
Connect students with peers and a variety of mental health resources to improve mental wellness.
Services provided by our staff counselors are covered by the cost of tuition. The UAS Counseling Office is an outpatient level clinic, but no presenting concern is “too small” or “not bad enough” to be seen in the Counseling Office and some students request single sessions to discuss personal situations in a confidential space. We also connect students with high mental health needs to community providers. Sometimes the best response we can give is to listen compassionately and respectfully, assess, and refer to providers in the community.
In order to serve our community of UAS students (in-person and distance), our services are tiered, goal-directed, structured, and solution focused. We recommend different counseling service options, but students are welcome to utilize Drop-in/Crisis services. Our brief, solution-focused model of counseling ensures access to services and is helpful for quickly identifying concerns and solutions within 6 sessions or less. Students can access up to 6 individual counseling sessions per semester. In this model, sessions 1 and 2 are for establishing goals or what you would like to see change; sessions 3 and 4 are for development of insights and strategies for change; and sessions 5 and 6 are for wrapping up and maintenance. If you or your counselor feel more than 6 sessions are needed, a referral for long-term counseling can be provided.
Students residing outside of the State of Alaska can work with counselors to identify community resources. Counselors cannot provide therapeutic services to students living outside of Alaska due to licensing restrictions.
Care Options
All counseling services start with a 50-minute scheduled or Drop-in/Crisis Care Plan Meeting where you will meet with a counselor to identify and understand your concerns, explore resources that might help, and form an initial plan for services. Care Plan Meetings can be scheduled by calling the Student Resource Center at 907-796-6000 or e-mailing uas.info@alaska.edu. The following treatment possibilities may be recommended after identifying your concerns:
Wellness Activities and Workshops – These supports are helpful for students who are seeking to build skills and would like to make changes in some areas that are not working well for them. Time management, stress management, and relationships skills are examples of topics offered. Please see the Groups and Workshops page for more details and meeting times.
Drop-in/Crisis Services – These counseling services are designed for students who are experiencing a significant mental health crisis or urgent psychological concern. In-person Drop-in/Crisis services are provided at the Counseling Office, The Housing Lodge, and John Pugh Hall. If students who live outside of Juneau and in the State of Alaska would like to talk with a counselor, please call the Student Resource Center (907-796-6000) for options for drop-in/crisis services. Students who utilize Drop-in/Crisis Services have the option to schedule a follow-up session with a counselor, be recommended for a connection with a community provider off-campus, or may be directed to other campus resources (i.e. Dean of Students, Health Clinic, Disability Services). The purpose of the initial Care Plan Meeting, whether it is drop-in/crisis or scheduled, is to assess how the student’s goals for counseling can be supported by UAS Counseling Office services. A referral to a community resource may be recommended.
Individual Counseling Services– Our clinical care plans include brief counseling (requiring 1-3 sessions), short-term individual counseling (up to 6 sessions within a semester), maintenance (for students who only need occasional sessions), and transition of care (for students wanting long-term counseling from a community provider). Students can choose between a 30 or 50 minute session.
Peer Connections – Research suggests that group therapy and peer connections are important and powerful supports for continued wellness. The Counseling Office offers art therapy groups and topic specific groups (i.e. LGBTQ+, depression, anxiety). Please see the Groups and Workshops page for more details and meeting times.