Mount Aloysius College is committed to providing a variety of services to improve our students’ overall wellness.
Our Licensed Counselors offers a broad range of confidential services that address the psychological, educational, developmental, and social needs of our students. Our counselors will help students learn better ways to cope with their stressors and establish goals that will enhance their overall academic and personal experience.
Any full or part-time undergraduate and graduate students currently enrolled at Mount Aloysius College may use our services. Services are
- free
- voluntary, and
- confidential.
Hours
Normal business hours: 8:30 a.m. – 5 p.m.
Walk-ins are welcome, but appointments are highly recommended.
Make an Appointment
See the FAQ on this page or click the button below.
After hours emergency, call:
- Campus Security
(814) 886-6327 - Cambria County Crisis 24/7
1-877-268-9463
Suicide Hotline
The Lifeline provides 24/7, free and confidential support for people in distress, prevention and crisis resources for you or your loved ones.
National Domestic Violence Hotline
Women’s Help Center
Counseling Services
Students can meet with a counselor to discuss any personal concerns they are experiencing. The goal is to help students learn to cope with their stressors so they can focus on their academics and function more effectively and independently in their personal lives. Brief counseling is utilized and outside referrals will be made for longer term counseling needs.
Students may find group counseling to be very beneficial. Students meet with the counselor and their peers in a confidential group setting to discuss similar concerns and receive feedback. If you have an idea for a beneficial group, please let us know!
Groups Offered:
- Coping With Loss Group – Bereavement Support Group
- Check back for future groups!
If a student requires additional services, the counselor will make referrals to help him/her to connect with community agencies.
In the event of after hour emergencies pertaining to issues of mental health, we utilize an on-call rotation system to respond quickly and directly to concerns.
Mount Aloysius Counseling Services Handbook for Distressed Students
FERPA /HIPAA
There are times when parents call the College and request information from various offices about their student. They might want to ask about grades, whether or not their student is attending classes, or whether their son or daughter has scheduled an appointment with Counseling Services. Even though parents may be making substantial financial contributions to their student’s college education, information cannot be provided to them. Since college students are fully emancipated adults, they are entitled to their right to privacy. It is against the law for our office to give out information to anyone without that student’s written permission. The Family Educational Right and Privacy Act (FERPA) protect the privacy of student records. The Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) protects the confidentiality of health information, including mental health. The College cannot simply disclose information unless the student consents to such disclosure. The best idea is for parents to seek the information they want directly from their son or daughter. The counselors at Mount Aloysius College are not permitted to disclose any information about a student. In fact, they cannot even acknowledge whether or not they have met with any particular student because that would violate their right to privacy. However, the counselors are very willing to listen to information you believe to be important about your student. Please know that without a Consent to the Release of Confidential Information form signed by your student, it will necessarily be a one-sided conversation. Talk openly to your son or daughter about this kind of situation, and they might be willing to allow communication between you and the counselor.
You want your student to receive counseling?
It is not unusual for parents to contact the Counseling Department and express concern about the emotional well-being of their son or daughter. We recommend that they talk to their student and encourage them to contact our office to schedule an appointment. The student should take responsibility to call our office to schedule the appointment. Some students may not be aware of the on-campus counseling services available to them, so parents can be helpful in informing them of our services and encouraging them to schedule an appointment. Parents can also reassure their student that there are no fees charged for our services. There are circumstances when a student refuses parental requests to schedule an appointment for counseling. If they do not want to meet with our college counselors, we can suggest appropriate community mental health resources. If the student simply refuses the parental request that they seek counseling, there is little recourse. We can make a final effort by contacting the student ourselves; explaining that their parents have asked us to do so, and sometimes they may schedule the appointment.
Limits of confidentiality in counseling setting
Confidentiality and privileged communication remain the rights of all clients of professional counselors according to law. However, there are limits to such communication, some of which are mandated by state law. It is very important that you and those seeking counseling carefully read and understand the following limits of confidentiality.
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- Duty to Warn- Client makes threat against self or others.
- Child Abuse- Pennsylvania state law mandates the reporting of incidence of suspected incidence of child abuse including physical abuse, sexual abuse, unlawful sexual intercourse, neglect, emotional and psychological abuse. All actual or suspected acts of child abuse will need to be reported to the appropriate agencies.
- Court Ordered- Counselor is subpoenaed to testify or disclose records by the court.
Explore the links below or visit our Military Affairs page to contact an advisor! MAC is a Military Friendly College.
PTSD (Posttraumatic Stress Disorder)
- Article: “Quarantine is a Mood”
- National Suicide Prevention Lifeline
- Crisis Text Line
- Veterans Crisis Line
- National Institute of Mental Health: Suicide Prevention
- CDC: Suicide Prevention
- Article: “13 Reasons Why to Live”
- Article: “100 Reasons to Keep Living”
- Article: “25 Uplifting Quotes”
- Video: #ThatsNotLove Campaign
- One Love
- Meet our new Counselor!
FAQs
When should you seek counseling?
The goal of counseling is to help you work through any personal concerns that may occur during the course of your college life. Speaking with our licensed Counselor is a good way to get help and support if you’re dealing with a stressful situation, especially if it’s something that you might not feel comfortable talking through with friends or family. It can also be a good resource if you’re worried about a friend and want advice from an experienced professional about how you can best be helpful. If you are experiencing any of the following concerns, then please make an appointment. Please note this list is not all-inclusive.
How do I make an appointment?
- Stop by St. Joseph’s – Room 101
- Call (814) 886-6515 or (814) 886-6336
- Email counseling@mtaloy.edu
- Fill out the form below.
*Confidentiality Notice: All counseling and disability sessions are confidential and covered by HIPAA. By submitting this form, you acknowledge that this appointment request does not fall under HIPPA until a clinician/client relationship is established. If you prefer to schedule an appointment by phone, please call the Secretary for Counseling & Disability Services at (814) 886-6515.
What would an appointment be like?
Students sit down with a counselor to survey the situation and decide together where the problem lies and what is needed. The counselor will listen and prompt you to clarify your own thinking, rather than deciding for you or giving advice. The counselor will make suggestions and recommendations about what course of therapy might be most helpful.
How often are appointments? How long do they last?
Ordinarily, students will see a counselor for a 30 to 45 minute appointment. The frequency of appointments, (e.g. once per week, bi-weekly) will be based on what might be the most practical and helpful way to address the student’s individual needs.
How long can I continue counseling?
Most students find that they have reached some helpful clarity with six sessions. It is certainly possible to return if the problem reoccurs or if another problem presents itself. Counselor Services can also help students with referrals for longer-term counseling with private therapists in the area.
Will Counseling Services tell anyone else that I have used their services?
Counseling Services is a confidential resource; a counselor would only talk with a professor or parent if a student makes a formal written request, or there were an imminent risk of serious injury or violence. No other campus has knowledge of a student’s visits to Counseling Services without his or her explicit permission. Counseling Services records are destroyed 7 years after graduation.
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