Hobart and William Smith Colleges

RESOURCES FOR FAMILIES

The Counseling Center provides free, confidential services for HWS students, including individual and group counseling; emergency psychological services; and psycho- educational outreach programming for a variety of reasons, including:

Students seek counseling for a variety of reasons, including:

• relationship concerns
• difficulties with roommates
• loneliness
• isolation and emotional difficulties including depression and anxiety
• eating problems
• identity issues

For more information, refer to The College Student Mental Health Guide for Parents and their families.

The Counseling Center does provide consultations to parents concerned about their students. Such consultations can focus on a range of issues, including how to assist a student experiencing a difficult situation, how to refer a student to the Center or how to locate appropriate mental health treatment for student. To secure a consultation, call the Counseling Center at (315) 781-3388 and ask to speak with a counselor.

Confidentiality for Parents and Caregivers

Confidentiality is an essential part of any counseling relationship. The Counseling Center staff adhere to the ethical standards of their respective professions and to state and federal laws relating to confidentiality. These standards and laws prevent us from speaking with concerned parents about their student’s contact with the Center unless we have the student’s written permission. The only exceptions occur when a student is under 17.5 years of age, when we are concerned that a student is clearly and imminently suicidal or homicidal, when we learn of ongoing child abuse, or when we are ordered to release confidential information by a court of law.

Many students prefer to keep their counseling completely private, and such privacy is typically vital for successful counseling. Assuming your student is, however, willing to have one of the counselors discuss their participation in counseling with you, the counselor will then have your student complete and sign the necessary form, and may call you using a conference call so that all concerned can participate in the conversation. Note that, in general, counseling is best served if everything parents must share with their student's counselor is also shared with their student.

Even if your student doesn’t give her or his counselor permission to provide information to you, you may choose to contact a counselor to share your concerns. Such contact may make sense, for example, if you are concerned that your student is in danger. Note, however, that the counselor will not be able to even acknowledge knowing your student, and that the counselor will want to discuss any information you provide with your student.

Please contact the Counseling Center at (315) 781-3388 if you have any questions about our confidentiality standards.

UNDERSTANDING THE TRANSITION TO COLLEGE

It is important to recognize that every child will experience his or her own unique challenges and adjustments, just as every parent will have different expectations for and reaction to their child’s college experience. As a guide to help with these challenges, please refer to The Transition to College Brochure for more information or you can refer to our Parent Handout Guide.

It is also important to be realistic about your children's academic performance, recognizing that not every straight-A student in high school will be a straight-A student in college. Help your children set reasonable academic goals; and encourage them to seek academic assistance when needed. Please refer to Starting the Conversation about Mental Health with your Student.