Appointments & Policies

After three no shows and/or cancellations with less than 24 hours notice, a student will be ineligible for services at CAPS for the remainder of the current academic year.

We are always available to provide students with referrals to community providers when they are ineligible for our services for any reason.

Occasionally the caseloads for CAPS clinicians become filled and we are temporarily unable to take on new scheduled individual counseling clients. When this happens, and a student requests a scheduled counseling session, the student will be offered an opportunity to join the waitlist. 

When joining the waitlist, the student will be asked to schedule a time for a short screening phone call, and to provide their name, Student ID #, and phone #. 

The screening phone call is a 10-15 minute call, and an opportunity for a CAPS clinician to discuss with the student what mental health concerns they are having and to make a plan for the student's care. As these conversations include discussion of the personal concerns of the student they should be taken in private. 

When a student is contacted from the waitlist for an available appointment, they will receive a phone call, followed by an email if there was no answer. The student will have 24-hours after the email is sent to respond, otherwise the appointment will be offered to the next student on the list. If a student does not respond within 24-hours they will remain on the list and be contacted for the next available appointment. However, after being offered a second appointment and providing no response a student will be removed from the waitlist. 

Enrolled Students

Seattle University students are eligible for clinical services while they are currently enrolled and taking classes. This includes summer quarter, for which students need to be enrolled in and taking classes to be eligible for CAPS clinical services during that time.

Undergraduate, graduate, and law students whose primary relationship with the University is as a student (not an employee) are eligible. Incoming freshmen are eligible to make an appointment starting two weeks prior to the first class day, and can be seen for their first session once classes have begun. 

Services are free of charge.

Employees

University employees who are part-time students are not eligible for clinical services since the University provides health insurance as part of the employee benefits package.   Employees may seek services through the university Employee Assistance Program. 

Confidentiality

State law and professional standards require that we maintain patient records, as do other health practitioners. Patient records are kept within CAPS' secure data system and records room; these are not part of your educational records or part of any University data system.

All patient information is confidential, including the fact that you are participating in therapy at CAPS. This means that under ordinary circumstances, no protected information will be revealed to anyone outside of CAPS without your written permission.

Consistent with the law and professional ethics, there are emergency and other special circumstances when CAPS and/or your therapist may be required to disclose information, including:

• State law requires licensed health professionals to report suspicion or knowledge of abuse, neglect and/or exploitation of children (under 18 years) and vulnerable adults.
• If you become a danger to yourself or another person, CAPS may need to take steps to decrease the danger and prevent harm, including the disclosure of confidential information; if you are a threat to an identifiable victim, we may be required to notify the police and the person at risk of harm.
• If a court orders CAPS to reveal confidential patient information.
• If a student who is gravely disabled due to mental illness/disability or dangerous to self or others, refuses voluntary treatment, information may be released to a County-Designated Mental Health Professional and hospital emergency room personnel.
• If your therapist is your primary health provider and you disclose that you are HIV positive, either you or your therapist must disclose the identities of any IV drug-using/sexual partners to the state Department of Health.

To protect your records at CAPS and your other health records, we recommend that you carefully read any releases or authorization forms that you are asked to sign while applying for employment, for participation in service programs, and for health and life insurance.

Applications for federal jobs requiring security clearance, for postal service positions and for some other federal agencies, may include a comprehensive authorization to release information, including disclosure of your mental health records.

Service programs such as the Peace Corp may ask you to sign an authorization for release of medical and mental health records before you are accepted into the program. Law students should note that in some states the application to take the bar exam asks about treatment for psychiatric and psychological conditions. In a few states, medical boards request this information as well.

On occasion, your therapist may consult with other professionals within CAPS in order to provide the best possible care.

Student Termination of Therapy Services

All counseling services are voluntary; you have the right to choose to leave therapy at any time.

CAPS Office Termination of Therapy Services

CAPS reserves the right to immediately and unilaterally terminate from services any student who behaves in a violent, threatening, or harassing manner toward CAPS staff or any other person in our offices. Such behavior may also be reported to university officials and law enforcement.

If you are refused CAPS services based on such behavior, we will offer you referrals to other sources of care but cannot guarantee they will accept you for therapy.

Conflict of Interest Disclaimer 

Occasionally actual or potential conflicts of interest may arise. If we become aware of a conflict of interest in providing treatment to you, we may be required to refer you to another provider within CAPS, or to terminate services and refer you to a provider off-campus.