Any currently enrolled UNC Charlotte student is eligible for services. During the summer term, eligible students also include those who were enrolled in the previous spring semester and are pre-registered for the coming fall semester.
No. Faculty and staff can seek counseling services through the Employee Assistance Program. Faculty and staff wishing to consult about a student of concern are welcome to contact CAPS to speak with a counselor.
There are no additional fees for CAPS services.
Yes. CAPS policies are guided by professional ethical codes, state, and federal privacy regulations. This means that the information you share with your counselor is confidential. University officials, teachers, parents, law enforcement officials, potential employers, and others have no access to any of your records without your written permission. The only exceptions to this rule of confidentiality are the following:
- If you are clearly likely to do physical harm to yourself or another person in the near future, it is your counselor's duty to take steps to protect your safety and the safety of others.
- If you share information about currently-occurring abuse or neglect of any juvenile or disabled adult, your counselor may be required by state law to report that information to the Department of Social Services.
- If ordered to do so by a judge as part of judicial proceedings.
If you are 18 years of age or older, your parents will not be notified unless you sign a release of information form allowing us to share that information. If you are under 18 years of age, you may attend an initial consultation without parental consent, but would need written consent from your parent/guardian before engaging in any further counseling.
Students are required to complete a release of records form when authorizing a counselor to share information with a third party or release counseling records. We have a number of different forms depending on the party receiving the confidential information. All of these forms can be completed online. Contact our main number at 704-687-0311 if you need to request a release.
Students are asked to fill out paperwork before attending an initial consultation. All paperwork is completed online and front desk staff will email the link to complete the paperwork the morning of the initial appointment. All students engaging in services at CAPS are required to read and sign our Client Consent for Counseling Form. This form explains your rights and responsibilities as a counseling client and informs you of important Center policies and procedures. You are encouraged to ask your counselor any questions you have about this information before discussing the issues you want to address. The Telehealth Consent form is read and signed by all students wishing to speak to a counselor over the phone or video.
We welcome requests related to counselor identity or meeting with a specific counselor, though as each of our counselors has different availability, specific counselors may not have openings to fulfill all requests at any given time. You can make these requests when scheduling an initial consultation, or at the end of an initial consultation if you are being assigned to meet with a counselor for individual counseling.
It depends. In many cases, counselors will recommend a service other than individual counseling at CAPS as the appropriate next step to address student concerns. When students are recommended for brief individual counseling at CAPS, they may meet with their initial consultation counselor if scheduling and availability allows for it. In other instances the initial consultation counselor will refer to another counselor at CAPS.
We recognize the importance of finding a good fit with your counselor. Students are welcome to address those concerns directly with their counselor if they wish, and we invite open conversation about what is working and not working and are happy to make adjustments to ensure a positive experience for our students. If you are not comfortable or would prefer to not have this conversation with your counselor, contact our front desk staff at our main number to request a change of counselor. Typically they will arrange for a brief phone conversation with our Clinical Director to better understand the request and ensure that we can find a good match with a new counselor.
If you have been away from CAPS for a while, you will most likely need to update paperwork and attend a consultation session with a counselor to reassess your needs and make appropriate recommendations for services. If individual counseling is recommended and scheduling allows for it, you will likely have the option to return to work with your previous counselor or can choose to work with a new counselor.
While some providers at CAPS may incorporate assessment measures into their counseling work, CAPS does not provide full assessment for the purpose of diagnosing ADHD or learning disorders. An initial consultation with a provider at CAPS is often an appropriate starting point for determining if further assessment is recommended. CAPS can help direct students to appropriate resources in the community for further assessment.
CAPS staff does not provide assessment or documentation for emotional support animals.
While we recognize that emotional distress and mental health concerns often directly impact academic functioning, CAPS counselors generally do not provide letters recommending specific academic accommodations or excusing class absences. We will provide a letter detailing dates of attendance at CAPS when requested by a client. Students needing absence verification or other support related to medical appointments and personal/family emergencies, should contact Student Assistance and Support Services. Students wishing to seek accommodations related to a physical or mental health-related disability should contact the Office of Disability Services.