Orientation to Services | Carruth Center | West Virginia University

Thank you for trusting us to assist you with your personal concerns. The Carruth Center is staffed by social workers, psychologists, counselors, and graduate students-in-training who work collaboratively to address the psychological needs of our students.

Orientation Topics

Starting Services

Our Services

Eligibility

Initial Appointment

Cancelation Policy

Fees

Mandated Counseling

Withdrawals & Letter Requests

Technology and Social Media

Minors

Forms

Emergency Services

Starting Services

We are currently using a hybrid model which consists of both in-person services and telehealth. Together, we will review clinical recommendations, client/counselor preference and evolving public health to determine the appropriate course of action.

To get connected to services, students may choose from these options:

Call the center at 304-293-4431 and request an initial consultation appointment.
Visit our scheduling page to use our online scheduling tool to select an appointment time for an initial consultation appointment.

The Carruth Center offers three additional satellite locations on campus to access counseling services:

BeWell - for HSC undergraduate, graduate and professional students
Athletics - for WVU student-athletes and teams
Law School - for students in the Law School

Our Services

Here is an overview of Carruth's services so you can choose your best option.

	Let's Chat	Consultation Appointments	Urgent/Crisis Clinic	Counseling
Duration	1 meeting	1-3 sessions	1-2 sessions	Ongoing, short-term and time limited
Presentation Type	Informal meeting about a concern that can benefit from immediate problem-solving or time-limited support	More formal consultation about a concern that can benefit from immediate problem-solving or time-limited support that may need a follow up session or two	You are experiencing intense symptoms of depression, grief, anxiety, panic, suicidal ideation and are having trouble managing them in the moment	You want to find effective ways to address symptoms associated with anxiety, depression, loneliness, body image, disordered eating, alcohol and other drugs, etc.
Common Presenting Concerns	Roommate conflict Deciding about dropping a class Need info about the campus Unsure if counseling is a good option, etc.	Recent break up Trying to decide about changing your major Need help managing a conflict, etc.	Suicidal thoughts Recent trauma Big change in your mental health symptoms Grief associated with the death/loss of a family member or friend	You want to address conflict with partners, roommates or family members You want to learn about your depression, anxiety or mood fluctuations You are struggling with adjustment, acculturation, identity issues, etc. You have experienced trauma and/or assault
Type of Treatment	Does not constitute Mental Health Treatment. Not part of your releasable records.	Mental Health Treatment. Part of your releasable records.	Mental Health Urgent/Crisis Support. Part of your releasable records.	Mental Health Treatment. Part of your releasable records.
Documentation Required	No initial paperwork.	Some initial paperwork and initial appointment are required.	Some initial paperwork is needed. No initial appointment needed.	Initial paperwork and initial appointment are required to start treatment.
How to Schedule	Just sign up and talk. Visit the Let's Chat page for more information.	Call the Carruth Center at 304-293-4431 or visit our online scheduling page.	Just stop in to the Carruth Center or call us at 304-293-4431.	Call the Carruth Center at 304-293-4431 or visit our online scheduling page.
Time Commitment	No commitment for treatment. If you need counseling, every effort will be made to refer you to other appropriate resources.	No commitment for more treatment. If you could benefit from a higher level of care, every effort will be made to refer you to appropriate resources.	No commitment for more treatment. If you could benefit from a higher level of care, every effort will be made to refer you to appropriate resources.	Commitment to short term treatment and working on things outside of session in order to improve your situation, symptoms, etc. This could involve workshops, group counseling or individual counseling. If you could benefit from a higher level of care, specialty care or longer term treatment, every effort will be made to refer you to appropriate resources.

Eligibility

Who can use Carruth Center services?

Any main campus (Morgantown) student enrolled in courses for the current semester.

Initial Appointment

Students interested in counseling services will participate in an initial consultation session during their first visit. If your concerns are not urgent and/or you wish to set up regular services, scheduling an appointment will set aside a time for you and reduce your wait time.

Some things to expect during your initial appointment:

You will be asked to arrive 30 minutes early to complete some paperwork and some forms on a iPad
It's a good idea to bring your schedule, your WVU student ID card, and your WVU student ID number with you for your initial appointment.
You will meet, briefly (~30 minutes), with one of our clinical staff
You will have an opportunity to talk about your reasons for visiting and will be asked several questions so the therapist can better understand your needs
You will be provided with information about services/treatment options which include:

Group counseling
Workshops
Brief individual counseling
Relationship counseling
Referral to other services (e.g., therapists in the community, psychiatry)

Your therapist will help you decide what treatment best fits your needs and will discuss follow up care with you.

Cancellation Policy

Regular attendance is an important part of participation in therapy services. If you must miss appointments, keep in mind the following:

It is your responsibility to notify your therapist or the Carruth Center of your need to cancel (please do so 24 hours in advance if possible).
If you fail to cancel your appointment or repeatedly cancel appointments, your therapist may be unable to hold an appointment time for you.
Students who routinely miss and/or cancel appointments may be reassigned to services through our drop in hours.

Fees

Overview of fee information.

Mandated Counseling

Counseling to meet the requirements of alcohol/substance use–related sanctions are available for a fee from our staff in the Student Assistance Program. Other types of judicial, academic program or court mandated counseling are not provided at CCCPS. Read more about mandated referrals.

Withdrawals and Requests for Letters

CCCPS staff do not manage withdrawal requests and cannot provide “medical withdrawals.” Only in rare circumstances, for ongoing clients, are CCCPS staff able to provide letters regarding use of services for various purposes (e.g., financial aid appeals). The decision as to whether to provide a letter and what to include is made by your therapist.

Carruth Center for Counseling and Psychological Services (CCCPS) does not prescribe Emotional Support Animals and will not issue letters of support for ESAs. We will, however, work with students experiencing symptoms of emotional distress or difficulty adjusting to their environment; our professional staff is available to assess and provide treatment .

Read more about our policy about Emotional Support Animals.

Technology and Social Media

For your privacy and care, CCCPS staff do not communicate/interact with students who are clients via Facebook, Twitter, or other social media outlets.

Minors

If you are under age 18, please note the law may provide your parents the right to examine your treatment records. Before giving your parents or legal guardian any information, we will discuss the matter with you, if possible, and do our best to handle any objections you may have with what we are prepared to disclose.