Student Handbook

11th Floor Safe Zone The office of Student Affairs offers a supportive, friendly safe zone with strict privacy. Regarding any issues you may be experiencing--school-related or not--you can make appointments to speak with: Gui Albieri: galbieri@sunyopt.edu

Jackie Martinez: jmartines@sunyopt.edu Christian Alberto: calberto@sunyopt.edu **Walk-ins are also welcome!

Clinical Mental Health Counseling and Wellness Services The Counseling and Wellness Service is part of the Student Affairs Office as well as the Center for Teaching and Learning and is intended to support students in need through direct confidential individual therapy, crisis intervention, postvention, staff training, large-scale campus programs, and advocacy. The aim of counseling services is to provide both remedial and preventive services that include education at the institutional level, for students as well as faculty and staff. Counseling will also provide referral to community resources for psychiatry and ongoing mental health services to current students who request such support as well as to graduating students. Counseling will provide consultation for faculty and staff related to students they are concerned about, the topic of mental health, and how to manage mental health concerns as they occur in the classroom setting. It is our aim to promote early intervention, reduction in stigma, and most importantly, direct support to our students to help reduce the impact of mental health challenges, elevating resiliency, and minimizing the interruption of academic goals. All information shared with our counselor is strictly confidential and cannot be shared with another person without the student's consent with rare exceptions that are reviewed in our consent forms. The primary focus of the Student Counseling Service is to help students deal with academically related stress as well as with any other personal concerns that can interfere with their performance in school. Some of these issues include anxiety and fear, depression, low self esteem, interpersonal problems, and habit control problems (e.g. overeating, alcohol and other drug abuse). It is common for those engaged in graduate studies to experience the need for support, feedback, and guidance in managing the burdens of academic goals, coping with stress, and in creating and maintaining meaningful relationships in their lives. We know that seeking support of any kind can often be a challenge, and we encourage you to contact the Counseling and Wellness Service if you have any questions, would like to discuss if counseling is right for you, or to set up an initial meeting by emailing MentalHealth@sunyopt.edu.

To accommodate the varied needs of students, we provide the following services:

• Initial evaluation and screening: The first few sessions are devoted to assessing the nature of your concerns and to determining the best method of addressing them.

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