[Wctcca] Client Diagnosis

[Coates-white, Stephen]

Good morning,

I think one of the possible reasons this practice has been in place is because a diagnosis typically would precede treatment. If you elected to move forward with diagnostic appointments, I think Edmonds would be committing to a therapeutic model where it would be on the hook for the primary mental health medical care and treatment of a student-even if they elect to not enroll in any particular quarter or over the summer between a spring and fall enrollment. Issues of ethical abandonment and coordination of care would be areas of concern and whether counselors at Edmonds have the bandwidth and institutional capacity to take this on. I would definitely make sure admin and potentially your college AG weighs in.

Related to Walla Walla's response, I think defining what constitutes your population also needs to be addressed. Do individuals who enroll in a 1 cr course because they know treatment becomes available to them meet the standard? What about continuing education or 3rd party agencies who offer courses to their program participants by way of Edmonds?

At South, we haven't been wrestling with a diagnosis and treatment paradigm per se, but we are evaluating the potential of using more screening tools. For instance, students on academic probation may come in with procrastination as the presenting issue, when, in fact, it could be undiagnosed ADHD. We can screen for that and provide referral options for treatment. This doesn't preclude us from addressing the ongoing issues that impact their educational endeavors, bringing mindfulness and incorporating methods for academic success. But I would be very clear with the student that I am not treating the condition.

My two cents...


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Stephen Coates-White, Counselor
South Seattle College
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Seattle, WA 98106-1499
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Email: stephen.coates-white at seattlecolleges.edu<mailto:stephen.coates-white at seattlecolleges.edu>



From: WCTCCA <wctcca-bounces at lists.ctc.edu> On Behalf Of Kendra Thew via WCTCCA
Sent: Thursday, January 19, 2023 2:03 PM
To: wctcca at lists.ctc.edu
Cc: Jessica Burwell <jessica.e.burwell at edmonds.edu>
Subject: [Wctcca] Client Diagnosis

Hello Folks!

For many years (longer than any of us have been working here) at Edmonds College there has been a policy that we cannot diagnose mental health disorders for our clients. We have been interested in changing this policy and are doing our best to get clear answers about this from our division and college legal. However, we were wondering how other college counseling centers in our state approach this? Do you diagnose at your center? Why or why not?

Any information is much appreciated!

Kendra

--
Kendra Thew, Ph.D., LMHC
Licensed Psychologist
Edmonds College
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