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Chapter 12. Counseling and Mental Health Center

Subchapter 12–100. General Provisions

Sec. 12–101. Purpose

The purpose of the Counseling and Mental Health Center (CMHC or center) is to assess the needs of students with mental health concerns and connect them to the most appropriate CMHC or community resource. The CMHC provides crisis intervention, individual counseling, group counseling and psychiatric services and medication, if indicated. Prevention and mental health promotion initiatives help students maintain or improve their mental health, so they can maximize their academic and college experience.   

Sec. 12–102. Definitions

In this chapter, unless the context requires a different meaning, the following definitions apply.

  1. “Director” means the director of the Counseling and Mental Health Center.
  2. “Services” means services provided by the Counseling and Mental Health Center.
  3. “University” means The University of Texas at Austin.
  4. “Student” means a person enrolled at the University or a person accepted for admission or readmission to the University while that person is on the campus and is eligible for services.

Subchapter 12–200. Administration

Sec. 12–201. Duties of the Director
  1. The director will:
    1. maintain and administer programs and services so they relate meaningfully to the mental health needs of the student body and the consultation or training needs of faculty and staff;
    2. appoint assistants and coordinators for various phases of program planning, administration and development; and,
    3. designate specific staff members to perform assigned duties in the absence of the director.
  2. The director is responsible for the mission and services of the CMHC and is administratively responsible to and reports regularly to the vice president for student affairs.
Sec. 12–202. Duties of the Associate and Assistant Directors
  1. The associate and assistant directors are responsible for the duties assigned by the director.
  2. During the director’s absence, the associate or assistant directors, as designated, will assume the duties of the director.

Subchapter 12–300. Services Provided

Sec. 12–301. Services Provided to Students

The services provide general and specific functions which include:

  1. brief assessment and referral to determine which CMHC or community resources are most appropriate for the needs of the student;
  2. individual counseling;
  3. group counseling, classes, programs and workshops;
  4. psychiatric evaluation and medication services;
  5. crisis intervention, triage and 24/7 CMHC crisis line;
  6. integrated health in collaboration with University Health Services;
  7. counselors in academic residence (CARE);
  8. diversity counseling and outreach specialist (DCOS) program
  9. mental health consultation, prevention and outreach services;
  10. stress management and biofeedback resources;
  11. traumatic events responses; and,
  12. internships, practicum and residency programs for graduate-level, professional and medical students.
Sec. 12–302. Services Provided to the University

CMHC provides mental health consultation services to faculty, staff and administrators regarding student mental health concerns. CMHC also responds to traumatic events impacting the campus and provides consultation to students, faculty, staff and administrators about coping with these events. The center provides prevention, mental health promotion, outreach and education to students, faculty and staff regarding suicide prevention, interpersonal violence, resilience, well-being in the classroom and other mental health and wellness topics. CMHC is also a training facility for university professional and graduate students in counseling psychology, clinical psychology, social work, pharmacy, medical school and nursing.

Subchapter 12–400. Counseling and Mental Health Center Records

Sec. 12–401. Confidentiality of Records
  1. Confidentiality of CMHC records is governed by the laws of the State of Texas and applicable federal law. A notice of CMHC privacy practices is available at http://cmhc.utexas.edu/ppn.html. 
  2. With certain exceptions, a student is entitled to review or have access to the content of his or her confidential CMHC records.

Subchapter 12–500. Fees, Payment for Services, Eligibility for Counseling and Mental Health Center Services

Sec. 12–501. Fees

CMHC is funded by student tuition, charges to student clients and grants and private contributions. Services are currently provided at no charge to students, except for psychiatric services.  For more information about CMHC charges and payments go to http://www.cmhc.utexas.edu/charges.html. 

Sec. 12–502. Payment for Services

Any student who incurs charges for CMHC services must pay the charges owed. When necessary, CMHC will assist students in making arrangements for payment.

Sec. 12–503. Eligibility for Counseling and Mental Health Center Services

An individual may use CMHC if: 

  1. the person is a currently registered student at the University;
  2. the person is a student who is covered by the Vice President for Student Affairs Inter-agency Agreements such as the University of Texas Medical Branch-Galveston and the University of Texas Health Science Center;
  3. the person has paid the CMHC service extension fee and was registered during the semester immediately preceding the semester when services are requested (excluding University students who have graduated or withdrawn from the University before the twelfth class day of the current semester);
  4. the person has been admitted to the University, has paid the CMHC service extension fee, and will enroll the semester following the time services are requested;
  5. the person has paid the CMHC service extension fee and is a visiting scholar/researcher who is not officially registered for classes at the University, a post-doctoral fellow or a person enrolled in the English as a Second Language Program;
  6. the person has withdrawn from the University but was enrolled after the twelfth class day of the current semester;
  7. the person is attending a New Student Orientation session, but is not registered for the current semester, and requires CMHC crisis services;
  8. the person is admitted to the University, but is not registered for the current semester, and requires CMHC Brief Assessment and Referral (BART) services;  or
  9. the person meets one of the criteria above (a-h), is age 12-17 and is able either to consent to their own treatment according to the State of Texas statute or has appropriate written consent from a parent or guardian.