Student Counseling Service

Office Hours for Administrative Assistant
Monday thru Friday 8:00am - 4:00pm
Phone: 508.856.3220   Fax: 508-856.3036
E-mail: Student Counseling Services

What is SCS?
Location/Scheduling
What Is Drop-in Clinic?
Mental Health Emergencies
Staff
Links

THE STUDENT COUNSELING SERVICE (SCS) provides counseling, psychotherapy, assistance with stress management, and educational programs on emotional well being for graduate, medical, and nursing students. People come to the Student Counseling Service seeking personal growth and greater self-understanding, as well as healthier psychological functioning. Many students using the service are people who want to cope more effectively with difficult or stressful academic situations, while others seek counseling to deal with broader life issues. Some students come because of more serious, troublesome, and/or chronic difficulties in their lives.

Students are seen individually or in couples' therapy with their partners. While short-term counseling is most common, it is possible, when time permits, for students to be seen for an extended period. The costs of these services are covered by the prepaid Student Health Plan fee; there is no additional charge to students using the Student Counseling Service.  Students are generally seen Monday through Thursday.  Day and evening appointments are available.

The Student Counseling Service maintains strict standards of privacy and confidentiality. Counseling records are kept separately from students' general medical records. No information about a student's contact with the service or information obtained in counseling is released to anyone outside the counseling service staff, including school or hospital administration, faculty, family, or other students, without the knowledge and written consent of the student, unless required by law or in the rare instance of an emergency situation involving someone's safety.

back to top

LOCATION/SCHEDULING

The Student Counseling Service is located on the first floor of the Medical School Clinical Science Wing in room S1-843. 

To schedule an appointment with a clinician on the Student Counseling Service, please call: 508.856.3220 or E-mail:  Student Counseling Services or Charlene.Paradise@umassmed.edu. 

There will be no clinic hours on the following dates:
November 9, 2009
November 11, 2009
December 24, 2009
December 28, 2009
December 30, 2009
December 31, 2009

back to top

DROP-IN CLINIC

Established patients will be seen by Dr. Rizzi for uncomplicated medication refills or other quick needs. No appointment is necessary, but early arrival is recommended as students will be seen on a first come first serve basis.

Drop-In Clinic is not meant to replace psychotherapy visits, nor should it supplant medication appointments when deeper discussions are needed.

As always, students new to the clinic or any student with a mental health emergency should contact the service directly. More detailed instructions are given below.

We will post any Drop–In Clinic changes to our website; please check the website if you wish to be apprised of such. 

back to top

MENTAL HEALTH EMERGENCIES

If a mental health emergency arises, please try to call our office first. 
Outside Business hours please call the Switchboard Operator at: 508.334.1000
Request that the Director, Dr. Ruthann Rizzi, be paged at: 4261
If Dr. Rizzi cannot be reached, the operator will transfer your call directly to Emergency Mental Health.
(Emergency Mental Health Phone: 508.334.3562)

back to top

STAFF

Ruthann Rizzi, M.D., Director
Alan Brown, M.D.
Paula-Ann Pricken, Ph.D.
Marianne Smith, M.D.
Lewis Wurgaft, Ph.D.
David Finkelstein, MD
Charlene Paradise, Administrative Assistant

 back to top

LINKS

StudentAffairs
STUDENT HEALTH SERVICES

back to top