Depending on your needs, an appointment with a counselor can be provided as early as the same day you contact us. Although urgent situations are always handled immediately, in most other instances an initial appointment with a counselor always can be scheduled within a week.

This meeting is used to clarify your concerns, identify the best ways to address them, and connect you with the recommended follow-up services as soon as is indicated. The next steps may include (but are not limited to):

• scheduling follow-up appointments,
• referral to one of our groups,
• referral for psychiatric/medication services,
• referral to other campus resources, or
• a specific and trusted referral off campus.

Most of our services are available without a wait and in some cases immediately. The goal of the Counseling Center is to provide a wide variety of emotional health services and to identify the option or combination of options that is best suited for you and your concern. In some instances, your needs may be better met with other resources on campus and/or by connecting you with a resource off campus. In these cases, we will work closely with you to make those connections as quickly as is indicated.

Approximately 1 out of every 10 students at KSC receives services at the Counseling Center making us a highly used resource among students. As a result, there may be times when requests for counseling are so exceptionally high that there may be a wait to be seen for follow-up appointments (regularly scheduled, ongoing meetings) with a counselor. Remember, though, that this doesn't mean that there is a wait to get an initial appointment to speak with a counselor or to receive other supportive services. As stated above, many of our other services are always quickly available.

If after your initial appointment you are referred for regularly scheduled, ongoing meetings with a counselor and if there is a wait for this service, a variety of factors determines how quickly you can begin this form of counseling.

• The urgency of your need and the number of students waiting for this form of counseling will determine how long the wait may be.
• In some instances the need may be so urgent that there will be no wait at all.
• In some instances, it may be several weeks before ongoing, follow-up appointments can be scheduled.

If you prefer to be seen earlier, off-campus referrals that can also effectively address your challenges always can be provided.

If you elect to wait for regularly scheduled, ongoing meetings with a counselor, a counselor will contact you to schedule an appointment when we have an opening that fits your schedule. We encourage you to call us if anything changes for you or if you would like an update about the status of being assigned to a counselor for ongoing meetings.

• We encourage you to call or come to the Counseling Center during our regular business hours (8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.).
• Or, you can attend our daily Crisis Hour from noon to 1 p.m. where a counselor is always available to meet with students experiencing a crisis.
• If it is after our normal business hours or during a weekend, you can call our crisis hotline at (603) 358-2436 where a counselor is available to talk with you over the telephone.