University of Delaware
Office of Public Relations
UpDate - Vol. 16, No. 24, March 20

          Counseling center receives two positive evaluations
     
     The Center for Counseling and Student Development has
received high marks in two reaccreditation evaluations-one
for its overall counseling program by the International
Association of Counseling Services (IACS) and one for its
predoctoral internship program by the American Psychological
Association (APA)- according to director John Bishop.
     "We are pleased the work of the center has been rated
highly by professional accrediting organizations," Bishop
said.
     The center is the primary mental health service for
students on campus, providing personal, academic and career
counseling. Its goal is to help students with problems, and
all interviews are confidential.
     The IACS board complimented the center on its
leadership, hard working staff, the quality and range of
services, the positive attention to ethical concerns and the
recent addition of psychiatric and health education
services.
     The APA site team visited the campus last May.
     In its just-received report, the center received
"exemplary....truly excellent" ratings in all areas of the
program. The center's predoctoral internship training
program is highly competitive, Bishop said. This year there
were 108 applicants for four slots.
     Interns are involved in individual counseling and see
out-patient clients. They also participate in outreach
programs, teaching and consulting activities, all required
before they become professional psychologists.
     In addition, the interns also supervise students in the
master's of education program in college counseling/student
affairs practice in higher education, coordinated by Bishop
in conjunction with the College of Education. The program
has an enrollment of 20-25 full-time students.
     Counseling services were first established at the
University in 1946, and the center came into being a few
years later, Bishop said.
     Last year, the center served 1,620 students, with 6,330
counseling sessions, and conducted 190 group counseling
sessions for 1,007 participants. A longitudinal study
indicated that approximately 25 percent of all graduating
students have used the center's services, Bishop said.
     The center's Wellspring health education program had
5,200 student contacts, providing educational outreach and
individual health support services.
     The counseling center also sponsors the Student
Services for Athletes program, working with faculty and
staff to help student-athletes balance academics and
athletics.
                                         -Sue Swyers Moncure