What You Should Know About RIC Counseling Services
For on-campus emergencies, please contact Campus Police at 401-456-8888. For all other emergencies dial 911.
The H.O.P.E. Line
Students in distress can call 401-456-4673 (HOPE) to confidentially speak with licensed clinician. This service is available to students 24 hours a day/7 days a week.
We offer information on how to live a healthy lifestyle and encourage making positive behavior choices. We strive to achieve this mission by:
- Being a resource center for Rhode Island College students to obtain information and services needed to improve and maintain their health
- Advocating, creating and maintaining a community that encourages environmental, physical, social, intellectual, and emotional wellness to support a healthy lifestyle and encourage student success
- Creating and implementing health initiatives aimed to improve individual and community health at Rhode Island College.
- Collaborating with students, faculty and staff, and other organizations on and off campus to encourage and foster health initiatives on campus
- Maintaining cultural competence and expanding the understanding of the links between culture, identity, and social justice as determinants of health
- Offering confidential individual consultation and referrals for students in need
The services at the Counseling Center are FREE to Rhode Island College students. You do not need to provide insurance or payment of any sort. Counseling is covered by your student health fee and tuition, so you and/or your insurance will never be billed.
To schedule an appointment, please call (401) 456-8094 and our office administrator will work with you to find a time that works for you. You can also schedule an appointment on-line through the "Request an Appointment" tab on the Counseling Center home page. Finally, you can also walk in and schedule an appointment in person. We are located in Browne Hall, Suite 100 and open M-F from 8:30 AM to 4:30 PM.
Your first appointment is called a Triage and is usually 45-50 minutes long. Before this initial session you will need to fill out preliminary paperwork, either in person (for in-person appointments) or on-line using the secure client portal (for virtual appointments). During the Triage you will have time to talk about your reasons for seeking counseling and any safety issues that need attention. You and your therapist will decide on the next steps. Some of these options may be: referral to group, referral for an intake for individual therapy, or referral to a community provider. If you and your therapist decide it is appropriate to continue meeting through the Counseling Center, they will schedule your next appointment, an Intake. During the Intake, which is generally 50 minutes long, you and your counselor will talk more about your presenting concerns, discuss your goals for treatment, get a sense of your family history and what major events in your life have impacted you up until this point. The following sessions will be Regular appointments, lasting 45-50 minutes and this time will be spent focusing on what's important for you, while continuing toward your goals for treatment.
All students will be provided with 6-8 sessions per year and additional sessions based on need.
We do everything in our power to match you with a counselor of your preference, however, this is sometimes challenging due to the high demand for services and the limited number of counselors available. However, if you at any time are feeling like your counselor is not the right fit for you, please either let them know or call and let our Administrative Assistant know and we will do our best to schedule you with another counselor.
Your initial session (we call it a Triage) is typically 45-50 minutes long, however, an additional 15-20 minutes will be needed prior to the appointment to complete the required paperwork. All session after that will usually be 45-50 minutes long, which allows your counselor some time to write up their notes for the session.
At the present time we offer three modalities for your counseling appointment: in-person, zoom meeting, or telephone meeting. Some additional requirements are in place for in-person appointments. Please check with the office to find out what the current protocols are as they may change frequently throughout the year.
