A Collaborative Process Model for Promoting Successful Referrals in College Counseling

Abstract

The need to refer students to off-campus mental health providers is common in college counseling. Such referrals can be challenging for college counselors who strive to meet students' counseling needs while adhering to ethical and center policy guidelines. In this article, the authors explore the nature and challenges of referral in college counseling settings and introduce a collaborative process model to enhance the likelihood of successful referrals. A case study is provided to illustrate the model.

The Effectiveness of a Centering Meditation Intervention on College Stress and Mindfulness: A Randomized Controlled Trial

“…Still, many universities do not have the staffing or financial resources to address the overwhelming needs of students on campus (Xiao et al, 2017 ). As a result, college counselors often must place students on waitlists or refer them to resources off campus (Iarussi and Shaw, 2016 ). As the burden on in-person counseling services increases, research has been growing in online therapeutic interventions (Andersson and Titov, 2014 ; Gutierrez et al, 2020 ).…”

Connect the Dots: Using a Logic Model to Connect Goals With Interventions, Evaluation Strategies, and Outcomes

“…Traditionally, process models have been used to provide insight into improving organizational tenets, for example, to help build capacity in nonprofit sports organizations (Miller & Doherty, 2016). Other contexts in which process models have been employed include (a) exploring organizational components related to college counselors' referrals of students to other mental health providers (Iarussi & Shaw, 2016), (b) helping a center for children and youth with emotional and behavioral disorders effectively address the students' socioemotional needs (Soenen et al, 2014), (c) improving outcomes in substance abuse treatment centers (Lehman, Simpson, Knight, & Flynn, 2011), and (d) formulating successful partnerships with Spanish-speaking immigrant families within their communities (Gonzalez, 2017). In education specifically, a process approach is articulated by the multitiered system of supports (MTSS) framework that schools follow to provide targeted support to struggling students (Jimerson, Burns, & VanDerHeyden, 2007).…”

“…This general and open definition is purposeful because these models can be offered in varying formats for creating visual representations of some process or relationship between variables or factors, including the process by which a program is planned, organized, and implemented (Damschroder & Hagedorn, 2011). For example, process models may contain visual representations of stages (Bryan & Henry, 2012) or mediating and moderating factors of relationships between multiple variables (Bøe et al, 2014); they may also represent bidirectional relationships between factors or variables (Soenen, D’Oosterlinck, & Broekaert, 2014), be cyclical in nature (Den Hamer, Konijn, & Keijer, 2014), or provide a multidirectional framework for describing a process of services (Iarussi & Shaw, 2016). One central difference between process models and logic models is that logic models explicitly establish the causal linkages that create change and delineate clearly how inputs and actions lead to specific outcomes.…”

A Quantitative Simulation-based Modeling Approach for College Counseling Centers

“…For example, Iarussi and Shaw [23] propose a "Collaborative Process Model" for referral, consisting of four phases: (i) informed consent, (ii) assessment of patient's case, (iii) collaborative decision making, and (iv) execution. The purpose of the first phase is to provide patients with all the necessary information about the scope of services provided by the counseling center and the possibility of a referral to an off-campus provider [23]. The second phase is assessing the patient's case during the first appointment to gather information about the patient and their needs.…”

“…The third phase personalizes referral options according to the patient's psychological needs and financial circumstances. The fourth and final phase is to initiate the referral process by connecting the patient to the new provider and following up with them [23].…”