Information for Faculty & Staff

Helpful hints on how to access services and help students:

Drop-In times are available Monday–Friday from 11 a.m.–noon in person at 209 E Main St. Visit our pages for links to our professional counselors or 5050 Peer Helpers’ office hours. Students can inquire about free and confidential appointments at 717-867-6692 or ext. 6692, or counselingservices@lvc.edu. Call 911 in an emergency.

Distress vs. Crisis

A student is experiencing a crisis if they have already harmed themselves, are intending to harm themselves or another person, or are feeling out of control and can’t promise to stay safe. If the student has already harmed themselves or has been harmed by another, call 911 and then Campus Safety (717-867-6111) for immediate assistance. Otherwise, walk the student to Counseling Services at 209 E Main St (Monday through Friday 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.) for an immediate evaluation. If the student is experiencing distress (i.e., uncontrollable crying due to breaking up or loss, panic due to test anxiety, extreme anger due to an argument), refer the student to Counseling Services to get the next available appointment. Our office is closed on the weekends and after 4:30 p.m. during the week.

How to refer a student

Encourage the student to click the Request Appointment button (found on Counseling Service’s home page), call 717-867-6692, email counselingservices@lvc.edu, or come to our office to schedule an “intake.” The student will most likely speak with or be contacted by our Administrative Assistant, Jenn, for scheduling. Ideally, we suggest you sit with the student while they request an appointment; this way, you will know they made the request. After referring a student to services, we suggest you follow up by asking the student, in private, whether or not they had their first appointment. Due to confidentiality rules, we cannot release information about whether a student has attended their appointment or any other information about their relationship with Counseling Services without the student’s consent.

When to walk a student to Counseling Services

Walk students immediately to Counseling Services located at 209 E Main St. if they are in crisis (at risk of hurting themselves or another) during our office hours. However, if they are in distress, please encourage them to make the next available appointment to see a counselor by calling 717-867-6692 or emailing counselingservices@lvc.edu. We may not be able to see a distressed student immediately due to other students’ more pressing concerns at the time; encourage your student to be patient in waiting for the next available opening.

Strategies for calming the student

Ask them to take three slow deep breaths, talk softly about what’s bothering them or how they are feeling, provide them a tissue or drink of water, suggest a snack if they haven’t eaten, or nap if they haven’t slept, connect them to resources on campus, or follow up directly with student due to rules of confidentiality.

5050 Peer Helpers

5050 Peer Helpers

These students are trained and supervised undergraduates who are available at various times throughout the day in Counseling Services to offer support for their fellow distressed students. Unlike the clinical staff, their services are private, but not confidential. They can be reached directly by looking at the posted whiteboard hours outside Shroyer Health Center, walking upstairs to their office on the second floor, or emailing 5050@lvc.edu to request a meeting. Our Peer Helpers cover about 15 hours/week both in the office and over the weekends running social support groups.