Joseph B. Trainer
Student Health Service
Counseling Services

COUNSELING SERVICES

Our mental health services team includes our primary care staff physicians and nurse practitioner working closely with our  psychologists and mental health nurse practitioner.  We help you identify as early as possible when you are experiencing life problems that can adversely affect your academic progress and balance in your life.  These may include but are not necessarily limited to issues in the following areas:
Personal issues of any nature;  Relationship problems;  Marital (or premarital) difficulties;  Sexual issues;  Family or parenting problems;  Career dilemmas or issues;  Stress Reduction;  Anxiety;  Depression;  Grief and Loss;  Suicidal Feelings;  Hopelessness;  Incest;  Your anger;  Abuse;  Coping with Medical Illness;  Substance Abuse Evaluation;  Eating disorders;  Academic Counseling;  Psychological Assessment.
We are prepared to help you with short-term psychotherapy, and if you are on medication, with assistance in medication management, to help you overcome or adjust to these obstacles and difficulties.  If your situation requires services beyond what we can provide in the Student Health Service, or is of an intensity and acuity beyond our service capacity, we will help you arrange for mental health services outside the Student Health Service.   

ACCESS

If you are having an acute crisis you may call (503) 494-8665, or walk-in without an appointment. In any case we will try to arrange a visit with one of our counselors with minimum waiting time.   If you have questions, please call (503) 494-8665 or ext. 4-8665 or ask us when you are in the Student Health Service.
(Note:   Some students feel awkward seeing a counselor and have told us they don’t want the counselor to come to the waiting area to take them back to the counseling session.  If you feel this way, tell the receptionist that you would like the MA (medical assistant) or the RN to take you back for your session.  Then be sure to discuss your feelings about this with the counselor during your first visit.)    Remember there is a clinic physician or nurse practitioner on call after hours.   On evenings or weekends if you need to speak with somebody, call OHSU (503) 494-8311 and ask for the Student Health Service person on call.  See below (after hours emergencies) for other options.

COUNSELING STAFF

John “Jack” Crossen, Ph.D. and Michelle Kirton, Ph.D. are our licensed psychologists available for assessment, therapy and counseling for individuals and groups.
Vona Davis, PMHNP is our mental health nurse practitioner who is available for liaison consultation and medication management.
In addition, our physicians and adult nurse practitioner will see patients for counseling issues.

CONFIDENTIALITY

Our primary care and counseling staff work together to serve you confidentially within the confines of this Student Health Service which is completely separate, as it should be, from your academic program.    None of us are ever in a position to grade you or judge your performance as a student at OHSU.   In order to help you, you must feel safe and know that we maintain strict boundaries around our organized service.
The Student Health Service keeps mental health and counseling records separately in the Health Service medical record and stores them permanently in the Health Service when you leave the institution.   The non-mental health portion of your record is transferred at the time of your graduation to the OHSU Health System lifetime clinical record, but the portion of your student health service record that consists of chart notes of the psychotherapist is not transferred to the OHSU record and remains permanently in the student health service. 

SUBSTANCE ABUSE

We offer assessment and referral for treatment of alcohol and other substance abuse problems.   Assessment, counseling and/or referrals are confidential and are not reported to any persons or licensing boards.   Counseling concerning family members who have substance abuse problems is also available.
For appointments or information, call the Health Service ext. 4-8665.   You may also call anonymously just to ask questions.

PSYCHOLOGICAL ASSESSMENT

Various assessment needs of students can be addressed through structured interviews.  If formal psychological testing is required this may be referred to outside providers.

FOR AFTER HOURS EMERGENCIES
(Please consider these options if you can not wait for an appointment during our clinic hours, which are generally Mon-Fri 830-430; Please note that you are welcome and encouraged to see our mental health staff during our open hours at any time you are in distress.)

When in an emergency please consider calling the student health service’s on-call physician or nurse practitioner.   You can reach the on-call person by calling the OHSU hospital operator at 503-494-8311 and asking for the SHS doctor or nurse practitioner on call.

If you can’t wait for a phone call back, call 911 for immediate emergency assistance from a trained operator.

The following numbers and addresses  may be useful if you feel you must get emergency assistance:

Walk in the Cascadia 24 hour Urgent Walk in Clinic: 
2415 SE 43rd (Use west entrance at SE 42nd/Division)
Bus #4 can also be used to get to the clinic

The Portland Women’s Crisis Line:            503-235-5333 or 1-888-235-5333

The Men’s Resource Center:                      503-235-3433

The Police Information Line:                        503-823-4636

SOME HEALTH SERVICE FACTS

♦___ 20-30% of students and family members seek counseling while at OHSU.
♦___ Many student concerns have to do with specific situations, transitions or life stresses and can be helped in 2–12 counseling sessions.
♦___ Persons who ask for help and develop support systems remain healthier physically and emotionally, even in times of extreme stress.
♦ Short-term therapy in the Health Service is at no charge.