CAPS Scope of Practice
Beginning Fall Semester 2019, due to increases in Southern Utah University (SUU) enrollment and to honor our commitment to supporting as many SUU students as possible, SUU Counseling and Psychological Services (CAPS) is implementing a Scope of Practice. This will impact the services that our current clients are accustomed to receiving. SUU CAPS serves a unique role on campus in providing brief mental health counseling and related services. Our services are available to eligible students with concerns and needs that fall within our Scope of Practice. Not all students with very real needs can be accommodated within our treatment model, and we will work with these students to identify other resources. An outside referral may be made following the initial appointment with a counselor, or it might occur after some treatment if student needs do not fall within our Scope of Practice. Please review the following to determine how you will be impacted:
- CAPS will no longer see students who are benefits-eligible employees of SUU, as they can access counseling services through their SUU benefits.
- In addition to a 8-session yearly limit on individual counseling, CAPS will have a 30-session lifetime limit on individual counseling.
- Couples sessions will be limited to 12 lifetime per couple.
If you fit into one of the above-listed categories, we suggest you begin preparing for a change. This might entail speaking to your individual counselor about what to expect, looking into counseling options in the community, and/or preparing for a transition from individual counseling to group counseling. In an ongoing effort to support students at the new session limit, CAPS will not immediately withdraw services; instead, the CAPS team will consider each student on a case-by-case basis and determine the best way to meet their needs while also working to meet the needs of students who are waiting for services. Crisis services will continue to be available for all students. Medication management, group, and biofeedback visits do not count toward session limits.