Initial Consultation

It isn’t always easy to ask for help or to tell someone your story. We hope to make your first contact with CAPS as welcoming as possible, and we invite your questions about our policies and services.  

Your Initial Consultation

Your initial consultation session (sometimes called an “intake”) involves meeting with a counselor to identify treatment recommendations that will best meet your needs. With their expertise in working with college students and the demands of an academic environment, CAPS counselors approach treatment recommendations with a focus on all available services. Counseling can be seen as only one part of an array of services designed for IC students. CAPS provides students with many options for high-quality, tailored care, while, maximizing IC community resources.  If treatment recommendations are not best met within CAPS, we are able to discuss alternatives and make referrals. Your health deserves appropriate care. 

Please note that the CAPS policy is to hold Initial Consultations/Intake sessions in person, unless there is a compelling reason to do otherwise.   Subsequent sessions can be held through Telehealth per agreement of the student and clinician.  NYS OMH regulations concerning Telehealth indicate the need for at least one in-person session with the provider, especially if medications are being considered.  At CAPS, we feel that having the initial session in-person allows for a more thorough assessment of treatment needs.

Wait Time for Counseling Services

Though we do not have a waiting list, most services at CAPS are by appointment.

All enrolled students are eligible for an initial consultation session. There is no waitlist for initial consultations, though appointment times are subject to availability.

Students seeking Same Day Crisis Services may also experience slight wait times as the counselor sees students on a first-come, first-served basis.   

Making Your Initial Consultation Appointment

To schedule your initial appointment please call (607) 274-3136 during our business hours: 8:30 AM to 5 PM, Monday through Friday. When you schedule, you are not required to describe specifics of your concerns. Please have your weekly schedule on hand when you call.

If you are in a crisis or have a safety concern for yourself or another, please go to Crisis Resources for a same-day session.  

Checking-in For Your Initial Consultation

Students arriving for in-person initial appointments must check-in at the CAPS main front desk at least 15 minutes prior to their appointment. Students will be guided through initial paperwork and consent & confidentiality forms which is accessed through the CAPS portal.

Students checking in for virtual telehealth appointments can access all the forms and retrieve the Zoom link through the  CAPS portal.