Counseling Center
Marian Hall, Room 100
Deb Corrigan, LCSW – Dean of Student Services, Psychological Counseling Officer
Phone (518) 438-3111, ext. 250
E-mail: debc@mariacollege.edu
Teri Reinhardt LMSW – Social Worker
Phone (518) 438-3111, ext. 259
E-mail: treinhardt@mariacollege.edu
Counseling Services
Students may use the Maria College Counseling Center at no charge for assistance with personal and academic concerns. Counseling offers the individual the opportunity to gain personal insight and develop new ways of coping with life's difficulties. Referrals to outside mental health agencies may be made when appropriate or at the student's request. All information is kept strictly confidential and does not become part of the student's college record.
The office schedule is as follows:
- Walk-in or by appointment, Monday-Friday, 9:00 am - 4:00 pm.
- Evening and weekend hours by appointment only.
Services to Students with Disabilities
Services for Students with Disabilities Policy
The Dean of Student Services coordinates support services for students who identify themselves as having a physical, psychological, or learning disability. Maria College is proud to be an educational institution that welcomes and supports a diverse student body. Maria College is committed to providing a supportive environment for students with disabilities. The American with Disabilities Act ( ADA ) and The Rehabilitation Act of 1973 have helped students to become more aware of their needs and their rights. Therefore, request for accommodations are on the increase. Given the pressures on both faculty and staff to deal with these requests, it is important that students be aware of our policies and procedures to handle these requests in an effective and fair manner. The Americans with Disabilities Act focuses on an accommodation being reasonable. Accommodations are NOT reasonable if they do the following:
- Pose a direct threat to the health or safety of others.
- Make substantial change in elements of the curriculum.
- Require substantial alteration to educational opportunities/course objectives.
- Pose undue financial or administrative burden .
Policy for Requesting Accommodations
Students who seek ãreasonable accommodationsä under the ADA or Section 504 are responsible for notifying the College of their disability and for documenting the disability. Once documentation has been approved, the Dean of Student Services, with the student's permission, will notify the faculty, instructor and advisor in writing or in person. Accommodations may be granted only from the date of documentation disclosure at Maria College . It is then the responsibility of the student to contact faculty members in writing or in person. Accommodations will not be granted until the student has discussed accommodations with the faculty member.
Confidentiality
Disability-related information will be treated as medical information and handled under the same strict rules of confidentiality, will be kept in secure files with limited access, and will be shared only on a limited basis of a compelling reason within the institutional community.
Procedure to making a request
Step 1. Self disclose to the Director of Admissions or the Dean of Student Services.
Step 2. Register with Deb Corrigan, the Dean of Student Services, Marian Hall, Room 100, (518) 489-7436 ext 250, as soon as possible but definitely by the first week of each semester.
Step 3. Provide the Dean of Student Services with appropriate documentation (See Eligibility).
Step 4. Sign a Release of Information Form EACH semester with the Dean of Student Services.
Step 5. Notify instructors within the first week of EACH semester for EACH course that reasonable accommodations are requested for a course. The Dean of Student Services will contact instructors each semester that a Release of Information Form has been signed and that the student MAY approach them about recommended accommodations. The Dean of Student Services does NOT share with faculty information about one's disability. Faculty are informed only that a student MAY request accommodations.
Please Note: Instructors are NOT obligated to provide reasonable accommodations unless these steps have been followed.
Eligibility
To be eligible to receive accommodations students must provide recent documentation specifying the nature of the specific disability, (e.g., ADD, physical, psychological or other impairment) for which the student is requesting accommodations.
- The following documentation is required for Learning Disabilities: a recent WAIS-R with sub list scaled scores, a psycho-educational evaluation specifying the nature of the learning disability, individually administered achievement test scores in reading skills, comprehension, math and spelling with grade equivalents and percentiles or IEP (Individualized Education Plan). Documentation cannot be more than 3 years old.
- For students with ADD/ADHD documentation must be provided by psychologists, nuero-psychologists, psychiatrists, & other relevantly trained medical doctors. (Documentation can not be more than 3 years old).
- For students with psychiatric disabilities it is essential that documentation must be provided by those individuals holding appropriate licensure/certification. Qualified evaluations include psychologists, nuero-psychologists, psychiatrists, clinical social workers, and psychiatric nurse practitioners. (Documentation can not be more than 6 months old) .
Diagnoses of the above mentioned disabilities documented by family members will not be accepted due to professional & ethical consideration even when the family members are otherwise qualified by virtue of training & licensure.
700 New Scotland Avenue Albany, NY 12208 518.438.3111 © 2010 Maria College. All Rights Reserved.