Challenges of Referral Decisions in College Counseling

Abstract

As counseling centers grapple with increasing clinical demand and shrinking resources, many creative strategies are being explored for better serving university communities. Session limits and the adoption of brief therapy models are a popular solution. Limiting counseling has led to the dilemma of what to do with students who are not a good fit for time-limited services. Referral to off-campus resources is a natural response to this challenge. Some of the rationales, issues and obstacles to off-campus referrals are highlighted in this review of the literature.

Key Words:

• Referral decisions
• college students
• counseling centers
• limited resources