About the Clinic
The Community Counseling and Assessment Clinic is the training, research, and service center of the Counseling Psychology graduate programs at the University of Southern Mississippi. Our counselors are graduate students who are supervised by licensed psychologists. Our programs are accredited by the American Psychological Association and the Council for Accreditation of Counseling and Related Educational Programs.
We are dedicated to providing affordable, quality psychological services to the University of Southern Mississippi and greater Hattiesburg communities. For more information or to schedule an appointment, call 601-266-4601.
Services
- Counseling: Regularly scheduled individual sessions with an assigned counselor are available for for adults, adolescents, and children. We also offer couples and family counseling.
- Anger Management: The Anger Management Program offers professional assistance to adults interested in better handling their anger. Counselors provide an individualized assessment to pinpoint areas of concern, and our treatment program utilizes relaxation training and cognitive restructuring to help clients reduce anger arousal, identify beliefs which lead to unhealthy anger, and acquire coping skills for handling provoking situations effectively.
- Parenting: The Parenting Young Children program offers structured parent training for parents with children between 1 and 5. Trained facilitators design an individually tailored parenting program around clients' strengths and provide training over 7-10 weekly sessions.
- Psychological Assessment: Several types of psychological assessment services are offered, including general diagnostic and personality testing, vocational interest testing, substance use evaluations, and specialized evaluations for adult Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD).
- Psychoeducational Workshops and Outreach: Clinic staff are available to offer psychoeducational presentations on a variety of mental health topics to campus and community groups.
Appointments
All services are provided by appointment only. To schedule an appointment or obtain more information about our services, call 601-266-4601. If you are not able to reach our receptionist directly, you can leave a confidential message and someone will return your call as soon as possible. Except for children, appointments are generally made only for the caller actually on the telephone line. However, we will be glad to provide any caller with information pertaining to our services and referral options which could be conveyed to someone else.
Hours
The Clinic is open from 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. Monday through Thursday and 8:00 a.m. to Noon on Fridays. Evening hours (5:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m.) are available on Mondays during the Spring 2008 academic term. The Clinic is closed on university holidays and weekends.
Fees
As a community service, we offer our services at affordable rates. There is a $10 charge for the initial interview session. Following this interview, our Case Assignment Team will determine whether the treatment available at the Clinic is appropriate for you. A counselor will contact you to schedule the service you have requested or refer you to another agency if we are unable to meet your needs. Fees for counseling services range from $10 to $35 per session and are based on family income. Fees for assessment services are are based on the nature of the evaluation and the amount of time typically required to complete such an evaluation. General diagnostic/personality, substance use, and vocational assessments typically cost between $50 and $150. ADHD and LD evaluations range from $150 to $400. Discounts are available to USM students and persons with financial hardship.
Insurance Coverage: The clinic operates on a cash basis. Payment is expected at the time services are rendered. We do not accept direct assignment of Medicare, Medicaid, or other insurance benefits, nor can we bill insurance companies directly. Most insurance providers do not reimburse clients for services provided by students, trainees, interns or other unlicensed individuals even when that person is under direct supervision by licensed personnel.
Confidentiality
Under the Health Insurance Portability and Privacy Act of 1996, the Clinic is required to protect the privacy of client information (see our Notice of Privacy Practices). For purposes of supervision, counseling and/or testing sessions are recorded. However, recordings are used only for training/supervision purposes, will be used only within the strict guidelines of professional ethics to maintain confidentiality, and will be erased or destroyed when no longer necessary.
Under Mississippi law, counselors cannot disclose privileged communication unless the client or legal representative gives written consent except as mandated by law, such as in situations of suspected child abuse/neglect, of potential harm to oneself or others, or of court-order of records.
Directions
We are located on the second floor of the Owings-McQuagge Building on The University of Southern Mississippi campus in room 213. Please call 266-4601 for more detailed directions.
