Psychiatric Services

Our Psychiatric Services are primarily available to currently enrolled students working with an SMU counselor. If you have a stable and well-controlled mental health issue, including ADHD, and currently receive medication prescribed by a clinician at home, we strongly encourage you to continue your treatment with your provider at home. Currently, psychiatric services are not available to students who need medication management for their ADHD prescription only.  If you are currently being seen by an off-campus therapist, and would like to be referred for a Psychiatric Assessment for a new medication evaluation or for ongoing medication management, please have your clinician send treatment records. Once we receive and review these, we will contact you to schedule an appointment, if appropriate. 

We will generally complete a psychiatric assessment in anywhere from 1-3 visits though specifics can vary from student to student. During this process, we may, with your written permission, consult with other professionals (therapists, medical professionals, etc.) about you or refer you for medical and/or psychological testing. Being evaluated by a psychiatrist does not ensure continued services beyond the evaluation period. Part of the purpose behind an initial evaluation process is to determine if treating your difficulties fall within the scope of care we are able to provide at Counseling Services

At the end of the evaluation period, we will provide you with recommendations for future care. This may or may not consist of ongoing psychiatric care depending largely on whether or not medications are recommended and prescribed. If your treatment requires a level or duration of care we cannot provide at Counseling Services, we will provide referrals to psychiatrists or mental health clinics in the community so that you can obtain necessary care. Due to limited resources, students seeking services for the treatment of ADHD will be referred to the community.

We ask that you actively involve yourself in your care by:

  1. being open and forthcoming
  2. cooperating with your treatment plan
  3. taking medications as prescribed
  4. discussing any concerns you have about your treatment
  5. keeping appointments

We ask that you call at least 24 hours in advance if you need to cancel or reschedule an appointment. Otherwise, a late cancellation or no show fee may apply.

If you have any concerns about your psychiatric care, please feel free to discuss this with us as we are committed to providing high quality care to support your success here at SMU. You may also be asked to complete a brief questionnaire either during or after treatment about the quality of services you have received.