FAQ for Students

Unfortunately, we are not able to provide doctor's notes or class excuses. You must work with your professor if you need to miss class.

Health and Counseling Services can provide an encounter note that shows that you had an appointment on a date and time. You can request this encounter note from your provider or from the front desk. You also have access to all of your health appointments and information in your health portal.

All clinical services are free of charge.

While we always recommend making an appointment, there are a few ways to get connected with us.

Self-Schedule via the Health Portal

You can self-schedule appointments through your health portal. These first appointments default to virtual. Follow up appointments can be virtual or in person based on your preference. If you'd like to change your initial appointment to in person, contact our office at 615-460-6856 or counseling@belmont.edu.

Call or email us if you don't find a time that works with your schedule.

Urgent Care Walk-In

Our main office is located in Gabhart 218. We hold urgent care walk-in hours from Monday- Friday from 8:30 am - 4 pm. You are welcome to walk-in and be seen. We prioritize walk-ins based on clinical need and availability, so there may be a wait.

If you or someone you know is in crisis, don't hesitate to reach out for help!

988 is available 24/7 in addition to campus resources. See below for more.

24/7 Mental Health Assistance

• Call 988 or text 741741
• Talk Now with Timely Care (free professional and confidential support for all Belmont students, just use your BRUINS email)
• Belmont Campus Security at 615-460-6911

Campus Security staff receive mental health crisis response training and can assist students in accessing resources at local emergency assessment units and Timely Care.

• Proceed to your nearest emergency room

Monday - Friday (8 am - 4:30 pm)

• Contact the Office of Counseling Services at 615-460-6856 or counseling@belmont.edu (located in Gabhart 218)

For additional crisis support resources, see our emergency information page.

Your privacy is of utmost concern to us!

Many students worry that their parents, faculty, or staff will be notified about the services they receive. That is not the case.

Belmont Counseling adheres to all applicable TN state and federal laws pertaining to client confidentiality. Our office maintains strict confidentiality for all students seen and will not release any clinical information without the student’s written consent. Written consent can be rescinded at any time at the student’s request.

Counseling records are kept separate from academic records in our encrypted electronic health record system.

Before starting any services at BUCS, you will have an opportunity to review our informed consent paperwork and discuss any concerns you have about the limits to confidentiality with a clinician.

Exceptions to Confidentiality:

There are very few exceptions to our privacy policy. The only times that information may be released without your written consent is in the following situations:

A clinician has reason to believe that:

• you present an imminent danger to yourself,
• the life of a readily identifiable third person is imminently at risk,
• a child, under the age of 18, or a vulnerable adult is being subjected to abuse, neglect or exploitation,
• disclosure is made necessary by a court order as part of legal proceedings,
• if you are under the age of 18 and your parent/legal guardian requests access to your records.

Other Confidential Campus Offices:

• University Ministries in Pastoral Care
• Health Services

While there is not an explicit session limit, clinicians in our center use a short-term and goal-oriented model for treatment. 

The number of sessions needed is determined by the student in collaboration with their counselor. Together they assess the amount of treatment the student might need based on the situation.

If you are interested in ongoing long-term therapy, we can help you find the right fit in the community or check out our local resources page.

You can cancel your appointment at any time by logging into the Patient Portal. Navigate to your upcoming appointments and cancel from there.

You can also cancel by contacting your clinician directly or our office (615-460-6856 or counseling@belmont.edu).

We strongly believe that a strong connection with your therapist is important. We encourage you to talk to your therapist about this directly, but we understand that can be uncomfortable.

You can also contact the counseling office (615-460-6856 or counseling@belmont.edu) and request to see another provider.

Continuity of care is important; therefore, we do not recommend you seeing two providers for individual therapy at the same time.

However, we are here if you find yourself in crisis, desire to join a group, or just have a question.

Not sure, just reach out! We are happy to consult.

You can contact us via phone or email (615-460-6856 or counseling@belmont.edu).

We do not have a psychiatrist on staff; therefore, we are not able to prescribe psychotropic medication. We are happy to assist you in finding an off-campus provider that can help you manage your medication.

You can contact us via phone or email (615-460-6856, counseling@belmont.edu) or you can schedule an appointment via the health portal.

No.

No one will be notified of your attendance unless you sign a release of information requesting that contact is made.

Our clinicians will only speak with parent(s)/guardian(s) if you sign a Release of Information form. This is separate from any FERPA form housed at the university.

The only exceptions to this is if:

• you present an imminent danger to yourself,
• the life of a readily identifiable third person is imminently at risk,
• a child, under the age of 18, or a vulnerable adult is being subjected to abuse, neglect or exploitation,
• disclosure is made necessary by a court order as part of legal proceedings,
• if you are under the age of 18 and your parent/legal guardian requests access to your records.

If a parent or concerned party calls to express concern or ask questions about their student, they can share their concerns with the staff; however, no confirmation will be made about whether or not the student has been seen. No student information will be released to the parent or concerned party without a written release from the student. Staff can only provide general guidance to parents/guardians about how to best support students and how to access campus resources.

We are here to help. We are happy to consult with you about your concerns. We can often offer guidance and support around most issues.

Additionally, if you have concern a about a friend, you can file an anonymous report through the student concern system. This system is not confidential; however, it does connect students with supportive resources throughout campus.

You can contact us via phone or email (615-460-6856, counseling@belmont.edu) or you can schedule an appointment via the health portal.

We welcome all students regardless of faith background or belief, and we welcome conversations around faith in the therapy process as initiated by the student.

If you are looking for a Pastoral Care provider, University Ministries offers individual sessions. You can access their information here.

Belmont clinicians are not able to provide formal documentation for accommodation requests.

We can provide referrals to the community health providers who may be willing to provide this documentation. 

For more information you can contact us at 615-460-6856 or contact the Office of Accessibility Services at 615-460-6407.