Confidentiality
Arkansas law protects confidentiality for those in a counseling relationship, age 18 and older. It also requires or permits some exceptions, including the following:
If the counselor has cause to believe there is a probability of imminent physical injury to the student or another person
If the counselor has cause to believe that a child, elderly person, or disabled person is being abused, neglected, or exploited
In response to certain court orders
These exceptions do not occur often. SouthArk is not legally obligated to discuss releasing a student’s confidential information with that student before doing so if doing so would prevent SouthArk from securing the student’s safety or the safety of others.
A student’s interactions with Counseling Services can be disclosed to others only with their written permission, except under the circumstances described above. A student’s confidential counseling file is not part of their academic record.
Informed Consent
All students receiving counseling services have certain rights. These include the right to participate actively in developing alternatives for addressing concerns. A student may terminate counseling at any time for any reason, preferably only after discussing such termination with the counselor. The student is encouraged to ask questions about anything they do not understand.
The counseling program utilizes a brief counseling model that is solution-focused. A counseling session can last up to 60 minutes. Generally, a student may receive up to 3 sessions per semester.
Email
Because email is never fully confidential, SouthArk asks students not to use email to communicate with the counselor about personal matters. If a student contacts the counselor by email, they implicitly give permission to the counselor to reply by email if the counselor chooses to do so. The counselor will not provide counseling via email under any circumstances. Email should never be used to communicate an urgent or critical message. Please remember that emails sent to or received from the College are subject to the Arkansas Freedom of Information Act, Ark. Code Ann. Sec. § §25-19-101 et. Seq.
SouthArk strives to ensure a safe environment for its students and employees. If you notice a concerning or potentially dangerous behavior, or you are a student who needs assistance, please click the button and send a Cares Report. A member of the team will reach out to the student and offer assistance.