Training

Counseling and Psychological Services (CAPS) is the primary mental health provider for Penn State students at the University Park campus and distributes university-wide mental health resources to all Penn State campuses. As a comprehensive counseling center, CAPS provides a full range of services, including: short-term individual therapy, group counseling, crisis intervention/stabilization, psychiatric services, consultation, community education, training of future mental health practitioners, and serving as a leader in the field of collegiate mental health research. Our mission is to support students' mental health and well-being as they pursue their academic and career goals. Essential to this mission is fostering a welcoming and affirming environment that honors diversity and values individual and cultural differences. 

During the 2022-2023 Academic Year our staff had contact with over 3,600 Penn State students for a total of over 17,000 contacts. These numbers are commensurate with the change in number of students receiving mental health services at college and university counseling centers nationwide since the beginning of COVID-19 according to the Center for Collegiate Mental Health (2021). In a typical year, nearly 10% of all students at Penn State use our services for a wide variety of developmental and mental health concerns. 

Common presenting problems include, but are not limited to, typical development issues, interpersonal concerns, depression, anxiety, lack of motivation or concentration, poor academic performance, body image and eating disorders, as well as trauma. Less typical, but frequently seen problems, include more severe mental health concerns (e.g., bipolar disorder, psychosis).  

Initial contact with our clinical system involves a phone screening appointment with a clinician to determine the nature, impact and immediacy of presenting concerns. The clinician will identify appropriate next steps and discuss the best treatment options available at the time with each student.  

Primary modes of service delivery within CAPS include urgent evaluation and follow-up, short-term individual and couples therapy, and group counseling. CAPS also offers psychiatric services, psychological assessment, and community education and consultation. Significant blocks of time are also devoted to staff development, training, and research. 

• Urgent evaluation and follow-up refers to a process in which clients are seen immediately following the phone screening appointment for up to two sessions for further assessment, counseling/stabilization, and referral as needed. Urgent evaluation is provided during regular working hours. There is a 24-hour crisis line available to Penn State students, but staff and trainees are not responsible for on-call coverage.
• Short-term individual and couples therapy vary in length from person to person but can range from 1-9 sessions, including the First Appointment. Long-term therapy is generally not provided by the center; however, at times, trainees may be able to see a limited number of long-term therapy cases through occasional extended counseling where clinical and financial need warrant such continued services.
• CAPS offers an extensive group therapy program with approximately 25+ groups per semester. Many groups offered are population specific, including the International Student Process group, the Men Talking group, the Queer Space group, and graduate and undergraduate interpersonal process groups. In addition, CAPS offers topic-specific groups and clinics (e.g., sexual assault recovery, eating disorder recovery, loss, anxiety, perfectionism, adjustment to college, mindful mood management and more). The Center also offers several discussion and support groups in collaboration with campus partners.
• Psychiatric services are offered through one full-time psychiatrist and two psychiatric nurse practitioners.
• Formal psychological assessment may be conducted with clients when appropriate, though this is not a primary service provided by CAPS.
• The center also conducts extensive outreach programming for the University community, as well as consultation for various departments and groups on campus. 

All Penn State CAPS staff, including trainees, are on site working from their campus offices. During the 2023-2024 training year, trainees provided a mix of tele and in-person services depending on client needs/preferences. Most seminars are conducted in person unless tele is indicated due to staff scheduling needs. Individual psychotherapy supervision and group psychotherapy supervision are provided in person. In rare instances a group/clinic may be provided via tele, in which case supervision may also be conducted via tele. 

Location 

The main center is located on the fifth floor of the Student Health Center, which also houses University Health Services. CAPS has a second location next door in the Bank of America Building on Penn State's University Park campus. The externs, doctoral interns, and postdoctoral fellows are all located in the Student Health Center.  

About the Staff 

We are a comprehensive staff that consists of the following professionals: psychologists with backgrounds in counseling psychology or clinical psychology, social workers, professional counselors, case managers, a psychiatrist, psychiatric nurse practitioners, doctoral interns, postdoctoral fellows, externs, and part-time associate clinical staff. 

Approximately 50 percent of staff time is devoted to the delivery of direct clinical and counseling services. An equivalent amount of staff time is spent in training and supervision, consultation and outreach, staff development, administrative responsibilities, and research and program evaluation. 

Training is highly valued at our site. Numerous staff are involved in training in a variety of capacities including provision of individual and group supervision, as well as providing didactic training through a range of seminar experiences. We are an organization with a strong open-door policy. Both trainees and staff are encouraged to consult with one another to further their understanding of and provide support in managing a range of clinical experiences. 

Our staff reflects a range of theoretical orientations including cognitive behavioral, some third wave cognitive behavioral therapies, existential-humanistic, feminist, interpersonal, psychodynamic, relational-cultural, and trauma-informed models, with staff members being theoretically integrative.   

Administrative Structure 

The center is a major budgetary unit under the Office of the Vice President for Student Affairs. Within the center, in addition to the Senior Director, there are three Associate Directors responsible for Training, the Commonwealth Campuses, and the Center for Collegiate Mental Health. There are also four Assistant Directors responsible for Clinical Services; Community Education and Outreach; Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion; and Operations. In addition, many senior staff members have coordinator roles in given areas of expertise. 

About Penn State and State College 

Penn State is the largest provider of higher education in the state. Since its founding in 1855, it has established an international reputation for excellence in education, research, and public service. 

The University's 540-acre campus is in State College, a pleasant university community located in a lovely valley closely surrounded by the Allegheny Mountains. The population of Centre County stands at over 155,000. 

The University is the major intellectual, cultural, and recreational resource for Central Pennsylvania, providing access to extensive libraries and major artistic and musical events. The Bryce Jordan Center on Penn State's University Park campus brings major concerts and entertainment events to the area, as does the Center for the Performing Arts. The Palmer Museum of Art on campus also has an excellent artist series each year. The State Theater in downtown State College brings interesting performances to the area as well. 

Penn State has a reputation for outstanding sports programs and fine sports facilities (e.g., superb swimming pools, tennis courts, golf courses, running trails, a new intramural building, etc.). Penn State is a member of the Big Ten athletic conference. In addition, the Centre Region offers ample outdoor recreational opportunities, including hiking, swimming, camping, fishing, and downhill and cross-country skiing. 

The University is in the geographic center of Pennsylvania, approximately a four-hour drive to Philadelphia, New York City and Washington, D.C., and a three-hour drive to Baltimore and Pittsburgh.  

Community and Belonging at Penn State 

The university continues to successfully attract a vibrant, diverse student body as indicated in Penn State's Facts and Rankings and Data Digest. With the influence of such a diverse student body, staff, and faculty, State College works to create a welcoming community and offers an array of uniquely diverse dining and retail options as well as cultural events for all to enjoy. 

Penn State has many student organizations including the Black Graduate Student Association; Chinese Students and Scholars Association; Asian Pacific Islander Desi American Caucus; Puerto Rican Student Association-Latino Caucus; Black Caucus; Penn State Lion Pride Roundtable for Inclusion, Diversity, and Equity Caucus; Queer and Trans People of Color, as well as organizations for Indian, Korean, Filipino, and Vietnamese students, among others. Additionally, Penn State has approximately 60 religious groups on campus. The Center for Spiritual and Ethical Development is a facility that serves as a home for all these groups. 

Penn State CAPS also has strong connections with many campus organizations including the Center for Sexual and Gender Diversity, the R-VOICE Center, the Paul Robeson Cultural Center, and Student Disability Resources. Doctoral Interns and Postdoctoral Fellows may have opportunities to work closely with one of these offices if they choose the Consultation/Liaison Program-Specific Rotation Focus Area 

In addition, there are ongoing cultural activities and programs throughout the year. The Distinguished Speakers Series has featured Michael Sam, Noor Tagouri, Sonia Nazario, John Legend, Dr. M. Joycelyn Elders, Terry McMillan, Magic Johnson, Cornel West, Elaine H. Kim, Maya Angelou, Laverne Cox, Lisa Salters, and George Takei to name a few. The Paul Robeson Cultural Center sponsors many cultural events and activities that reflect the diversity of the Penn State population, including art exhibits, educational speakers, films, plays, and musical presentations. Well attended annual events during the year include the Martin Luther King, Jr. Memorial Banquet, Touch of Africa, and the Lunar New Year Celebration. The Center for Sexual and Gender Diversity also sponsors many events and activities designed to bring students, faculty, and staff together. 

The purposes of this policy statement are (1) to provide a definition of multiple role relationships, (2) to discuss the inevitable, beneficial, and problematic aspects of multiple role relationships, and (3) to provide a process for dealing with both potential and actual multiple role relationships. 

Multiple Role Relationships

By the nature of their duties and responsibilities, staff persons at CAPS can become involved in a wide variety of roles. These include supervisor, therapist, group co-therapist, couples co-therapist, committee member, administrator, seminar presenter, colleague, and others. For the purposes of this document, multiple role relationships are defined as those situations in which an individual functions in two or more professional roles, or functions in a professional role and some other non-professional role (Sonne, 1994).

Definition of Terms

• Staff Persons: any individual employed full-time or part-time at CAPS, including senior staff, associate staff, trainee staff (post-doctoral fellows, doctoral interns, externs), and support staff.
• Associate Staff: degreed and/or licensed staff, or pre-licensure staff who have completed their internships and are receiving supervised hours toward licensure as part of their employment at CAPS. These staff members are employed part-time on a wage payroll basis.
• Senior Staff: degreed and licensed staff who may function in training or supervisory roles at CAPS, or degreed and pre-licensure staff who have completed their internships and who may function in training roles at CAPS.
• Training Staff: degreed and licensed staff who function in training or supervisory roles at CAPS, or degreed and pre-licensure staff who have completed their internships and who function in training roles at CAPS. Doctoral interns and post-doctoral fellows are training staff when they are supervisors of externs.
• Trainee Staff: post-doctoral fellows, doctoral interns, and externs. Pre-licensure staff, depending on the situation, may also at times function in a trainee staff role.
• Support Staff: non-mental health professionals employed by CAPS to perform clerical or other support functions.
• Staff Peers: persons who share the same employment category at CAPS.

Inevitability and Beneficial Aspects of Multiple Role Relationships 

Although multiple role relationships have the potential to create conflicts of interest and confusion among staff persons, it can nonetheless be argued that they are an inevitable part of the fabric of human relationships and most especially of professional life in the mental health field. This is particularly true for a large training agency, where the varying professional roles each staff person may play are prone to overlap (e.g., a trainee's clinical supervisor may also facilitate a seminar at which the same trainee is in attendance). Further, former clients or current or past friends of staff persons may become a part of CAPS as trainees or senior professional staff.

All of these overlapping relationships can become even more complex in an agency which adopts a humanistic and personal growth approach to training. Such an approach places a premium on the processes of introspection, self-disclosure, and support, all of which may promote a range of emotional responses among staff persons, such as feelings of closeness, warmth, attachment, dependency, idealization, vulnerability and sexual attraction. These feelings in themselves may lead staff persons to develop more personal relationships.

It can also be argued that multiple role relationships can and do have beneficial effects. They may sometimes enhance the variety and depth of experiences at an agency. This is especially true when the multiple roles are linked to the mentoring process, which can be very valuable in enhancing a new professional's sense of identity and career development.

Given the inevitability and potential beneficial aspects of multiple role relationships, this policy statement is not intended to eradicate all multiple role relationships. Recognizing that many trainees come from sites other than Penn State, it is desirable to create an environment that is also warm and hospitable. As a result, this policy statement is intended to serve as a guide to balance multiple roles and manage personal feelings for other staff persons.

Problematic Aspects of Multiple Role Relationships

Multiple role relationships can present a number of problems, not just for the participants but also for the environment of the center. The occurrence of multiple relationships between individuals can blur the boundaries between relationships. This can result in confusion on the part of the individuals as to expectations, reactions, and behaviors in their interactions with each other. The confusion that can result from multiple role relationships can jeopardize effective and appropriate maintenance of each role. This is especially problematic when one of the role relationships is characterized by an imbalance of power. In such cases, the party with less power can feel overly vulnerable, especially when an evaluation process is involved.

Multiple role relationships can also have consequences for the agency as a whole, as they engender an environment of indebtedness, favoritism, and inclusion/exclusion. These unfavorable conditions may also have a deleterious impact on the relationships between members of the trainee cohort group.

Guidelines for Dealing with Potential or Actual Multiple Role Situations

In evaluating the possibility for conflict of interest or other difficulties in a potential multiple role relationship, the following guidelines are offered:

1. Refer to the guidelines outlined in the Ethical Principles of Psychologists and Code of Conduct published by the American Psychological Association (2017), the National Association of Social Workers Code of Ethics (2017, updated 2021), American Counseling Association Code of Ethics (2014), and the American Psychiatric Association Principles of Medical Ethics (2013).
2. Discuss with the other person(s) involved the possible conflicts, consequences, and solutions accompanying the anticipated multiple role relationship(s).
3. Consult with other senior staff member colleagues to gain insights which the persons involved might have difficulty ascertaining.
4. If the persons involved decide to avoid the anticipated multiple role relationship, no consultation with administrative staff would be required, although this might be sought as a means of soliciting another perspective on the issues raised.
5. In the event that a tentative decision is made to proceed with a multiple role relationship, particularly one involving a personal or non-professional role, consultation is recommended. Concerns can be raised in an Administrative Supervisors Team Meeting with relevant staff present. The Associate Director, Training should be involved in the consultation if the issue concerns a post-doctoral fellow, doctoral intern, or extern. The Externship Coordinator should also be involved in the consultation if the issue concerns an extern. Doctoral interns and post-doctoral fellows supervising externs can raise these concerns in the Supervision of Supervision seminar.
6. In some cases (e.g., where an administrator is one of the parties involved in the multiple role relationship), other administrators within the agency or an external consultant might be utilized to provide insight or mediate the issues involved, or these issues could be brought to an Administrative Supervisors Team Meeting.
7. In all discussions of an anticipated multiple role relationship, consider the following questions:
   1. Could this situation jeopardize the staff member’s ability to evaluate or supervise a trainee objectively? Conversely, could a trainee’s ability to evaluate a supervisor or program objectively and without fear of reprisal be impaired?
   2. Could this situation create a feeling of being exploited by or overly indebted to another staff member?
   3. Could this situation make it more difficult for one staff member to maintain appropriate limits and boundaries with another staff member, particularly one who possesses more power in the agency?
   4. Could this situation create the perception of favoritism, exclusion, or distrust in other staff members?
   5. Could this situation affect the agency in some other negative way (e.g., negative perceptions of the agency as a whole)?

Guidelines for Social Relationships 

In considering the types of social interactions that may take place between training staff and trainee staff, the following questions are offered for consideration:

1. Is the proposed social activity public vs. private?
2. Is the proposed social activity a group activity or an individual activity?
3. Is the proposed social activity time limited vs. open ended?
4. Does the proposed social activity take place during the workday or after working hours?
5. Is the proposed social activity an occasional activity or a regular and expected activity?
6. Does the proposed social activity provide the trainee freedom of choice, or will they feel obligated to engage in the activity?
7. Whose needs are being met by the proposed social activity?  The trainee or the training staff member?

Multiple Role Relationships Involving Sexual or Romantic Feelings

Multiple role relationships which involve sexual or romantic feelings have an added potential to create conflict and impairment. The following relevant laws, policies and principles are offered to shed light on this issue:

• APA Ethical Principles for Psychologists and Code of Conduct (2017, https://www.apa.org/ethics/code/ethics-code-2017.pdf) states in Section 7. Education and Training: 7.07: Sexual Relationships with Students and Supervisees.
  Psychologists do not engage in sexual relationships with students or supervisees who are in their department, agency or training center or over whom the psychologists have or are likely to have evaluative authority.
• The NASW Code of Ethics (2017, updated 2021, https://www.socialworkers.org/About/Ethics/Code-of-Ethics/Code-of-Ethics-English) states in Section 2. Social Workers’ Ethical Responsibilities to Colleagues: 2.06 Sexual Relationships
  (a) Social workers who function as supervisors or educators should not engage in sexual activities or contact (including verbal, written, electronic, or physical contact) with supervisees, students, trainees, or other colleagues over whom they exercise professional authority.
• American Counseling Association, Code of Ethics (2014, American Counseling Association Code of Ethics.pdf) states in Section F. Supervision, Training and Teaching: F.3.b. Sexual Relationships. Sexual or romantic interactions or relationships with current supervisees are prohibited. This prohibition applies to both in-person and electronic interactions or relationships.
• American Psychiatric Association, The Principles of Medical Ethics (2013, American Psychiatric Association_The Principles of Medical Ethics.pdf) states in Section 4. 14. Sexual involvement between a faculty member or supervisor and a trainee or student, in those situations in which an abuse of power can occur, often takes advantage of inequalities in the working relationship and may be unethical because: a. Any treatment of a patient being supervised may be deleteriously affected. b. It may damage the trust relationship between teacher and student. c. Teachers are important professional role models for their trainees and affect their trainees’ future professional behavior.
• Commonwealth of Pennsylvania-State Board of Psychology Regulations: 41.81 Prohibited conduct. (b) Sexual intimacies between a psychologist and a psychology trainee, student or research participant are prohibited.
• Penn State Administrative Policy: Policy AD85: Title IX Sexual Harassment

Consensual Relationships

While not expressly prohibited, romantic and/or sexual relationships between faculty and students, staff and students or supervisors and subordinate employees are strongly discouraged. Such relationships have the potential for adverse consequences, including the filing of charges of sexual harassment. Given the fundamentally asymmetric nature of the relationship where one party has the power to give grades, thesis advice, evaluations, recommendations, promotions, salary increases or performance evaluations, the consensual nature of the relationship is inherently suspect.

Even when both parties have consented to the relationship, there may be perceptions of conflicts of interest or unfair treatment of others. Such perceptions undermine the atmosphere of trust essential to the educational process or the employment relationship. Accordingly, the person in the position of supervision or academic responsibility must promptly report the relationship to his or her immediate supervisor. Once the consensual relationship is reported, the immediate supervisor is responsible for eliminating or mitigating the conflict of interest to the fullest feasible extent and ensuring that fair and objective processes are in place for decisions relative to grading, thesis advice, evaluations, recommendations, promotions, salary increases, or performance evaluations. The new supervisory or academic arrangement should be documented.

For these reasons it is the expectation that the senior staff and training staff will not engage in romantic and/or sexual relationships during the time that the staff member and trainee are at CAPS.

Because of the added potential for harm where romantic or sexual feelings are involved, the following additional guidelines are offered to deal with such situations:

1. Acknowledge romantic/sexual feelings in yourself and discuss them with a non-involved colleague or supervisor.
2. If you are a supervisor or other senior staff member feeling attraction towards a trainee, discuss your feelings with the Associate Director, Training, Externship Coordinator, Senior Director, or an Administrative Supervisor. This will serve as a safeguard against acting out of your feelings and will afford an opportunity to evaluate your ability to provide objective feedback and evaluation.
3. If you are a supervisee or trainee experiencing romantic/sexual feelings towards a supervisor or other senior staff member, consult with the Associate Director, Training, Externship Coordinator, Senior Director, or another senior staff member.
4. If you are a supervisee or trainee experiencing sexual advances from a senior staff member, consult with the Associate Director, Training or Externship Coordinator or the Senior Director.  

Relationships Involving Sexual or Romantic Feelings Following a Trainee’s Time at CAPS or Relationships Between Staff Peers

Romantic or sexual relationships which occur after a trainee has completed training at CAPS should be initiated only after careful and thoughtful consideration. Romantic or sexual relationships between staff peers, whether initiated during their tenure at the agency or thereafter, should also be initiated with careful and thoughtful consideration as to the impact on the professional functioning of the persons involved and of the rest of the staff. Please refer to the guidelines above.

Summary

Awareness of the effects of multiple role relationships continues to evolve in the mental health professions. The issue is a controversial and complex one. This document acknowledges the complexity of multiple relationships as well as their prevalence in training and agency environments. It calls for careful and thoughtful responses to actual and potential multiple role relationships. These responses will often involve consultation with a colleague or administrator at CAPS.

The ultimate aim of this document is to assure that CAPS provides a positive learning environment for the persons who choose to train with us, as well as for all staff. Such an environment must be free of any harmful multiple relationships so that trainees and other staff feel safe enough to risk themselves in the process of becoming and growing as therapists and professionals.

Reference

• Sonne, J.L. (1994). Multiple relationships: Does the new ethics code answer the right questions? Professional Psychology: Research and Practice, 25 (4), 336-343.

Acknowledgements

In preparing this document, policy statements from numerous college counseling centers were examined and used as points of departure for discussion and actual composition. We are particularly indebted to policy statements from the Ohio State University.

This document was originally written as a project of a CAPS committee in the Summer of 2001, consisting of Drs. Kurt Gehlert, Joyce Illfelder-Kaye, Mary McClanahan, Jill Morgan, and Ken Nafziger. Input was also provided by Alan Baehr.

• Reviewed by: Shannan Smith-Janik, Associate Director, Training, Date: 04/30/2024
• Signature: Natalie Hernandez, Ph.D., Senior Director, Date: 8/2/2023

Occasionally, students interested in clinical training opportunities at CAPS may have a potential dual relationship with a current member of the CAPS staff and/or the CAPS agency. Examples of this may include but not be limited to a family member, a past or present romantic partner, a past or present business associate, a past or present clinical treatment provider, or the student may be a current staff member at CAPS. Since all senior staff participate in various roles in the training programs, CAPS has established the following policies to prevent dual relationships in its training programs. It is expected that interested applicants will evaluate the potential for a dual relationship in considering a training position at CAPS. Below we have provided guidelines to minimize the likelihood of creating dual relationships.

Policies

Prevention of Potential Dual Relationships

1. Since CAPS is a potential training site for graduate students from various mental health training programs at Penn State and other institutions, any potential applicants for CAPS training programs seeking clinical services at CAPS will be made explicitly aware of the impact that a dual relationship would have on future training opportunities at CAPS. Case management services will be offered to help these students connect with alternative treatment in their best interest.
2. For the reasons cited above, CAPS staff clinicians in private practice are strongly discouraged from providing treatment to potential CAPS trainees. The same policy will apply for potential applicants in regard to business, romantic or family relationships with CAPS senior staff members.
3. As a part of the informed consent for services, all potential clients will be informed that seeking services at CAPS may impact their ability to seek future training opportunities at CAPS for the reasons cited above.

Policies Regarding Specific Relationships

1. Former Clients
   1. In order the minimize the potential for dual relationships, students who received counseling services at CAPS and who subsequently seek training at CAPS as a clinician are encouraged not to apply for a training position (e.g., Extern or Intern or Postdoctoral position) until a period of 3 years has elapsed since their last clinical contact. This does not include a brief screening appointment that resulted in no further treatment. This parallels ethical guidelines of two years following termination of services prior to any possible romantic relationships. We have chosen three years to take a more conservative approach in the hope that there would be adequate staff turnover and a reasonable interval between the time someone was a client here and known to clinical staff and administrative staff in that context.
   2. Students who received counseling services at CAPS more than 3 years ago and who are interested in a training opportunity will submit their materials for the desired position and will be reviewed without consideration of prior clinical treatment. If a former client is accepted as a trainee at CAPS, and they choose to make it known that they are a former client, their electronic mental health record will be locked so it cannot be accessed by anyone but the administrators and system administrators of the electronic medical records. As is consistent with our Confidentiality Policy, clinical staff should only access electronic records when there is a clinical need.
2. Family Relationships
   Family members of current CAPS staff will not be eligible for training positions at the Center.
3. Business Relationships
   It is expected that applicants currently in a non-university business relationship with a CAPS staff member will not apply for training positions at CAPS or will terminate their business relationship prior to engaging in training at CAPS.
4. Romantic Relationships
   Due to the inevitable likelihood that current or past romantic relationships can complicate a training situation, current or past romantic partners of current CAPS staff should not apply for training positions at the Center.
5. Current CAPS Staff Member 
   Current CAPS non-clinical staff members pursuing a graduate degree in a clinical or a counseling mental health field will not be eligible for training positions at CAPS due to inevitable complexities with dual relationships that will arise in simultaneously maintaining a staff position that involves administrative support. Former CAPS staff members pursuing a graduate degree in a clinical or counseling mental health field are eligible to apply for a training position at CAPS.

Reviewed by: Shannan Smith-Janik, Ph.D., Associate Director, Training, Date: 05/19/2025 
Signature: Natalie Hernandez, Ph.D., Senior Director, Date: 05/19/2025