Health Alert

While Penn State continues to monitor the global outbreak of the coronavirus closely, Dr. Kathy Stefanelli, our campus Counselor, will provide services remotely.

Contact: You can contact Dr. Stefanelli Monday through Friday from 8:00 a.m. – 5:00 p.m. at (570) 963-2694 or email [email protected]. 

Virtual Walk-ins: Kathy also has virtual walk-in hours on Thursdays 1:00 p.m. – 2:00 p.m. through Zoom at: https://psu.zoom.us/j/270274372 (these sessions are not confidential.)

Please visit Engage for virtual psychological counseling workshops and events.

Counseling Services at Penn State Scranton is committed to supporting the emotional, psychological, educational, social and cultural development of our students. We provide short-term counseling for academic and personal concerns, as well as proactive programming and consultation.

Counselor and student in comfortable office setting.
 

Personal Counseling for Students

Our licensed counselor Katherine J. Stefanelli, Ph.D., LPC is on campus to assist all our students with group and individual counseling, crisis intervention, and case management.  All services are confidential and available to students at no cost.

Counseling Services at PSSN strictly protects the confidentiality of information shared during sessions. Information about you and your use of counseling services cannot be released to anyone without your written permission.

Counseling appointments for students during social distancing.

Counseling Services will continue to operate to meet the needs of students and the campus community while following the remote learning protocol and social distancing during the Coronavirus outbreak. 

Current Client Appointments:

All appointments for current students will be provided via phone and/or Zoom Video Conferencing. As per email sent Friday, March 13, you will be contacted at the time of your next scheduled appointment to discuss the best option for continuing services.

Phone

Counseling via the telephone at Penn State is HIPAA complaint. 

Zoom Video Conferencing

Zoom Video Conferencing at Penn State is HIPAA complaint when NOT recorded, and encrypted for such use by the distributor. Zoom may be an option for  counseling sessions. Dr. Stefanelli must ZOOM from her office on campus.

New Student Client Appointments

New student clients are encouraged to email Dr.Stefanelli ([email protected]) to schedule a new appointment for counseling, as needed.

If you have an emergency, please call 911 or proceed to GCMC on Mulberry Street in Scranton, as they have Clinical Mental Health workers on call at all times. 

Crisis Line

Students experiencing emotional distress can:

  • Call the 24/7 Penn State Crisis Line: (877) 229-6400
  • Text the 24/7 Crisis Text Line: Text “LIONS” to 741741.
  • For emergencies, please contact 911.

Referrals

When to Refer

Although students are most often self-referred for counseling, referrals can come from faculty, staff, parents and friends. Please refer a student to Counseling Service if you see concerning behaviors that may include:

  • Frequent absences
  • Sudden decline in quality of academic performance
  • Significant decrease in energy or motivation
  • A highly adverse event such as assault, abuse, or death of loved one)
  • Escalating stress or anxiety
  • References to bodily injury, suicidal thoughts, or harm to others

Off-Campus Resources

Penn State Counseling and Psychological Services provides short-term individual services.  We often refer students with ongoing or chronic conditions to local providers. To find a private practitioner in the local community, visit psu-scranton.thrivingcampus.com.