ÐÓ°ÉÂÛ̳

Programs and Services

The Office of Guidance and Counseling (OGC) caters to the students’ mental health concerns by providing professional mental health care services such as but not limited to counseling, group guidance, peer facilitation and other psychosocial interventions.

The Office of Guidance and Counseling (OGC) also collaborates with other mental health professionals through the Referral Service to provide the best and appropriate mental health care service to its student clientele.

GUIDANCE SERVICES

Counseling

The Office of Guidance and Counseling provides individual and/or group counseling to students who are walk-in, called-in or referred. The OGC adopts a hybrid mode of counseling provision through onsite or teleweb counseling. Counselors provide counseling and other evidence-based interventions among students to facilitate their personal-social concerns to promote and protect their mental health during their stay in the university. All First Year students are called in by their counselor for a scheduled Initial Interview in order to establish rapport, validate responses in the Student Individual Record and spot potential clients for counseling.

Testing

A Testing Program is designed to obtain relevant and accurate data on student profile, needs, interests, mental health, work values and personality. Data derived from standardized tests and Needs Assessment surveys serve as baseline for program formulation and improvement. Counselors ensure that students also grasp better understanding of themselves through online or onsite test interpretation.

Individual Inventory

Each college counselor maintains and updates student records in a cumulative folder that is stored in safe storage, and is easily retrievable when needed. The Student Individual Data and Needs Profile Form is accomplished by the student in his first year in the university during the College Life Symposium to ensure completeness of student records. The Office of Guidance and Counseling also collaborates with the Information and Communication Technology Center (ICTC) for a computerized system of students’ individual records which maintains the same level of security and confidentiality.

Information

The OGC provides psychoeducation to its student clientele in the form of seminars, symposia, lecture series, fora, podcast series and group guidance sessions. These activities are conducted either onsite or online. Topics are based on the collective and individual date derived from the Needs Assessment Surveys, student profiling and psychological test results. The OGC also maintains its communication channels through the OGC Facebook Page, Counselor FB Pages, group chats and email where students may book for appointment with their Counselor.

Referral

The OGC strengthens its internal and external linkages through its Referral Service. Counselors cater to students who are referred by faculty, staff, parents and peer facilitators through the Student Referral. While counseling cases that are deemed to be needing further specialized psychological intervention are referred to other mental health professionals such as, but not limited to psychologists, psychiatrists, medical doctors, nurses or social workers.

The OGC, through its Enhanced Better Mental Health Access (E-BMHA) Program paves way for the students to access quality, professional and affordable mental health care services such as psychotherapy, pharmacology or psychopharmacology, through its partnership and linkage with mental health experts.

Peer Facilitation

One of the Office of Guidance and Counseling’s auxiliary services is the supervision of the Organization of Student Peer Facilitators (OSPF) in recognition of the psychology of peer worth. The OSPF is an organized group of students who undergo proper recruitment, screening and training to become effective peer volunteers to spot, identify and refer fellow students in need of counseling. The OGC also recognizes dedication and commitment of exemplary student peer facilitators through its Rewards and Recognition of the Outstanding Performing Peer Award (OPPA), which is awarded to a graduating student peer facilitator during the Pre-Commencement Exercises.

Tutorial

The Organization of Learning Assistance Volunteers (LAV) is a voluntary organization under the supervision of the Office of Guidance and Counseling. Tutors are screened and trained students who conduct free tutorial services at the Office of Guidance and Counseling as scheduled. Tutees who come to the office for tutorial are served according to the topic the tutees desire to be tutored and the tutor who are also capable of handling the topic. Tutors are very instrumental in helping their co-learners who have difficulties in certain areas especially in Math, Chemistry, Physics and Computer Programming. Graduating students who are members of the Organization of Learning Assistance Volunteers (LAV) are recognized before they leave the portals of ÐÓ°ÉÂÛ̳-IIT.

Research and Evaluation

The OGC through its rich pool of student data compiles and analyze information derived from individual profiles, psychological tests, needs surveys and program evaluation reports. Since the OGC’s thrust is geared towards promoting student wellbeing and mental health, it makes sure that its programs and services are evidence-based and are empirically tested to foster holistic development of students.