Center Policies and Procedures

The Student Counseling Center provides support and psychotherapy services to students to overcome psychological, behavioral, social and emotional disorders and difficulties that may affect their performance. The Center is also an essential reference for faculty and staff; it facilitates their services in supporting students through counseling sessions, educational programs, and prevention strategies.
This decision provides a framework for delivering support and advisory services to ensure that all eligible students benefit from student counseling services at Qatar University.

Article (1)

This decision is called: "The decision of the university president regarding the services of the Student Counseling Center.
This decision applies to all affiliates of Qatar University, including faculty, students and administrative staff.

Chapter One: Definitions

Article (2)

In application of the provisions of this decision, the following terms shall have the meanings ascribed to them:

a. University: Qatar University (QU).
b. President: President of Qatar University.
c. Vice President: Vice President for Student Affairs.
d. Center: The Student Counseling Center at Qatar University.
e. Student: The accepted male or female student at Qatar University.
f. Center Specialist: A specialist at the Student-Counseling Center who works full-time or part-time.
g. Support and Services Staff: Providers of support and services to students at Qatar University.
h. Faculty: Faculty members at Qatar University.
i. Student: A student accepted at Qatar University and registered at the Student Counseling Center.
j. Guardian of the student: The guardian of the student registered in the Student Counseling Center at Qatar University.
k. Director: The Director of the Student Counseling Center.
l. Psychiatrist: A psychiatrist from outside the University and delegated to the Student Counseling Center from the Mental Health Services at Hamad Medical Corporation (HMC) who attends at the Center on agreed schedule.
m. Individual Counseling: An individual therapeutic counseling session for a single guided student.
n. Group Counseling: A group counseling session for a group of students no less than 5 and no more than 12.
o. Student Information Systems Section: Student Information Systems Section at the Student Affairs.
p. Emergency: a situation in which the student is:

In case of danger to himself, others, or the place.
Or in cases where the student is out of contact with reality.

q. Qualitative Documentation: the process of documenting the content of an individual session.
r. State accredited institutions in the field of mental health: Hamad Medical Corporation, Behavioral Health Support Center, Wefaq Center, Aman Center, Naufar Center for Addiction Treatment.

Chapter Two: Rights and Duties of Students

Article (3)
During the period of studying at the University, the student may register at the Center to receive services by submitting a direct request from the student or by referral from the support and services staff or faculty members of the University, provided that the student agrees on the referral.

Article (4)
The guardian of student may benefit from the Center’s services by receiving consultations from the Center’s specialist regarding his registered son in the Center, provided that the student and the guardian have written consent to that end and with their commitment to procedures and instructions of the Center.

Article (5)
The Center may exchange student information with entities inside and outside the University, specifying the type of information exchanged and with a written consent of the student.

Article (6)
The student must give a written consent by signing all the documents submitted by the Center at the beginning of receiving services of the Center.

Article (7)
The student must provide all the required information and documents related to his case, if requested by the Center specialist responsible for his case.

Article (8)
The student should inform the Center specialist responsible for his case of any changes that occur in the circumstances related to his case during the course of the treatment process.

Chapter Three: Rights and Duties of Faculty Members and University Employees

Article (9)
Support and services staff and faculty members can refer students to the Center when needed by direct contact with the Center, or through the University's electronic student referral system if the student's written consent to the referral process is obtained.

Article (10)
Support and services staff and faculty members must refer the student, without waiting for his approval for referral, when he imposes danger to himself, others, or the place, or when he is out of proper contact with reality. In the event of an emergency after official working hours, you must call the hotline of the University and the case will be transferred to the Emergency Department at Hamad Hospital.

Article (11)
Support and service staff and faculty members benefit from the Center's services by providing them with consultations regarding their registered students in the Center, provided that the student agrees to this and signs the Information Exchange Permission Form.

Article (12)
The support and services employee and the faculty member within the framework of their profession at the University must provide the information related to the student that is required by the staff of the Center, after reviewing the Information Exchange Permission Form signed by the student.

Article (13)
The support and services staff and the faculty member must follow the instructions specified by the Center specialist when dealing with the student.

Article (14)
Support and service staff and faculty members are obligated to maintain the confidentiality of the information of the student in accordance with Law No. (13) of 2016 regarding the protection of the privacy of personal data in the State of Qatar, and the instructions of personal data privacy at Qatar University.

Chapter Four: Services of the Center

Article (15)
The Student Counseling Center shall work according to Law No. (16) of (2016) of the State of Qatar regarding mental health, within the framework for its tasks.

Article (16)
The Center’s specialist provides individual or group counseling to the students in the rooms and halls designated to this end in the Center or in other places within the University if necessary. This should be done in a prior arrangement with those responsible for it and with the Director of the Center. The Center’s specialist may provide the service to students in any other place inside the University, in case of emergency.
Article (17)
The psychiatrist of the Center provides services for the student inside the rooms designated in the Center or in the State institutions accredited in the field of mental health.

Article (18)
The Center's specialist may refer the student to the accredited State institutions for mental health outside the University, in the event that the specialist deems it necessary, and after obtaining a written consent from the student.

Article (19)
In case of emergency, or in the case of an official judicial request from the legal authorities in the country, the Center may disclose information related to the student without obtaining his consent.

Article (20)
The staff of the Center are committed to the charter and behavior of the employee’s integrity in accordance with the instructions stipulated in the Manual of Staff and Faculty of Qatar University.

Chapter Five: Documentation of Individual Sessions

Article (21)
The Center specialist and the Center psychiatrist must perform qualitative documentation of individual sessions within the documentation system.

Chapter Six: Ending the Therapeutic Process

Article (22)
The treatment process for the student at the Center ends:

When the student achieves the therapeutic goals.
If the student decides to stop the treatment process.
Three months after the date of graduation of the student from the University.
In the event that the student’s registration at the University is terminated.

Chapter Seven: Emergencies

Article (23)
The Center's specialist deals with the student in an urgent case by providing him/her with the possible medical assistance within the University.

Article (24)
In emergency cases within the university, the Center’s specialist requests the student, if he is mentally present, to specify at least one person to contact him to come and accompany the student to the Emergency Department at Hamad Hospital.

Article (25)
The Center's specialist communicates with the Student Information Systems Section and obtains contact information with the student's family in the event that the student lacks right contact with reality and cannot provide contact information of the guardian.

Article (26)
In the case of emergency inside the University, family members of the student must sign the Center form for disclaimer of the Center, when they come to pick up the student, who is in an emergency case inside the University, and accompany him to the Emergency Department at Hamad Hospital.

Article (27)
The Center's specialist calls an ambulance to examine the student and take him to the Emergency Department, in the event that the student, who is in an emergency within the University, refuses to communicate with his family to take him to Hamad Hospital.

Article (28)
In emergency cases and in the event that it is not possible to obtain contact information of any member of the student’s family from the student himself, the Center’s specialist may inform the student’s family about the case circumstances without obtaining approval from the student.

Article (29)
The Center's specialist may inform the security authorities about the student who is in an emergency inside the University without obtaining the student's consent, in the event that it is not possible to communicate with his family.

Article (30)
The Center specialist may contact the student's family to inform them without obtaining the student's consent, in the event that the student calls from outside the University, declaring his intention to harm himself or others.

Article (31)
The Center’s specialist, at his discretion, may contact the security authorities to report about the case without obtaining the student’s consent anyways, even when communicating with the student’s family, in the event that the student calls from outside the University declaring his intention to harm himself or others.

Chapter Eight: Confidentiality and Privacy

Article (32)
The university is entitled to use the data for research and development purposes in the public interest in such a way that does not refer to the identify beneficiaries of the service after the approval of the Institutional Review Board.

Article (33)
The Center is committed to maintaining the confidentiality of student data in accordance with Law No. (13) of (2016) regarding the protection of personal data privacy in the State of Qatar and the instructions for privacy of personal data at Qatar University.

Article (34)
The Center is committed to maintaining the data of the student in accordance with the privacy instructions of personal data at the University.

Chapter Nine: Complaints

Article (35)
Complaints related to the staff of the Center looked into in accordance with the policy of complaints and grievances of students at the University.
Complaints related to the services of the Center are looked into in accordance with the policy of complaints and grievances of students at the University.

Article (36)
The competent authorities must implement this decision, each within its own functions and everything that contradicts this decision’s content shall be repealed; and it shall be effective as of the spring of 2023.