Learn More About the FSU Counseling and Personal Development Center
posted by Evangeline Henzie | October 10, 2023 | In NewsDo you have a disability? Do you believe that you have a disability? Or a temporary disability? Then, the place you need to go to is the Counseling and Personal Development Center located at the entrance of Fayetteville State University.
If you didn’t know now you know Fayetteville State University hired a new disability accessibility coordinator to help disabled students reduce barriers and increase accessibility. I sat down with Dionne Hall, director of the Counseling and Personal Development Center, and Allicia Bennett, accessibility coordinator, to discuss FSU’s efforts in this area. Ms. Bennett’s role is dedicated to ensuring that qualifying students with disabilities have access to the services provided at FSU.
What is required of you?
First-time visitors of the CPD center will meet with Ms. Bennett. During this meeting she will tell you what documentation is needed. Once the documentation is received, it is then reviewed for qualifications. Students are required to complete the student disability registration form on the Student Disability Services webpage, or they can scan the QR code at the Center that will direct them to the form.
After filling out the form, Ms. Bennett will review the forms to determine your eligibility, and from there, she will implement reasonable accommodations to students based on their individualized needs and available services.
The services are implemented following federal disability guidelines. Medical documentation is required from a licensed practitioner regarding their diagnosis and must identify their functional limitations as a result of their diagnosis as well as have recommendations on accommodations that will assist them in reducing those functional limitations.
Fortunately, everything is confidential and will NOT go on your permanent files. Professors and faculty staff are not informed of the diagnosis. The only thing that will go out to them is the accommodation email stating that they are registered for the program and for what they are qualified.
Don’t have a formal diagnosis?
If you are a student who believes that you may have a disability, but do not have a formal diagnosis, the CDP Center can help get you in touch with off-campus providers as needed that will help you get the documentation needed. The CDP Center also partners with Bronco Star which is an organization that helps students academically who learn differently.
You’re not alone!
Some of the disabilities that Ms. Bennett sees coming in and works with are attention deficit/hyperactivity disorder, visual impairments and blindness, learning disabilities, deaf and hearing impairment, psychological disorders, traumatic brain injuries, as well as temporary disabilities.
If you do not have a disability, there is counseling, mental health, substance abuse counseling, a collegiate recovery program as well as a relaxation room for students to wind down if needed. For these services, you can walk in or call. For the relaxation room, you can
book a time on Bronco Navigate. The Counseling and Personal Development Center wants you to come in!
Every accomplishment starts with the decision to try! If you are unsure if you will qualify, please still contact the Counseling and Personal Development Center! You can call and ask any questions regarding it, and they will assist you to the best of their abilities.
Allicia Bennett and Dionne Hall by Evangeline Henzie
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