On-campus counseling services are unavailable during the summer session at KCAI. Counseling services will be available to students when school resumes August 24, 2009.

For referral needs and counseling inquiries over the summer session, please contact Dr. Bambi Burgard, Licensed Psychologist and Associate Vice President for Student Achievement, at 816-802-3455 or via email at bburgard@kcai.edu . If you are unable to reach Dr. Burgard during business hours, you can contact Nancy Noble in the Office of Student Achievement at 816-802-3423. After hours and on weekends, you can contact security at 816-931-9666, and security can contact Dr. Burgard.

Also, for additional local resources, please review the information listed below on this page of the website; many referral sources are included at the bottom of this page.

Thank you.

 

Personal counseling

KCAI has a full-time professional counselor on-staff during the academic school year. The contact information is listed below.

Nikol Averbuch
Kansas City Art Institute
Professional Counselor
Ph: 816-802-3376
naverbuch@kcai.edu

Nikol’s role as a counselor is to meet with students with a variety of presenting concerns. These concerns include some of the following:

Transitioning to KCAI from high school.
Transferring to KCAI from a different college, junior college or art school
Adjusting to life at art school as a non-traditional student
Homesickness
Eating disorders
Depression
Anxiety
Sexual orientation/gender Identity
Suicide prevention and warning signs
Time management concerns
Self-esteem
Surviving a difficult critique with your self-esteem intact
Just having a difficult time

Additionally, KCAI contracts with local psychologists and UMKC Counseling Psychology doctoral interns who come to campus and see students for ongoing counseling. One of Nikol’s roles is to meet with students for a brief intake session to determine, with the input of the student, if the student would benefit from meeting with a counseling intern or psychologist on a weekly basis for ongoing counseling. These spots are open to students during the academic year and are limited by availability. If a counselor is not available, Nikol can help you identify outside resources that can help and provide referral information to additional mental health care providers.

Students wanting to meet with Nikol can call 816-802-3376 to schedule an appointment. Walk-In Hours for the Spring 2009 semester are as follows:

Mondays 3:00-4:00 pm
Wednesdays 3:00-4:00 pm
Fridays 2:30-3:30 pm

If you would like to access counseling services off campus, there are several options. Some of these options are listed below:

For students who do not have any insurance other than KCAI’s Student Assurance plan, you can access free mental health services through the KC Free Health Clinic. The KC Free Clinic offers free counseling to individuals who do not have insurance, and you will be eligible for free medication through the KC Free Clinic if you are in ongoing counseling with one of their providers:

Please call Pat Larson at (816) 777-2722 – Pat will schedule you for an intake and assign you to a counselor. The closest clinic is the Midtown clinic:

Midtown Clinic                             
3515 Broadway                            
Kansas City, MO 64111                 

Eastside Clinic
5119 E. 24th Street
Kansas City, MO 64127

UMKC Community Counseling and Assessment Center. Fees are determined on a sliding scale basis:

UMKC – School of Education
52nd and Holmes
(816) 235-2725

If you would like recommendations for off campus counseling, please contact Nikol for a list of Private Practitioners in the area who accept insurance and have worked with KCAI students.

The contact number for the KC Free Clinic for a Medical/Physical Health appointment is (816) 753-5144.

If you are having thoughts of suicide, please call the crisis hotline below, call 911 or go to the nearest emergency room.

24-hour suicide/crisis line: 1-800-273-TALK

Below is a list of Local Resources if you are having thoughts of suicide and need to go to the hospital:

    1. Research Mental Health Services, 816-235-8162 [Intake Coordinator]; 816-444-8161 [Research Psychiatric Center], 2316 E. Meyer Blvd, KC, MO 64132
    2. Shawnee Mission Medical Center, 913-676-2530, 9100 W. 74th St., KC, Kansas 66204
    3. KU Med: 913-588-5000; 3901 Rainbow Blvd, KC, KS, 66160
    4. Two Rivers 1-800-225-8577/816-382-6300, 5121 Raytown Road, KC, MO 64133
    5. Western Missouri Mental Health Center, 816-512-7000, walk-in appointment at 100 East 24th Street, K.C., MO 64108
    6. St. Lukes Hospital Emergency, 816-932-2000/816-932-2171
    7. The Kansas City Free Clinic, 816-753-5144 (Hours are only 8-5 Mon – Fri)

If you are concerned about someone and would like to access online information, a good web page is at the following location, click on the link “For Concerned Others”:
http://ccvillage.buffalo.edu/vpc.html

Online Kansas City resources for LGBT individuals and allies can be found via the following link:
http://www.lgcckc.org/

For information about LGBT activities in conjunction with UMKC’s LGBT office, use the following link:
http://www.umkc.edu/lgbt/

For a list of local AA/NA groups and resources please access the following link:
http://www.kc-aa.org/
www.aa.org/

Please consider accessing online help at the following websites:
http://ccvillage.buffalo.edu/vpc.html
http://mentalhealthscreening.org/

During the summer months, or in the event that Nikol is not immediately available, you may contact:

Dr. Bambi Burgard
Associate Vice President for Student Achievement and Licensed Psychologist
Vanderslice Hall
Ph: 816-802-3455
bburgard@kcai.edu

For faculty and staff who are interested in accessing EAP [the Employee Assistance Program] to learn about the services offered, please contact them at www.ndbh.com or at the following numbers: 913-982-8398/800-624-5544.  Please contact EAP directly to obtain the online login code for KCAI faculty and staff.

 

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