Agreement between GCC, RRCS eases access to mental health care

Germanna Community College and Culpeper-based Rappahannock-Rapidan Community Services have reached an agreement that will ease and expand mental health services available to students on the west side of its service region.

  Germanna and the Rappahannock Area Community Services Board, based in Fredericksburg, came to a similar agreement in March 2013.

”This agreement will help our counseling staff provide better crisis intervention and referral service to students in need of mental health assessment and treatment,” said Pam Frederick, Germanna Dean of Student Development. “We will closely with RRCS staff to develop a plan to address mental health crises and provide access to RRCS for both non-emergency and potential emergencies.”

  "RRCS Emergency Services Department staff are excited about this collaboration, and welcome this opportunity to be of assistance to Germanna counseling staff making referrals in potential emergency and non-emergency situations,”  said  Debra R. Pulaski, M.A. Coordinator of Access and Emergency Services for Rappahannock Rapidan Community Services. “We’re looking forward to providing prompt mental health evaluations and crisis intervention counseling services to Germanna students, faculty and staff."  

 As part of the agreement between Germanna and the Rappahannock-Rapidan Community Services, RRCS will designate one or more emergency clinicians as a point of contact for the college and make them available as necessary to determine the appropriate action in a potential emergency situation involving a student or employee. It will also provide assessment and counseling in non-emergency situations by appointment.  And it will make emergency clinicians available as necessary to assist the college’s Threat Assessment Team.

Germanna serves the city of Fredericksburg and the counties of Culpeper, Madison, Stafford, Spotsylvania, Orange, King George and Caroline.