The Center for Student Wellbeing will provide a note if requested at time of the appointment and if the scheduled appointment conflicts with a scheduled class. We do our best to accommodate students and schedule visits during times that do not interfere with a student’s academic schedule.

Otherwise, the expectation is that students communicate with their professors directly when missing class due to not feeling well.

Please Note: The Center for Student Wellbeing does not give excuses for missed classes. It is to the discretion of faculty and their choice to excuse an absence.
As of the Fall 2022 term, the Center for Student Wellbeing discontinued the practice of communications to faculty for individual students requiring isolation. This is due to all positive cases being self-reported and the ability to obtain isolation orders directly/electronically by the individual.

However, in cases when a student self-reports that they have contracted a communicable disease such as influenza or SARS-COV-2, the Center would recommend that faculty continue to excuse students from class to allow students to isolate, per CDC guidelines, and avoid spreading the virus.

• Tammy Kolivoski, RN
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• Rona Fessenden, LPN
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Once a student has a scheduled appointment, typically called an intake, they can expect to meet with a counselor for 30-45 minutes. This first appointment is not a counseling session and is intended to gather information, determine counseling goals and appropriate next steps (i.e., individual counseling, group counseling, or referral for other support services).  

Each counselor practices within their scope and has their own approach to the counseling process. Since each student brings their own unique concerns, we do not practice in a “one size fits all” approach. Instead, we do our best to tailor our approach to the student’s needs.

At times, a referral to an outside provider may be warranted due to the nature of a college setting and limitations within this setting. The majority of students will resolve their concern in 3-6 sessions; however, some students may need more sessions (i.e., long-term counseling) where the goal is to reduce symptoms/improve management of symptoms, rather than resolve a problem.

A crisis occurs when you have reached a level of distress that is beyond your ability to cope. Counselors are available for crisis intervention and given that these times are unpredictable, we will do our best to accommodate a student during our business hours by having our first available counselor meet with the student.

Crisis intervention is not a typical counseling session. The goal is to assess the student’s safety first, then work to reduce the level of distress for the student to return an acceptable level of functioning.

After-hours response is available to students experiencing a mental health crisis/emergency by calling campus safety at (716) 375-2525. Campus safety or the RD on-call will typically arrive to your campus location and be present while the counselor on-call assesses the student by phone. The counselor on-call, RD and campus safety will work collaboratively to address the needs of the student in crisis.

All contacts with the Center for Student Wellbeing and health records are kept confidential, stored in a HIPAA-compliant electronic health record system. Information cannot be released without the student’s consent, most often obtained via a signed release of confidential information. Exceptions are made in limited situations as permitted by federal or state laws.

Parental notification is the responsibility of the student (over the age of 18). This includes when students are transported to the emergency department for further evaluation or after other prevention/intervention efforts are made by counselors or medical staff. Exceptions are made for students under the age of 18 and if a parent is an emergency contact listed by the student (over the age of 18). In the latter exception, the student needs to be determined incapacitated or not otherwise able to notify a parent on their own within a reasonable time frame. 

Carmella Bartimole, Ph.D., LMHC
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Carmella has been working as a mental health counselor in the Wellness Center at SBU since fall of 2019. She has a Bachelor of Science degree in English from Sacred Heart University, a Master of Education in community counseling from St. Bonaventure University, and Ph.D. in counselor education from the State University of New York at Buffalo.  

In addition to her previous role as associate professor and coordinator of the Counseling and Career Center at Jamestown Community College, she has more than 30 years of experience in counseling and teaching, and her area of expertise is grief counseling. Carmella also worked as the bereavement coordinator for Hospice where she facilitated support groups and worked individually with family members who lost a loved one due to a terminal illness.  

She is a member of the Association for Death Education and Counseling (ADEC) and has earned a Fellow in Thanatology (FT) through ADEC. Her dissertation research on teen suicide led her to meet with and learn about high risk teens at the Youth Psychiatric Unit at Erie County Medical Center. Her work allowed her to gain a new-found understanding of how teens who attempt suicide think.     

She loves working with students in an educational setting and considers it a privilege to assist individuals who are finding their way in life. One of her favorite quotes is from C. S. Lewis: “You can’t go back and change the beginning, but you can start where you are and change the ending.” 

 

Abigail Dlugosz, MSEd
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Abigail joined the Wellness Center in 2022 as a mental health counselor. She focuses on assisting individuals to enhance motivation through positive behavioral change and to create a healthy environment for one to flourish in. 

Abigail has previous work experience in co-occurring disorders, which has allowed her to assist others’ progress and recovery of substance use and mental health disorders. Her previous work experience, in a hospital behavioral health inpatient unit, has allowed her to conduct therapy for individuals undergoing psychosis, trauma, suicidal thoughts or attempts, crisis, depression and anxiety. When conducting psychotherapy, Abigail uses dialectical behavioral therapy and it’s modules: mindfulness, distress tolerance, emotional regulation and interpersonal effectiveness.

Abigail graduated from St Bonaventure with a bachelor's degree in psychology and Master of Science in clinical mental health counseling. As an alumnus, she is eager to work with the students of St Bonaventure and is overjoyed to continue her journey in the Bonaventure community. 

Hailey Gattuso, MSEd
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Halley joined Wellness Services as a mental health counselor in August 2021. She works individually with students to balance academic and athletic responsibilities by strengthening mental, emotional and physical health. As a former Division I athlete, her perspective allows her to support students in developing the skillset needed to adapt to high pressure situations while maintaining self-care. 

Hailey’s previous experience working with families as an in-home therapist allows her to view the individual in the context of a system. She helps students navigate the process of understanding their identity within and beyond the context of the St. Bonaventure community. 

She is passionate about utilizing her Adlerian theoretical approach to help students work through crisis experiences while building their sense of self-esteem and self-efficacy.

Hailey holds a Bachelor of Arts in journalism/mass communication with a minor in Spanish, and Master of Science in Education in clinical mental health counseling from St. Bonaventure University. 

When not working with students, you can find Hailey skiing, rollerblading or making memes. 

 

Chance Olivas, MSEd
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Chance joined the Wellness Center in 2021 as a mental health counselor embedded in the Department of Athletics.

He works with students to assist them in developing effective coping strategies via cognitive behavioral therapy and internal family systems therapy to aid students in managing old and new challenges that may occur in their academic, athletic, professional, and/or personal lives. 

Chance holds a Master of Science in Education in mental health counseling from Alfred University.

For all undergraduate and graduate students enrolled full time at St. Bonaventure University, the cost of appointments with the campus medical provider and counselors, some on-site medications, and on-site medical supplies is built into the cost of attending SBU. There is no fee and no need to use insurance.

Insurance coverage is required, however, for certain services. These include:

• To pay for any medical testing or bloodwork that the campus medical provider may need to perform that must be sent out to an external laboratory;
• To purchase prescription medications not provided on campus;
• To pay for costs associated with any referrals made to off-campus providers such as emergency room services, specialists, radiology (X-ray) services, urgent care providers, etc., in the event that the SBU Health Services medical provider is unable to meet a student’s medical needs on campus; or
• To pay for medical transports (such as ambulance and EMS rides) to other facilities. 
  

To purchase the SBU Student Health Insurance Plan

• If you or your child is a full-time undergraduate (bachelor’s degree) student, and would like to purchase the plan, the charge will be automatically added to your student account. For more questions on billing, please contact the Business Office at 716-375-2030.
• If you or your child is a part-time undergraduate (bachelor’s degree), part or full-time graduate (master’s degree) student and you would like to purchase the SBU Student Health Plan, you may do so by CLICKING HERE.  (PLEASE NOTE: As a part-time undergraduate or graduate student, you must be taking at least 6 credit hours in order to qualify to purchase the plan.)
  

 

To keep your current, existing health insurance plan

If you are a full-time undergraduate (bachelor’s degree) student and would like to keep an existing health care policy, you MUST waive the St. Bonaventure Student Plan.

To WAIVE the SBU plan and KEEP YOUR OWN POLICY, please CLICK HERE.

NOTE: When entering your SBU Student ID on the insurance waiver site, do NOT enter the zero at the front of your number. Your ID number actually begins with a non-zero number.

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* The SBU Student Health Insurance Policy is underwritten by a company that is not directly affiliated with St. Bonaventure University. Any questions regarding the student policy may be directed to our insurance broker Haylor, Freyer and Coon by phone at 1-866-535-0456, or by email at student@haylor.com

• Immunization & Vaccination Policy Updated 05/08/2023 
• Meningococcal Disease & Vaccine Fact Sheet

New York state requires all K-12 students to have had the measles, mumps, and rubella vaccine(s). However, if you are out of state or received an exemption for the individual vaccines or combination (MMR) previously due to medical or religious reasons, please complete the appropriate exemption form. 

• Medical Exemption to Immunization
• Religious Exemption to Immunization

• Allergy Injection Form
  • Allergy Injections Agreement Form
  • Allergy Injections Consent Form


• Club Sports Clearance Form 
  All students playing a club sport must complete this form before participating in practices or games. NOTE: No physicals are provided by the Wellness Center. Please have any physicals required for any reason completed prior to arriving on campus, or by an off-campus provider.


• Release of Confidential Consent Form
  
  

NCAA athletes only

There are additional forms to complete and return to the Department of Athletics in Reilly Center. To access the NCAA Division 1 Sports Medicine page and forms, CLICK HERE.