The Core Values of The Mico University Guidance and Counselling Unit are as follows:
- We believe that the university counselling Unit is an important part of the larger university community, and as such, should attend to both relevant systemic and individual needs.
- We believe that the unit should play a role in identifying and either treating or providing referral services for a spectrum of mental health issues, paying particular attention to:
- Individuals faced with developmental challenges, including issues that arise in relation to transitional phases of life (e.g., living on one’s own for the first time, starting a new career, etc.) and challenges that arise in relation to facing new and/or otherwise stressful situations (e.g., choices concerning sexuality, roommate conflicts, relationship break-ups, etc.).
- Individuals faced with serious mental health issues and needs, including Major Depression, Bipolar Disorder, Schizophrenia, serious addiction issues, serious eating disorders, etc.
- Individuals who are in immediate need of emergency services, for such issues as suicidality, homicidality, the emergence of psychotic symptoms, sexual assault, etc.
- The unit believes strongly that self-reflection, an openness to change, and a sense of responsibility for oneself are qualities that are key to living a meaningful life and to achieving personal, relational, and intellectual growth throughout the lifespan. Hence, helping to promote these characteristics within the environment in which we work, provide a very important skill set that will serve the community well as we mature and tackle life’s challenges.
- We believe that the healthiest members of our society have developed a personal model of wellness that incorporates positive self-care and stress management. We do our best to advocate such a model within our university community and to follow such a model ourselves, as a staff, in our own lives.
- We value the continual development of the professional staff of our counselling unit. Therefore, we do our best to stay abreast of recent advances in the fields of psychology and social work and incorporate these within our clinical work. We also strive to utilize technological advances to improve our services and the running of the counselling unit.