Counseling and Psychological Services (CAPS) records are kept for seven years as required by Virginia law. In order to provide any information about a student or former student seen in our office, the student must complete a CAPS Release of Information form.
If you are requesting your confidential counseling or psychiatric records, please call CAPS at 703-993-2380 and ask to speak with the most recent clinician with whom you met. If that clinician is no longer available or you do not remember their name, please request to speak with the Associate Director of Clinical Services. You will need to complete a release of information form before any records can be released. If there has been a change in your name since being seen at CAPS, we will need to see an ID with the former name on it as well as one with the current name.
If you are no longer an enrolled student at Mason, please call CAPS at 703-993-2380 and we can help determine next steps.
If you are requesting a letter documenting services received at CAPS, please note the following:
- Letters are provided at the discretion of CAPS according to your clinical history, current functioning, and relevant legal and ethical statutes.
- Letters will be provided primarily in the event that a treatment relationship has been established with a CAPS clinician.
- CAPS generally does not provide letters at the initial point of contact.
- Students should not pursue services at CAPS for the sole purpose of obtaining a letter of support.
- Certain kinds of letters are outside the scope of CAPS, including disability or accommodation assessments and letters related to service or support animals. We can assist you in finding a provider who may be able to furnish requested documentation.
- If you are currently being treated by a mental health or medical professional (or have been in the recent past), they would be the appropriate professional to provide the requested documentation.
- All requests for letters must be made at least five (5) business days in advance of when it is needed.
- You must fill out a Release of Information form with CAPS before a letter will be provided, even if you are requesting a letter addressed to yourself.
If you have any questions, please call us at 703-993-2380.