About Us

Mission

The Counseling, Health & Wellness Center is a welcoming and accepting environment that strives to empower William Paterson University students to make informed decisions about their physical and emotional well-being in order to promote lifelong health.

Through primary health care, personal counseling, health education, prevention services and co-curricular educational opportunities, the Center assists students in achieving success in their academic experience and life goals.

Location

Located at Overlook South, 1st Floor. (Between Matelson and White Hall)


Hours

Fall and Spring Semesters:
Monday- Friday: 8:30am to 4:30pm

Summer:
Monday- Thursday: 8:00am to 5:15pm


Accessibility 

Our facility is certified ADA compliant and fully accessible to meet our students’ diverse needs. Please contact us directly if you identify a specific accommodation to meet your needs. In efforts to continually improve our quality of care, we collaborate with the Accessibility Resource Center to address barriers to care.  

We offer both in-person and telehealth services to meet our students at their comfort level. 

Staff Biographies

The Counseling, Health & Wellness Center is staffed with licensed clinical social workers, licensed professional counselors, a substance use specialist, supervised graduate students, a nurse practitioner, registered nurses, and a consulting physician together with an excellent administrative staff.

    • Jill Guzman, DNP, CPNP - Director
    • Daisy Rodriguez, MSW, LCSW, DRCC - Associate Director
    • Nicole Palagano, LPC, NCC, ACS - Assistant Director
    • Avery Browne, D.O. - Physician
    • Fazia Weaver, APNC - Nurse Practitioner
    • Sueyla Dervishi, RN- Staff Nurse
    • Kristen M. Pena, MSW, LCSW - Counselor
    • Elizabeth Battiston, MA, LPC, LCADC, NCC, ACS - AOD Coordinator & Counselor
    • Jessica Ebegbulem, MA, LPC, ACS - Multicultural Specialist & Counselor
    • Caroline Beretta, MA, LPC - Coordinator of Clinical Outreach
    • Stephanie Hernandez, MSW, LCSW - Counselor, Part-time
    • Lisa DeOliveria (she/her) - Education Program Assistant II

Notice of Privacy Practice

As required by the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) of 1996, this notice describes how mental health/counseling & health information about you may be used and disclosed and how you can get access to this information.

HIPAA is a federal law that provides privacy protections and patient rights with regard to the use and disclosure of your protected health information (PHI) for the purpose of treatment, payment, and health care operations. HIPAA requires that we provide you with a notice of privacy practices for use and disclosure of PHI for treatment, payment and health care operations.

It also requires that we obtain your signature acknowledging that we have provided you with this information.

We value the trust you have placed in our Counseling, Health and Wellness Center (CHWC) to provide counseling and health care for you. Just as you have placed your trust in us to provide quality care, we give you our commitment to treat all of the information you give us responsibly.

Please note that the Counseling, Health and Wellness Center is one department that provides both Health and Mental Health Services. As such, limited PHI is shared between Counseling and Health staff to facilitate and coordinate patient treatment as needed. This information includes appointments, providers, diagnoses, medications, and other treatment information deemed necessary to ensure responsible continuity and coordination of care. Access to your PHI will be limited to those who are authorized to view it. Patient records, including all PHI, are maintained on a secure electronic medical records system that is fully compliant with the requirements of HIPAA.

  • Uses and Disclosures for Treatment, Payment, and Health Care Operations
  • Uses and Disclosures Requiring Authorization
  • Uses and Disclosures with Neither Consent nor Authorization
  • Patient's Rights
  • Other Obligations of the CHWC
  • Questions and Complaints
  • Effective Date, Restrictions and Changes to Privacy Policy

Frequently Asked Questions

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  • Counseling Services:
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  • Confidentiality:
  • Help with a Medical Emergency:
  • Help with a Mental Health Emergency:
  • Immunization Documentation:
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  • Health Insurance:

Commonly Used Forms

Click here to access our most commonly used forms for medical services. 

Begin using Uwill now by clicking here

Teletherapy

U Will WP Teletherapy