Counseling for Online Students FAQ

The Online Counseling Network (CCC-OCN) is a partnership among participating counselors at California Community Colleges who wish to provide high quality online counseling. The OCN is focused on ensuring that California Community College counselors have the training, resources, relevant techniques and practices to effectively counsel students in a virtual environment.

The OEI does not provide direct services to students. All OEI resources (OCN) are made available to California Community Colleges. If you are a student attending a community college in California and want to know if your college is using OEI resources, please contact  your college directly.

The OEI Online Counseling Network is providing the following resources to California Community Colleges:

• Online Counseling Community
• Online Counseling Training Course
• Online Counseling Platform

• OEI leadership
• Statewide Counseling Faculty
• ASCCC Appointed Counseling Faculty
• Student Services Staff
• Student Services Administrator
• California Community Colleges Tech Center

Cranium Café  powered by ConexED is FERPA and ADA compliant and is accessible online counseling platform, available, entirely online with no downloads or software installations. It features a virtual lobby for walk-in sessions, as well as opportunities for virtual counseling appointments and interactive workshops. Because it allows for single-sign -on authentication, the platform can be utilized for all areas of counseling offered at the colleges, including mental health counseling.

Cranium Cafe powered by ConexED will integrate with CANVAS and most common LMS’s.

Pilot Colleges- The Online Education Initiative is currently working with 24 California Community Colleges (pilot schools). The pilot schools are encouraged to implement ConexED since the OEI has purchased a license which covers use of hours within the pilot college counseling department. If you are an OEI  pilot college there is no cost for services used within your counseling department. If the pilot college has an interest in using Cranium Cafe powered by ConexED for any other department, then the pilot college will have to purchase blocks of FTEs as a separate contract, although they will still be able to get a discount as was negotiated under the Foundation’s CollegeBuys program.

Non-pilot Colleges– The Online Education Initiative has negotiated a contract for all California Community Colleges under the Foundation’s CollegeBuys program. Non-pilot schools have the opportunity to purchase a subscription at a discounted cost. The OEI will waive the one time setup fee of $750 and the Non- Pilot College is then responsible for purchasing a  minimum of 5000 block of FTES @ 3.75 per FTES.

Currently ConexED can integrate with SARS Anywhere (extra fees may apply for this integration). ConexED can not integrate with SARS Grid. In order to meet the needs of our California Community Colleges Cranium Café powered by ConexED has built and integrated a new scheduling system. The ConexED scheduling tool will help colleges manage counseling department schedules, manage date for MIS reporting, allow for integration with common Student Information Systems, and provide  access to customizable intake forms, and much more.

Fresno Pacific University completed the evaluation of the OEI Online College Counseling course and announced that it has been approved for Continuing Education Credit. All counselors who are enrolled in the 6 week Online College Counseling course have the option to earn 3 units at a total cost of $225 (fees are subject to change if FPU increases tuition). Registration through FPU must be completed by the first week of the Online College Counseling course.

If your campus would like to set up a demo presentation contact Marilyn Harvey mharvey@ccconlineed.org.