Digital Commons Network^™

Complex Trauma: Counselors' Self-Efficacy And Treatment, Breeze Valenska Rueda

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this descriptive and exploratory mixed-method study was twofold: to explore counselors’ perceptions and knowledge regarding complex trauma and, assess counselors’ perceptions regarding their level of confidence when working with this population. The study determined what relevant factors were related to counselors’ perceived self-efficacy concerning complex trauma. Although complex trauma is emerging as an important issue, there is limited research regarding counselors’ experiences with complex trauma. The current study explored participants’ perceptions when providing services to individuals with prolonged and cumulative trauma and provided a greater understanding of counselors’ recognition and selfefficacy when working with this population. A …

Veteran Wellness And Reintegration: Factors Contributing To Their Success In The Community, Melissa A. Escamilla

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of the following study is to determine if there is a relationship between veteran wellness based on gender, discharge status, theatre of operations, substance use disorder, veteran self-efficacy, community reintegration post discharge, stigma and veteran physical and psychosocial factors. Military veteran wellness has been the focal point of service providers for ensuring post-discharge veterans' success. During the last decade there has been an increase in military veterans reintegrating into society with chronic ailments and undiagnosed conditions. The study examined 85 Texas veterans: (a) the relationship between veterans' substance abuse and their perception of stigma, (b) the relationship between …

Evaluating Educational Training Impact On Pre-Service Students’ Attitudes Towards Human-Animal Relationships, Yuleinys A. Castillo, Denise Silcox, Lynn K. Fisher

School of Rehabilitation Services & Counseling Faculty Publications

Experts suggest that human-animal relationships can bring benefits to households, work environments, and training facilities. Animals can also have a positive impact on humans’ psychological well-being, interpersonal relationships, and interaction with human services providers. Even though human services providers need to understand clients’ holistic experiences, animals are often excluded from treatment and services. Therefore, human services students, who have exposure to the human animal bond, can be more effective providers and understand the role of animals in society. This study evaluated the impact of information about the human-animal bond on attitudes towards animals among pre-service human services students. In addition, …

Exploring The Effectiveness Of A Prevocational Seminar On Self-Efficacy And Work Motivation Among Adults Residing In An Inpatient Mental Health Facility, Amanda L. Foster, Roy K. Chen, Bruce J. Reed, Eva Miller, Ralph Carlson

School of Rehabilitation Services & Counseling Faculty Publications

Objective: This study examined a work-related intervention designed to assist people with serious mental illness (SMI) in overcoming employment barriers.

Methods: A pre- post-test experimental design was used to investigate the effects of a 10-session, prevocational seminar on self-efficacy and work motivation among adults with SMI residing in an inpatient psychiatric facility. Three one-way ANCOVAs were applied to analyze post-test results for the dependent measures.

Findings: Although significant findings were not found regarding the effectiveness of the prevocational seminar on self-efficacy, other interesting discoveries were made. One noteworthy outcome was persons with SMI wanted to work but experienced barriers, …

P. Schulte (2015). Paths To Recovery For Gay And Bisexual Drug Addicts: Healing Weary Hearts. Lanham, Md: Rowman & Littlefield. Isbn: 978-1-4422-4998-1, 178 Pp. (Review), Susan Stuntzner

Counseling Faculty Publications

Paul Schulte, the author of the book, Paths to Recovery for Gay and Bisexual Drug Addicts has extensive experience in working with gay and bisexual men. His work began in 2005 while a student at West Coast University‘s drug and alcohol counseling program. Since then, he has worked with several gay, bisexual, and straight men who are recovering from drug and alcohol addiction. His work has spanned 3 continents. Throughout, Paul Schulte, helps the reader understand the complexities, difficult and subhuman experiences often encountered by gay and bisexual men – all of which further complicate their self-image, decisions, and ability …

Determinants Of Self-Efficacy Among Individuals Who Are Hard-Of-Hearing, Sergio Cuevas, Roy K. Chen, Chia Vang, Shawn P. Saladin

School of Rehabilitation Services & Counseling Faculty Publications

Self-efficacy plays an important role in their lives of the estimated 48 million Americans who report having some degree of hearing impairment, helping them navigate through a myriad of communication challenges. The purpose of the present study was to assess the levels of self-efficacy in this disability group by examining an array of social, psychological, spiritual, disability, and demographic variables. A total of 114 persons who identified as hard-of-hearing took part in an online survey. A hierarchical multiple regression analysis was performed to answer the research question. The proposed regression model explained 24.7% of variance in self-efficacy among individuals who …

Client Assistance Programs And Protection And Advocacy Services, Charlene J. Blankenship, Roy K. Chen, Cynthia A. Serrata

School of Rehabilitation Services & Counseling Faculty Publications

Client Assistance Programs and Protection and Advocacy Services comprise the nationwide network of congressionally mandated, legally based disability rights agencies. Both of these programs and services were mandated as a response to the need for protection of the rights of persons with disabilities. The authors will discuss both of these programs and the services they offer. Implications will also be addressed.

Vocational Rehabilitation Counselors' Experiences, Perceptions, And Readiness Related To Self-Employment Of People With Disabilities, Deborah Ashley

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this dissertation study was to explore the experiences, perceptions, and readiness (EPR) of vocational rehabilitation counselors (VRCs) supporting people with disabilities (PWD) in self-employment. While PWD are twice as likely to be self-employed than the general population, self-employment case closure rates within vocational rehabilitation remain historically low around 2%.

Descriptive, inferential, and correlational statistical analysis were used to investigate the EPR of 205 Certified Rehabilitation Counselors across the nation via an online survey, the Vocational Rehabilitation Counselor Self-Employment Process Survey (VRC-SEPS). The VRC-SEPS consists of demographic items, two Likert-type scales examining experiences and readiness, and a set …

Cost Of Caring: The Effects Of Euthanasia On Animal Shelter Workers, Kim L. Nguyen-Finn

Theses and Dissertations

This mixed-methods study focuses on animal shelter workers, a population that has often been overlooked in research and clinical practice, and the emotional strains of the task of euthanasia. The effects of employment in a kill or no-kill shelter, participation in euthanasia, and number of years employed on mental health issues of substance abuse, anxiety, depression, secondary traumatic stress, and burnout were examined. A three-way MANOVA was run to test the hypothesis that there is a cell effect among the type of shelter employed in, participation in euthanasia, and years of experience on mental health, which was not supported by …

A Study Of Counselor Trainees' Self-Perceived Competency In Social Justice Advocacy, Mary Ann Rocha

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of the study is to examine the social justice advocacy competencies of rehabilitation counselor trainees. The study aims to explore rehabilitation counselor trainees’ self-perceived social justice advocacy competencies. More specifically, counselor trainees’ demographic and training variables will be examined to understand the process of social justice advocacy competency. Also, the study will explore the correlation between social justice advocacy competency and ethical awareness. A convenience sample of counselor trainees who are in a master’s-level or doctoral level rehabilitation counseling program or related counseling program was utilized for this study. In total, 132 counselors in training completed the online …

Factors Contributing To Successful Employment Outcomes For Individuals Who Are Hard-Of-Hearing, Sergio Cuevas

Theses and Dissertations

This study examined the relationship between demographic variables (gender, race and ethnicity, age, level of education, and secondary disability), state-federal vocational rehabilitation (VR) services, and VR employment outcomes among individuals who are hard-of-hearing. This study also explored what VR services contribute to employment outcomes for individuals who are hard-of-hearing. Data from The U.S. Department of Education Rehabilitation Service Administration Case Service Report (RSA-911) FY 2014 was used to focus on individuals who are hard-of-hearing. Logistic regression, Chi-square, and Chi-square Automatic Interaction Detector (CHAID) analyses were used to analyze the RSA-911 dataset.

Certified Rehabilitation Counselors' Self-Perceived Competency In Facilitating End-Of-Life Care Services, Miranda Lopez

Theses and Dissertations

As of 2010, certified rehabilitation counselors (CRC) have been provided ethical guidelines addressing end-of-life care (EOL) service delivery for persons with disabilities. Due to the plethora of pertinent knowledge and skills sets needed to facilitate comprehensive EOL issues, it is vital to examine rehabilitation counselors’ self-perceived competence in facilitating EOL care service delivery. The study was conducted as a non-experimental exploratory design. Based on the study’s sample (N = 188), descriptive statistics reported 70% of counselors lacked education while 69% had not participated in EOL training. Approximately 81% of the participants reported the need for EOL education and training. …

The Rider (2018-08-27), Victor G. Ramirez

The Rider Archives

Vol.4 No.1

The Therapeutic Triad Of Disability, Susan Stuntzner, Jacquelyn Dalton, Angela Macdonald

Counseling Faculty Publications

For many counseling professionals, the exploration of forgiveness, selfcompassion or resilience can seem daunting, particularly when determining ways to apply these concepts to people with disabilities and their specific needs. When approaching this task, counselors may ask themselves several questions, including: Where do I start? Which concept is most important? Is one of them more relevant for this population? How can I best help people explore one or all of these concepts? Good questions indeed but not always easy ones to answer.

To help counselors understand each of these concepts, the three authors of this article developed a model called …

An Exploratory Factor Analysis: Factors That Influence Employers Disposition To Hire And Retain Persons With Disabilities, Javier Nazario Rodriguez

Theses and Dissertations

Despite the laws that are in place to ensure equal employment opportunities for persons with disabilities, there continues to be a disparity in employment rates for persons with disabilities when compared to persons without disabilities. Understanding factors that influence employers disposition to hire and retain persons with disabilities is the first step towards developing a guide for professionals that provide direct job placement services to this population in developing an educational intervention plan that is conducive to employers being more receptive to hiring persons with disabilities.

Currently there are many studies that focus on employers’ attitudes towards hiring and retaining …

Mexican American Counselor And Client: Perceptions Toward Substance Use Disorders, Eluterio Blanco Jr.

Theses and Dissertations

Over 28.6 million Americans have admitted to the ongoing use of illicit drugs and more than half of Americans are current alcohol drinkers yet a significant number of these people do not seek treatment. Trends regarding substance-related treatment have shown Hispanic drug users tend to underutilize drug and alcohol services and treatment avoidance is especially prevalent among Mexican Americans who reside along the US-Mexico border, due in part to the stigma associated with substance use. In addition, counselor attitudes as well as student counselors-in-training attitudes are showing a manifestation of the same kind of stigma toward substance use as the …

Cultural Awareness: Latinos Perceptions In A Multicultural Counseling Course [Concientización Cultural: Percepciones De Estudiantes Latinos En Un Curso De Consejería Multicultural], Leila Flores-Torres

Theses and Dissertations

This study explored the experiences and perceptions from a multicultural counseling course of Latino graduate counseling students at a Hispanic Serving Institution (HSI). The purpose of the study was to understand the students’ lived experience and its impact in developing their multicultural counselor identity and competencies. The research questions included the following: What course experiences and personal values do Latino graduate students identify as relevant to their multicultural counseling preparation? What psychological process do Latino graduate students use to make meaning of their experiences and values in their multicultural counseling preparation to serve the needs of culturally diverse clients?

The …

Multicultural Counselor Supervision And Perceived Differences On Client Outcome, Andrew Perez

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study is to examine the differences between counselor supervisors’ and supervisees’ perceptions of the impact of multicultural supervision on client outcome. Counselor supervisors and supervisees may have differences in how much they believe multicultural factors affect client outcome and this study aims to determine what differences exist. These differences are important in understanding how supervisors might better serve supervisees and in turn clients. There were 61 participants in the study that consisted of faculty, counselor supervisors, counselors, and graduate students in counseling-related fields. The current study found that multicultural supervision/competence alone predicted supervisor client outcome. The …

Knowledge And Attitudes Toward Persons With Schizophrenia Among Hispanic University Students Enrolled In Mental Health And Non-Mental Health Disciplines, Manisha Sharma

Theses and Dissertations

The present study was designed to examine university students’ knowledge regarding schizophrenia and factors that can influence university students’ attitudes toward persons with schizophrenia. An attribution questionnaire ([AQ-27], Corrigan, Markowitz, Watson, Rowan, & Kubiak, 2003), the Error Choice Test ([ECT], Michaels & Corrigan, 2013), and the Social Desirability Scale ([SDS-13], Reynolds, 1982) were utilized to collect data from undergraduate students attending The University of Texas Rio Grande Valley (UTRGV), the largest U.S. Hispanic serving university located on the Texas-Mexico border. Descriptive and inferential statistics were utilized to analyze the survey data. Results indicated a non-significant relationship between students’ knowledge regarding …

Utrgv Undergraduate Catalog 2018-2019, The University Of Texas Rio Grande Valley

UTRGV Catalogs

No abstract provided.

Utrgv Graduate Catalog 2018-2019, The University Of Texas Rio Grande Valley

UTRGV Catalogs

No abstract provided.

An Examination Of The Structure Of The Vocational Outcome Expectations Scale With Latina/O Students, Javier Cavazos Vela, Mehmet A. Karaman, Wayne D. Smith, Yvette Hinojosa

Counseling Faculty Publications

In the current study, we investigated the psychometric properties of a meaningful measure of career development among Latina/o students. A confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) was used to evaluate structural validity of the Vocational Outcome Expectations scale. The results supported a modest one-factor structure for the VOE scale. Internal consistency was good as measured by coefficient alpha. Findings provide support for the reliability and validity of the VOE with Latina/o students. A discussion regarding the usefulness of this measure of career development is provided.

Effectiveness Of Practicum Supervision As Perceived By Hispanic Undergraduate Rehabilitation Services Students, Roy K. Chen, Kim L. Nguyen-Finn, Jinhee Park

School of Rehabilitation Services & Counseling Faculty Publications

Practica are integral to the culmination of systematic learning in higher education, particularly in fields such as health sciences and human services. For undergraduate rehabilitation services students, these placements typically mark the first-time students apply textbook knowledge to real life situations. Therefore, effective site supervision is an important part of the undergraduate field experience. The purpose of the present study was to examine the perceived effectiveness of undergraduate rehabilitation services practicum site supervision. The sample consisted of 154 Hispanic undergraduate rehabilitation services students. The findings show that students were satisfied with the supervision they received. Students also rated the competency …

Resilience And Disability: Consideration And Integration Of Resilience Training In Undergraduate Rehabilitation Service Programs, Susan Stuntzner, Jacquelyn A. Dalton, Veronica Umeasiegbu, Angela Macdonald, Fidencio Mercado

Counseling Faculty Publications

Resilience is a topic of growing interest with significant momentum generated by the Positive Psychology Movement. While resilience has been discussed at the graduate level and beyond, few articles seem to openly discuss how it is addressed as a part of undergraduate rehabilitation service programs. Discussion and careful consideration is needed as many undergraduates work in direct services. This article is designed to help rehabilitation educators and professionals understand the application and value of resilience and resilience-based skills as a part of the undergraduate rehabilitation curriculum. Article content addresses resilience, benefits of resilience, resilience-based factors, and the applicability of resilience …

Change Your Story Change Your Brain By Dr. Linda Miles (Review), Susan Stuntzner

Counseling Faculty Publications

Professionals interested in learning mindfulness and ways to practice it in their life or with the people they serve may find the book, “Change Your Story Change Your Brain” of value. Collectively, the book is composed of four sections pertaining to mindfulness: Mindfulness as a Survival Strategy, The Mindfulness Mentality, Mindfulness as the Road to Recovery, and Mindfulness as a Path of Self-Discovery. Within each section are three to four chapters. Each chapter covers a different concept related to mindfulness and is approached according to a specific format which includes an illustration of the NOW approach (i.e. Notice, Opportunities and …

Collaborative Documentation For Behavioral Healthcare Providers: An Emerging Practice, Suzanne Maniss, Amanda G. Pruit

Counseling Faculty Publications

This article considers the practice of collaborative documentation (CD) for behavioral healthcare providers; the legislative, technological, and philosophical milieu in which it developed; the attributed benefits for providers and clients; and the peer-reviewed research supporting its use. Collaborative documentation has emerged following significant legislative and technological changes in healthcare delivery and shifts toward client-centered healthcare practices including more shared decision-making between clients and practitioners.

Stigmatizing Effects Of Visible Versus Invisible Disabilities, Noel A. Ysasi, Alicia B. Becton, Roy K. Chen

School of Rehabilitation Services & Counseling Faculty Publications

The concept of disability is complex and has been interpreted in a variety of ways. The degree to which a disorder is "disabling" depends on the interchange between the condition and other factors including the individual's environment. Modern society's emphasis on self-sufficiency and productivity contribute to the tendency to devalue those who are perceived as unable from these valued characteristics. Research suggests the visibility of a condition may lead to stigmatization, a concept generally associated with feelings of shame due to discontentment and devaluation of others. The authors present literature related to persons with visible and invisible disabilities, and the …

The Implications Of Mild Traumatic Brain Injury And Malingering, Knowledge Base, And Opinions In Life Care Planning, Rigel Pinon, Irmo Marini, Tiffany Cantu, Iliana Escandon

School of Rehabilitation Services & Counseling Faculty Publications

The current study surveyed 86 rehabilitation educators from 27 universities spanning 17 states teaching graduate rehabilitation counseling students regarding to what extent, if any, they address the medical and psychosocial aspects of traumatic brain injury in their curriculum to students. Students of various disciplines who develop life care plans particularly with mild traumatic brain injury must be aware of the symptomatology and prognosis in relation to long-term medical and psychological care needs. Knowing how to distinguish and assess valid subjective complaints, neuropsychological testing, and diagnostic findings regarding traumatic brain injury is key to developing a methodologically reliable and valid plan. …

Positive Approaches To Overcoming The Stigma Of Disability, Noel A. Ysasi, Roy K. Chen, Megan E. Jones

School of Rehabilitation Services & Counseling Faculty Publications

People with disabilities often face prejudice and discrimination because of their physical and/or mental deviance from norms subjectively defined by society. The stigma associated with having a disability can have a negative impact on the quality of life among this population. The purpose of this paper is to discuss theory-based strategies and approaches that people with disabilities can adopt to overcome and mitigate the adverse effects of a stigmatizing disability. Specifically, the paper uses the hope theory and positive psychology theory as foundations to pave way for weaving spiritual well-being, resilience, and optimism into psychoeducation efforts to help people with …

Association Between Hispanic Parents' Attitudes And Knowledge Regarding Obesity And Their Children's Body Mass Index: Implications For The Development Of Obesity, Renee Starr

Theses and Dissertations

According to the World Health Organization (WHO, 2017), more than 1.9 billion adults age 18 and older are overweight and over 650 million are obese. Data collected through the Centers for Disease Control indicates the prevalence of U.S. adults who are overweight and obese is estimated at 36.5% and the national childhood obesity rate is more than 12.7 million (17%), with approximately one in six school-aged children reaching the obesity level (Ogden, Carroll, Fryar, & Flegal, 2015). Hispanic children have the highest levels of obesity among all racial/ethnic groups (21.9%) and obesity rates are especially prevalent among impoverished Hispanics residing …