Counseling Commons^™

Recent Federal Case Spotlights School’S Concussion Protocol, Charles J. Russo, Susan C. Davies

Counselor Education and Human Services Faculty Publications

High school football players are nearly twice as likely to sustain a concussion as college players, according to a recent study by the Institute of Medicine and funded by the NFL. As such, it’s important for schools to have concussion protocols for student-athletes injured during play. A recent case, Mann v. Palmerton Area School District, 117 LRP 40825 (3d Cir. 09/21/17), highlights the importance of having school concussion management and prevention policies in place for student-athletes. After a football player in Pennsylvania demonstrated concussion-like symptoms following a hard hit during practice in November 2011, his coach took him out of …

Beyond Powerpoint: Innovative Ways To Engage Counselors-In-Training, Nick R. Abel, Rick Auger

Scholarship and Professional Work – Education

No abstract provided.

Experiential Learning: Teaching Research Methods With Photovoice, Mazna Patka, Rieko Miyakuni, Candice Robbins

Journal of Counselor Preparation and Supervision

Despite of the emphasis on scientist-practitioner model and evidence-based practice, limited research knowledge and experience among counselors continues to be a concern. In an advanced research methods course, PhotoVoice was utilized as an experiential learning tool to facilitate student engagement as participants and researchers. Processes, successes and challenges are discussed.

Voices From The Desks: Exploring Student Experiences In Counselor Education, Louisa L. Foss-Kelly, Jake J. Protivnak

Journal of Counselor Preparation and Supervision

The purpose of the qualitative study was to explore the themes that counselor education master’s students perceived as impacting their experience within a counseling program. Counselor education master’s students provided their perceptions of what they attributed to helping or hindering their progress. Themes identified as impacting their experiences were academic environment, finances, job preparation, self-care, life role balance, support, mentoring and advising, and personal growth. Recommendations are provided for counselor educators to consider when structuring programs and interacting with master’s students.

Using Films To Increase Cultural Competence In Working With Lgbtq Clients, Melodie H. Frick, Heather Thompson, Russ Curtis

Journal of Counselor Preparation and Supervision

There is a dearth of research on effective strategies for teaching counselors-in-training how to work more effectively with LGBTQ clients. Experiential learning activities, such as watching films, can increase students’ knowledge of their attitudes and beliefs about themselves and culturally diverse clients. This qualitative study explored, in the context of a sexuality and counseling course, how 27 students’ awareness, knowledge, and skills were influenced by the use of two films, For the Bible Tells Me So and Normal, which illuminate the experiences of LGBTQ individuals and their families. Results and implications for counselor educators are provided.

Teaching Online Group Counseling Skills In An On-Campus Group Counseling Course, Kelly Anne Kozlowski, Courtney M. Holmes

Journal of Counselor Preparation and Supervision

Counselors are increasingly incorporating digital modalities into their practices. As such, counseling students must be trained to provide such types of counseling within their degree programs. This article outlines an example curriculum for an on-campus group counseling class wherein students receive training and participate in an online, videoconferencing process group.

A Survey Of Students’ Knowledge About Child Sexual Abuse And Perceived Readiness To Provide Counseling Services, Jennifer Marie Foster

Journal of Counselor Preparation and Supervision

Master's level students in counselor education and counseling psychology (N = 304) were surveyed to explore their knowledge about child sexual abuse (CSA) and perceived readiness to provide related counseling services. While students demonstrated general knowledge about sexual abuse, preparedness to counsel was rated much lower with 69% of students indicating low levels of competency. Data was analyzed to explore demographic characteristics that led to increased readiness scores. Indicators of statistically significant higher readiness scores included: prior work or volunteer experience with victims of sexual abuse, participation in CSA trainings, and supervised field experience. Implications for student training and recommendations …

Scholastic Journalism Adviser's Guide, Mark Hilburn

College of Journalism and Mass Communications: Professional Projects

With a passion for scholastic (high school) journalism, I want my professional project to tailor to that. I hold multiple degrees and certifications in journalism, which have no doubt helped me in the classroom, but not all high school journalism teachers do. Instead, many are taking teaching positions and are told at the time of their interview, or later, that journalism classes (mainly yearbook and newspaper) are part of their teaching schedule. Wanting a job in such a competitive market, these teachers are agreeing and then left scrambling to teach themselves the curriculum before they can teach it to students. …

A Wellness Approach To Investigating Student Veterans' Academic And Career Goals, Thomas Seguin

UNO Student Research and Creative Activity Fair

The purpose of this study is to understand what wellness factors motivate veterans to separate from the military, and how these factors are addressed by the selection of the veteran’s academic major. This project is exploratory in nature, and mixed-methods methodology is being utilized to reach a deep understanding of the wellness and career transition experiences of student veterans. A brief questionnaire has been developed to gather demographic data, and has been distributed among the student veteran population at the University of Nebraska at Omaha (41 respondents at the time of this writing). Interview participants will be selected from the …

Just World Beliefs, Identity Development, And Social Justice Advocacy Of Counselor Trainees, Sara Rundlett

All Master's Theses

This was the first study exploring the relationship between the belief in a just world, identity development, and social justice advocacy (SJA). A mixed methods design was conducted using a nationwide sample of ninety-seven counselor-in-training participants. Hypotheses included positive correlation between identity development and SJA, negative correlation between belief in a just world and SJA, and negative correlation between belief in a just world and identity development. Results were not significant but provided implications for future research and counselor training programs.

Introduction To The Student Design Case Slam, John Baaki, Colin M. Gray, Craig D. Howard, Elizabeth Boling

STEMPS Faculty Publications

At the 2016 Association for Educational Communications and Technology Convention in Las Vegas, the IJDL editorial team hosted a Student Design Case SLAM. The focus of the one-day workshop was to engage graduate students in writing a publishable design case. Nine graduate students participated in the Design Case SLAM. Each graduate student brought the beginnings of a design case. Students were assigned to groups of three and assigned to an editor. Editors provided design case prompts and students completed free writing exercises which included feedback from the editor and group members.

Multicultural Curriculum Designs In Counselor Education Programs: Enhancing Counselors-In-Training Openness To Diversity, Dorota Celinska, Roberto Swazo

Journal of Counselor Preparation and Supervision

Multicultural competencies are critical elements in both counselor preparation and practice. In accordance with the standards of the Council of Accredited Counseling and Related Educational Programs (CACREP), counselor education programs must implement multicultural competencies as one of core curriculum areas. Although research evidences the positive impact of multicultural training, it remains a challenge to establish which curriculum designs and pedagogical approaches are most effective. This study compares self-reported openness and comfort in interactions with diverse populations of 87 counselors-in-training across two distinct multicultural curriculum designs (i.e., single multicultural course vs. infusion through the curriculum) in a CACREP accredited counselor education …

Grant Writing For The Counseling Professional, Megan E. Delaney

Journal of Counselor Preparation and Supervision

This article provides an overview of grant writing for the counseling professional. The information presented is a combination of several sources including recent literature; current government regulations, policies and submission guidelines; information from foundations and non-profit funding agencies; and the author’s own ten years in grants administration. The aim of this article is to provide counselors and counselor educators new to grant writing a better understanding of the typical processes and procedures in proposal preparation. Concepts discussed include identifying a strong need, working with a team, finding the right funder and the fundamentals of writing a successful proposal.

Reap What You Sow: Planting The Seeds Of Supervision In Your Master's Students, Nick R. Abel, Tom Keller, Brandie Oliver

Scholarship and Professional Work – Education

Nick Abel's handout from the NCACES 2016 conference.

School-Based Traumatic Brain Injury And Concussion Management Program, Susan C. Davies

Counselor Education and Human Services Faculty Publications

Traumatic brain injuries (TBIs), including concussions, can result in a constellation of physical, cognitive, emotional, and behavioral symptoms that affect students’ well-being and performance at school. Despite these effects, school personnel remain underprepared identify, educate, and assist this population of students. This article describes a model of service delivery for students with TBI in a large urban school district. The district's TBI Program and Concussion Management Team addresses unique issues related to assessment, intervention, and transition planning for this population of students, as well as prevention and education efforts in the district as a whole.

This model involved designating a …

Challenges And Supports During The Transition From High School To College For Students With Traumatic Brain Injuries, Michaela M. Kramer, Susan C. Davies

Counselor Education and Human Services Faculty Publications

Students who have sustained traumatic brain injuries (TBIs) may experience a number of consequences, all of which can impede the transition from high school to postsecondary educational settings. This study, which relied on interviews with students who had sustained TBIs and who had persistent problems related to their traumas, helped gain an understanding of their postsecondary transition experiences. Students’ parents were also interviewed to provide a point of comparison. The reports of these students—all of whom were enrolled in college at the time of the study—revealed significant challenges with attention and focus, fatigue, short-term memory, and social situations. Comments from …

Ciis Today, Spring 2016 Issue, Ciis

CIIS Today

This volume is the Spring 2016 issue of CIIS Today, the Magazine of the California Institute of Integral Studies.

Review: 'Living With Brain Injuries: Narrative, Community, And Women’S Renegotiation Of Identity' By J. E. Stewart, Susan C. Davies

Counselor Education and Human Services Faculty Publications

J. E. Stewart’s Living with Brain Injury: Narrative, Community, and Women’s Renegotiation of Identity provides an in-depth look at the experiences of ten women who sustained brain injuries at different points in their lives. Stewart’s qualitative research study highlights the unique and shared experiences of these women. Much of the current brain injury literature focuses on men, particularly combat veterans and athletes. Thus, a book focusing on personal struggles confronted by women with brain injury is both timely and needed.

Stewart’s work acknowledges the lost art of listening that is evident in current research and practice. The result is a …

Counselors’ Perceived Preparedness For Technology-Mediated Distance Counseling: A Phenomenological Examination, Daniel C. Holland

Counseling & Human Services Theses & Dissertations

This phenomenological study examined counselors’ perceptions of their formal preparation for engaging in technology-mediated distance counseling with the intent of gaining an understanding of their lived experiences. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with seven seasoned counselors who regularly engage in technology-mediated distance counseling. The results highlighted two categories emerging: the counselor and training/education. Themes related to motivation and counselor attributes emerged from the first category and themes of availability, inadequacy, and modality emerged from the second. The implications from this study suggest a lack of availability of effective training on technology-mediated distance counseling. The implications also suggest areas of potential future …

Traumatic Brain Injury: Persistent Misconceptions And Knowledge Gaps Among Educators, Deborah Ettel, Ann E. Glang, Bonnie Todis, Susan C. Davies

Counselor Education and Human Services Faculty Publications

Each year approximately 700,000 U.S. children aged 0–19 years sustain a traumatic brain injury (TBI) placing them at risk for academic, cognitive, and behavioural challenges. Although TBI has been a special education disability category for 25 years, prevalence studies show that of the 145,000 students each year who sustain long-term injury from TBI, less than 18% are identified for special education services. With few students with TBI identified for special education, TBI is mistakenly viewed as a low-incidence disability, and is covered minimally in educator preparation. We surveyed educators and found that they lacked knowledge, applied skills, and self-efficacy in …

Career Counseling For Gifted Students: Understanding Student Needs And Strategies For Success, Layla J. Kurt

Counselor Education and Human Services Faculty Publications

Meeting the needs of gifted students’ career selection process can pose some unique considerations such as gifted asynchronous development, multipotentiality, and demographic differences such as gender, culture, and socio-economic status (SES) within the gifted population. To address the career counseling needs of gifted students, counselors need to understand the characteristics and needs of gifted students and the relationship this has in the career planning process. This article provides guidance for school counselors to understand gifted students and how to apply career counseling theories, such as the strengths-based approach, Social Cognitive Career Theory, and constructivist theory to this student population.

Increasing College Opportunity: School Counselors And Fafsa Completion, Laura Owen, Erik Westlund

Journal of College Access

Closing postsecondary opportunity gaps has become a national, state and local educational priority. To help eliminate these gaps, the US Department of Education initiated a project that provided real time student level Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) completion status to large urban school districts. Leveraging this information, school counselors identified and supported students and families as they navigated the financial aid process, resulting in statistically significant impacts on FAFSA completion and college attendance.

Latina/O First Generation College Students And College Adjustment: An Examination Of Family Support Processes, Patricia R. Cerda-Lizarraga

College of Education and Human Sciences: Dissertations, Theses, and Student Research

First generation Latina/o college students are at a higher risk for not completing their college degrees when compared to other ethnic minorities due to added barriers and challenges of being the first to go to college. Researchers reported that poor college adjustment is one of the factors contributing to the lack of college completion among Latina/o college students. A few studies exist on the role that family support has on the college adjustment of Latina/o students and these yielded mixed findings. The central role of the family among Latina/o students and their support during the college adjustment period merits attention. …

Suicide Prevention Strategies In Tennessee Community Colleges: A Case Study, Sandra Perley

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Suicide is the second leading cause of death for college students; annually approximately 1,100 students in institutions of higher education die by suicide. However, most research related to college student suicide was conducted using the sample of 4-year institutions. Community colleges have seldom been included in the sample of suicide research studies. This qualitative case study research explored the student suicide prevention strategies in the 13 community colleges in the Tennessee Board of Regents higher education system. Data were collected from surveys, institutional web sites, and interviews with institutional personnel.

Approximately half of the institutions offer suicide prevention information to …

The Development Of Intercultural Competency In School Psychology Graduate Students, Susan C. Davies, Abigail A. Lewis, Amy E. Anderson, Elana R. Bernstein

Counselor Education and Human Services Faculty Publications

School psychologists often have the opportunity to work with students and families from varied backgrounds and cultures. While this can be an exciting and enriching part of the job, it can also be daunting for some practitioners, particularly those who are inadequately prepared. A number of strategies have been implemented in school psychology training programs to improve students’ intercultural competency.

This exploratory study investigated the results of one university’s short-term study abroad program for school psychology graduate students. Pre- and post- intercultural development assessments were given to school psychology graduate students who completed a course abroad; results were compared to …

Do Stress Levels Differ Between First Semester Nursing Student Early In The Semester Vs. The End Of The Semester?, Alissy Heisey

Undergraduate Honors Theses

This study intends to determine how stress levels change over time in nursing students in the Baccalaureate program at East Tennessee State University. The instrument utilized for this survey was the Perceived Stress Scale by Mind Garden, Inc. This survey was passed at the beginning of the semester and at the end of the semester. There was no-significant difference found between the two time spots, leading us to conclude that the level of stress perceived by nursing students is a steady factor during their school semester.

Ohio School Psychologists' Involvement With Concussion Cases, Susan C. Davies

Counselor Education and Human Services Faculty Publications

Concussions can result in a constellation of physical, cognitive, emotional, and sleep-related symptoms that affect students' wellness and performance at school. This study examined the number of concussion cases consulted on by a sample of Ohio school psychologists across two years.

Results indicated very little involvement with students who sustained concussions, with the majority of school psychologist respondents indicating that they consulted on zero cases. Suggestions for increasing school psychologists' involvement with concussion cases are provided, including serving as concussion team leaders, tracking students' symptoms and accommodations, and training others in their school community about concussion recognition and response.

Motivations For Underreporting Suspected Concussion In College Athletics, Susan C. Davies, Brenna M. Bird

Counselor Education and Human Services Faculty Publications

Student-athletes often fail to report concussion signs and symptoms, thereby putting themselves at risk for delayed recovery and permanent impairment. The present study examined motivations for underreporting concussion symptoms among college athletes enrolled at an NCAA Division I university. One hundred and ninety-three student-athletes in high-risk sports completed a multiple-choice survey related to self-reporting of suspected concussion symptoms and reporting of teammates’ symptoms. Results indicated that 45% of participants did not report their own suspected concussions during the present season and 50% did not report suspected concussions in teammates.

Responses revealed that the primary reason for underreporting a suspected concussion …

German Federal Employment Agency: A Summer Internship Experience, Jessica D. Raboin

Celebrating Scholarship & Creativity Day (2011-2017)

The Federal Employment Agency is the largest provider of labor market services in Germany, with over 700 agencies, an institute for employment research, international placement services, a university, leadership academy, and family benefits office, among other subdivisions. The agency is publicly-funded and has several integral responsibilities that are outlined in my poster. My interest in career counseling, labor market management and social services spurred my interest in independently arranging an internship for summer 2014 with an agency near Munich, Germany.

Myth Or Reality: Catholic Inclusivity To Students From Other Religions, Nasser Razek

Counselor Education and Human Services Faculty Publications

This qualitative study explored the multifaceted issue of cultural and religious challenges for an international Muslim group at a Catholic research institution. Measures employed by the university community to assert the friendliness of campus to students from other religions and student perceptions of the effectiveness of these measures are surveyed to reveal the inclusion of students from several religious affiliations, especially Muslim students. The study was based on in-depth interviews with Muslim students.

Data analysis revealed constructs that are pivotal to the case including consistency in affirming the Catholic identity of the university; intentionally avoiding the usage of solely Christian …