Counselor Education Commons^™

Ungrading An Online Counseling Course, Leah K. Clarke

Journal of Technology in Counselor Education and Supervision

Ungrading, or alternative assessment, is an educational practice that is growing in use and can be effective in online counselor education. Alternative assessment aligns with social justice, competency-based, and community of learning educational philosophies. Assessment that is meaningful for teachers and learners can increase engagement, openness to feedback, and intrinsic motivation for counselors-in-training. A counselor educator describes how one online course was ungraded.

Implementing An Online Research Group About Classism In Counselor Education, Lucy Parker Barnes, Yara Abu Hussein, Ryan Alexander, Kileen Barry, Monica Behera, Effy Chambers, Samuel Chase, Leslie Delaney, Vanessa Filmonor, Robert Giansante, Jamie Kassa, Lily Kairis, Emily Kimmerlman, Laura Leslie, Jesse Linneman, Maeve Kirby, Noel Mckillip, Carolyn Powell, Lisa Rollins, Courtney Rowley, Lydia Rhodes, Lisa Sams, Chris Sharff, Emma Wright

Journal of Technology in Counselor Education and Supervision

In 2021, an online research group was created with counseling students from three different universities. This online research group consisted of masters counseling students and a lead research mentor and counselor educator. This research group was the first of its kind in its Program. This research team focused on intersectionality and classism. Topics of integrating the online world into counseling research, specifically, through this observed research group will be introduced in this documentation. This research team served as a catalyst to increase student morale during required remote learning. Implications driven from this student-centered, online research group will also be described. …

The Great Pivot: The Profession Of Counseling Has Changed, Has Your Pedagogy?, Donna S. Sheperis, Kristel Nazzal

Journal of Technology in Counselor Education and Supervision

The profession of counseling is impacted by more than mental health theories and models. COVID-19, external or adjacent industries, and technology have all left their imprint on the provision of competent and relevant counseling services. In general, most counselor educators were clinically trained prior to many of these influences. Which begs the question, if the profession has changed, should your pedagogy? This presentation introduced some of the challenges and opportunities in training clinicians impacted by these forces.

Teaching During Covid-19: Relational-Cultural Theory In The Online Classroom, Lucy L. Purgason, Dominique Hammonds, Geri Miller, Jill W. Van Horne, Catherine Clark

Journal of Technology in Counselor Education and Supervision

The sudden conversion from face-to-face to online instruction in Spring semester 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic was unprecedented. During this time instructors in helping professional training programs were engaged in the duality of being impacted in various degrees while simultaneously training students to assist clients in dealing with the resulting stress and emotional impact. Relational-Cultural Theory (RCT) is a framework that can be used within online counselor education to consider the impact of the larger socio-cultural context on student learning, prioritizing fostering relational connections. In this article, online teaching approaches aligned with the video conferencing tool, Zoom, are described.

Neuroscience-Informed Technology: Implications For Professional Counselors And Counselor Education, Deborah L. Duenyas, Zach Budesa, Chad Luke, Lauren A. Fry

Journal of Technology in Counselor Education and Supervision

The ACA Code of Ethics (2014) state that counselors who use technology must also develop the knowledge and skills necessary to safely engage with clients. To date, no studies were found that identified prevalence or preferences among counselors' use of technology with clients. The purpose of this pilot study was to investigate licensed professional counselors’ self-assessment of competency to use Neuroscience-Informed Technology (NIT). A national sample of licensed professional counselors were surveyed (N = 69). Results indicate that licensed professional counselors feel competent to use NIT as an intervention in their clinical work (94%). Participants reported feeling most competent in …

A Tide Of Technical Trends: Technology Competence Among Licensed Counselors, Brittany G. Suggs, Mary Sanderfer Stull, Spencer R. Baker, Kathie T. Erwin, David M. Savinsky

Journal of Technology in Counselor Education and Supervision

The inclusion of technology in mental health care can revolutionize the accessibility, affordability, and effectiveness of counseling services, while furnishing practical solutions to reduce mental health disparities and meet widening care demands. Steered by the Coalition for Technology in Behavioral Science (CTiBS) telebehavioral health (TBH) competencies, this study employed a descriptive survey design to investigate licensed counselors’ (LCs’) perceived technology competence in mental health care. The following research question steered the study’s exploration: What is the nature of perceived technology competence among LCs? The overarching hypothesis speculated that LCs’ exposure, familiarity, and current utilization of various mental health technologies would …

Effective Online Synchronous Group Counselor Training: Challenges, Strengths, And Solutions, Cristen C. Wathen, Megan Speciale, Szu-Yu Chen, Donna Sheperis

Journal of Technology in Counselor Education and Supervision

Abstract

This paper on Online Synchronous Group Counselor Training was presented at the first annual Counselor Education Distance Learning Conference on February 19, 2021. In the Counseling field, skills-based courses like Group Counseling are often taught in residential settings regardless of whether the training program is online or brick and mortar. Describing a model for teaching Group Counseling in an online virtual synchronous format, this article shares strategies, challenges, and opportunities for group instructors in counselor training programs during the Covid 19 pandemic and beyond.

Keywords: Group Counseling, Synchronous, Distance Learning

Effects Of Clinical Skills Training: Technology And Pedagogy For The Quality Virtual Classroom, Szu-Yu Chen, Kelly Coker, Cristen Wathen, Donna Sheperis

Journal of Technology in Counselor Education and Supervision

There is a dearth of research on the effects of online delivery of clinical skills training. This pilot study examined the effects and experiences of 27 master’s students receiving 8-week remote basic counseling skills courses. Results suggested that by the end of online training, all participants met the course criteria of skills development. There is a statistically significant increase in students’ beliefs about their own capabilities to effectively facilitate counseling techniques and counseling-related activities. Four themes emerged in participants’ perception of online skills training, including concerns, challenges, technology tools, and overall learning experience. Limitations and recommendations for implications and future …

Counselor Education Online Curriculum Design: Social Justice Considerations, Lisa Mckenna, Amie A. Manis

Journal of Technology in Counselor Education and Supervision

Drawing from a combined 25 years of experience as faculty, curriculum designers, and leaders in online CACREP-accredited counselor education programs, the presenters share best practices in curriculum design and assessment for online counselor education programs. The frameworks that guide the presenters' approach are the competency-based education model and the backward-design model for curriculum. The importance of a systematic assessment process to support data-driven modifications is discussed and illustrated in a brief example. The curriculum design models are applied in a hypothetical course aimed at promoting and assessing student competency development as social justice advocates.

Fostering Connection And Authenticity In Online Counselor Education Through Relational Pedagogy, Laura Bruneau, Blaine Reilly

Journal of Technology in Counselor Education and Supervision

In this conference summary brief, the authors examine the need for connected teaching in higher education’s rapidly evolving digital age. Counselor educators will benefit from utilizing Relational Cultural Theory (RCT) as a foundation for online education. While highlighting aspects from Harriet Schwartz’s (2019) book on connected teaching, the authors explore some tools to increase relational clarity, such as the mindful pause and making small moments bigger. This article is based on a presentation at the Counselor Education Distance Learning Conference hosted by Palo Alto University in February 2021.

The Past, Present And Future Of Online Counselor Education, Kelly Coker, William Snow, Scott Hinkle

Journal of Technology in Counselor Education and Supervision

COVID-19 accelerated the adoption of distance learning in 2020 throughout the world. Online education is now central to counselor education and the trend will likely continue post COVID-19 as well. The history of distance education technology in counselor education is first explored and then the advantages and challenges of this learning model are discussed along with the ethical, legal and regulatory implications. Finally, the future of counselor education is explored along with emerging technologies that may again disrupt our teaching and learning models.

Telehealth Best Practice: A Call For Standards Of Care, Donna S. Sheperis, Arielle Smith

Journal of Technology in Counselor Education and Supervision

Teletherapy is an approach to working with clients that mental health providers have used in some form for years. However, the onset of COVID forced the provision of therapy into teletherapy almost exclusively for a period of time. Currently, mental health providers conducting therapy virtually are not required to be trained in telehealth and are operating without consistent uniform standards of practice. This manuscript pulls from the current literature and guidelines across counseling, psychology, psychiatry, family therapy, and social work to provide a Proposed Standards of Practice for Telehealth. Such standards benefit mental health counselor by grounding practice in common …

The Virtual Bug: Online Live Supervision Of Telemental Health Counseling, Raul Machuca, Ashley Kurns

Journal of Technology in Counselor Education and Supervision

In this article, the authors present a model for the provision of Online Live Supervision of Telemental Health Counseling (OLSTHC). The model includes its development context, logistical considerations, technology and communication needs, administrative requirements, as well as clinical recommendations. In addition, the authors address ethical, multicultural, as well as future research considerations in the implementation of OLSTHC. The authors developed this model as a response to the training disruptions brought about by the Covid-19 pandemic and it represents a feasible alternative for the implementation of a virtual counseling training clinic.

Keywords: live supervision, online supervision, telemental health counseling.

Launching A University Tele-Mental Health Counseling Training Clinic: A Case Study, Wendell Callahan, Erika Cameron, Carrie Tremble

Journal of Technology in Counselor Education and Supervision

With this article the authors hope to establish a precedent of publishing case studies in technology related implementation in counselor education and supervision with a focus on factors that drive as well as hinder such implementation. This case study described the design, proposal and implementation of a telemental health training clinic at the University of San Diego in San Diego, CA. Additionally, the authors highlight lessons learned and recommendations for other counselor educators seeking to implement similar training clinics at their universities.

A Content Analysis Of Counseling Organizations’ Social Media Usage, William B. Mckibben, Sandra Logan-Mckibben

Journal of Technology in Counselor Education and Supervision

Social media is a rapidly growing online platform for professional counselors and counseling organizations to communicate with the public, but little is known how counseling organizations utilize social media. The authors content analyzed posts from nine ACA divisions’ Facebook pages to explore how professional counseling organizations utilize social media to engage with online followers. Sharing links to external websites was the most frequently occurring post, but such postings were less likely to engage followers than sharing a post, photo, or events from within Facebook or uploading a photo directly. Recommendations for counseling organizations to engage in effective social media practices …

Best Training Practices For Probation Officers And Staff Toward Building A More Sophisticated, Fair, And Effective System Of Juvenile Justice In San Diego County, Carissa Carrasquillo

Ethnic Studies Senior Capstone Papers

This report illustrates how probation leadership, officers, and staff in San Diego County can adopt best training practices to address and alleviate incidents in juvenile detention facilities and build a sophisticated, fair, and effective system of juvenile justice. The goal of implementing best training practices for probation officers and staff is to build a knowledgeable workforce to better serve youth and families and reduce racial and ethnic disparities in the juvenile justice system. This report analyzes how innovations in management and the introduction of new programs has proven effective through research- and evidence-based practices and direct community involvement. In particular, …