Thesis (Ph.D.)--Kent State University, 2009. / Title from PDF t.p. (viewed March 3, 2010). Advisor: Martin Jencius. Keywords: Retention; Counselor Education; Phenomenology; Attrition; Doctoral Students. Includes bibliographical references (p. 168-174).

Counselor educators are charged with facilitating the development of counseling students towards becoming ethical and competent counselors (American Counseling Association [ACA], 2005; Council for Accreditation for Counseling and Related Educational Programs [CACREP], 2009). In addition, counselor educators serve as gatekeepers for the profession and deny entry to counseling students who demonstrate deficiency of necessary competencies (ACA, 2005; Association for Counselor Education and Supervision [ACES], 1993; CACREP, 2009). Numerous assessment tools utilized for the evaluation of counseling competencies have been developed, yet none has gained universal acceptance in the field of counselor education. The Counseling Competencies Scale© (CCS, UCF Counselor Education Faculty, 2009) is a 32 item counseling-student assessment tool developed to measure counselors-in-training counselor competencies (counseling skills, professional dispositions, and behaviors). The psychometric properties of the CCS have been investigated (Swank, 2010); however, questions related to perceptions, purposes, and uses of the CCS remained. Therefore, the purpose of this descriptive, exploratory phenomenology was to understand counseling students‘ and practicum supervisors‘ lived experiences with the CCS. The sample included counseling practicum students (N = 23 [individual student interviews only, n = 11; student focus group interviews only, n = 4, individual student interviews and student focus group participants, n = 8]) and practicum supervisors (N = 6) from a CACREP accredited counselor education program in the Southeastern United States. The data was collected through individual interviews and focus groups with practicum students and individual interviews with practicum supervisors. All data was recorded, transcribed, coded, and analyzed for themes (Creswell, 2007; Moustakas, 1994). The data analyses utilized a research key iv comprised of 34 meaning units (Devenish, 2002; Moustakas, 1994) and identified five themes within the data: (a) Cognitive understanding, (b) Emotional Understanding, (c) Feedback, (d) Trustworthiness, and (e) Gatekeeping. A visual metaphor was developed to illustrate the interaction of the five themes. Trustworthiness measures employed throughout the research included the use of (a) descriptions of researcher positionality, (b) a self-reflective field journal, (c) triangulation (student and supervisor individual interviews, student focus group interviews, and examination of the CCS document), (d) member checking, (e) peer debriefers, (f) an external auditor, (g) an extensive description of previous literature, and (h) an openness to disconfirming evidence (Creswell, 2007; Marshall & Rossman, 2006; Moustakas, 1994). The results supported that counseling students and their clinical supervisors identified the CCS as an appropriate and comprehensive supervisory tool; however, they acknowledged CCSrelated limitations including inconsistent application, problematic scoring system, pass/fail structure, and delivery by instructors and practicum supervisors who demonstrated minimal investment of time and effort. Implications for counselor educators include the importance of program and faculty members‘ engagement and consistency regarding the use of (a) evaluation and feedback tools, (b) remediation and gatekeeping processes, and (c) counseling student performance expectations. Replication of this study at diverse institutions is suggested. In addition, quantitative and qualitative investigations examining counseling student competencies and development (e.g., CCS) would contribute to the counselor education, counseling-student development, and counseling supervision literature. A discussion of the investigation‘s limitations is included.

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The purpose of this research was to examine counselor educators’ perceptions of the gatekeeping process. To fulfill this purpose, a qualitative methodology using grounded theory procedures was utilized. Eight counselor educators participated in three rounds of individualinterviews. These counselor educators were located in the south-east region of the United States and had five or more years of experience teaching in CACREP-accredited graduate programs. Initial interviews occurred face-to-face and follow-up interviews were conducted via electronic mail. Initial face-to-face interviews were audio taped and transcribed for the purpose of data analysis. Electronic mail interviews were printed for analysis purposes. For each round of individual interviews, coding procedures were utilized to identify emergent themes. Emergent themes were organized in four general categories: pre-admission screening phase, postadmission screening phase, remediation plan phase, and remediation outcome phase. Additionally, two interwoven themes emerged related to each gatekeeping phase: support and cultural sensitivity. Verification procedures are discussed and methods to address potential limitations are presented. Implications for counselor educators, counselor education programs, related educational programs, CACREP, and ACA are highlighted. Finally, suggestions for further research are offered.

Working with students requires you to know laws and ethics related to teaching. The content of this chapter orients students with FERPA, ADA, and IDEA. It includes a review of the ACA ethical guidelines and CACREP standards related to the roles and functions of Counselor Educators and Supervisors. Though the use of case study examples, readers have the opportunity to develop applied understanding of the ethical and legal guidelines related to the role of being an instructor and gatekeeper of the profession.

The purpose of this qualitative, narratological research was to gain a deeper understanding of the stories of three African American counselor educators who experienced research mentorship as counseling students and faculty members while working towards tenure. The three participants were employed as assistant professors in CACREP-accredited counselor education graduate programs provided their perspectives of research mentorship. The primary research question for my research was: How do pre-tenured African American female counselor educators perceive their research mentorship experiences? The foundation for my study was provided by the review of literature focused on critical race theory, marginalized groups in academe, mentorship among specific populations, and research mentorship Semi-structured interviews were used to collect data. The transcribed interviews, vitas, and faculty profiles were analyzed by within-case and cross-case analysis. The findings indicated seven super-ordinate themes. 1) Benefits of Research Mentorship, 2) Social Racial Membership with Other Forms of Marginalization, 3) Professional Networking/Support, 4) Perceptions of Institutional Climate and Culture, 5) Perceptions of Research Mentoring Experiences, 6) Barriers of Research Mentorship, and 7) Behaviors that Foster Effective Research Mentoring. Implications for students and counselor educators along with recommendations for future research are presented. Personal reflections of the researcher are provided.

Counselor educators are responsible for training counselors-in-training (CITs), equipping them with knowledge and skills to best serve racially diverse clients (CACREP, 2015). CITs may demonstrate multicultural competence by broaching race, or inviting clients to consider the extent to which race contributes to one's presenting problem (Day-Vines et al., 2017). Practicum and Internship experiences offer counselor educators the opportunity to prepare CITs to broach race through group supervision. Thus, this interpretative phenomenological analysis aimed to explore experiences of Black counselor educators in CACREP-accredited counseling programs, as their voices have historically been overlooked in scholarship (Haskins and Singh, 2015). Five GETs were revealed including: (a) Degree of Multiculturalism in Counseling Program, (b) Regular Conversations of Race, (c) Defining Broaching, (d) Centering Clients' Culture, and (e) Feeling Tension with Students as well as three divergent experiences. Overall, these findings highlight the ways in which Black counselor educators navigate the task of supporting CITs with the broaching intervention. This study illuminates what counselor education programs, counselor educators, and CACREP can do to improve what is currently being done about broaching preparation in counselor education. / Doctor of Philosophy / Counselor educators are responsible for training counselors-in-training (CITs), equipping them with knowledge and skills to best serve racially diverse clients (CACREP, 2015). CITs may demonstrate multicultural competence by broaching race, or inviting clients to consider the extent to which race contributes to one's presenting problem (Day-Vines et al., 2017). Practicum and Internship experiences offer counselor educators the opportunity to prepare CITs to broach race through group supervision. Thus, this qualitative study aimed to explore experiences of Black counselor educators in CACREP-accredited counseling programs, as their voices have historically been overlooked in scholarship (Haskins and Singh, 2015). Five GETs were revealed including: (a) Degree of Multiculturalism in Counseling Program, (b) Regular Conversations of Race, (c) Defining Broaching, (d) Centering Clients' Culture, and (e) Feeling Tension with Students as well as three divergent experiences. Overall, these findings highlight the ways in which Black counselor educators navigate the task of supporting CITs with the broaching intervention. This study illuminates what counselor education programs, counselor educators, and the accrediting body for counselor education programs can do to improve what is currently being done about broaching preparation in counselor education.

Youth living in the United States are experiencing increasing rates of mental health issues (New Freedom Commission on Mental Health, 2003; U.S. Department of Education, 2006) and are less likely to receive mental health services (U.S.DHHS, 2009). Children and adolescent mental health services are fragmented, often times ineffective, and difficult to obtain (Brown, 2006; Center for Mental Health in Schools, 2008; Jacob, 2008). Children of color and children living in poverty (ASCA, 2009; Panigua, 2005; Shavers, 2013; and Vera, Buhin, & Shin, 2006), are more likely than their peers to experience mental health disorders and less likely to receive outside mental health services (U.S. Department of Health and Human Services,1999; U.S. National Institute of Mental Health, 2001). Professional school counselors, play a significant role in identifying, meeting and connecting students in need of additional mental health services (ASCA, 2012; Jacob, 2008) and are advised to collaborate with community agencies to better meet the mental health needs of all their students (ASCA, 2009; ASCA, 2012). If left untreated, mental health issues can have a direct impact on students’ learning and academic performance (Adelman & Taylor, 2006). In response, there have been many recent initiatives to promote mental health in schools, including H.R. 628: Mental Health in Schools Act currently being considered by a United States congressional committee. School-based mental health counseling programs (SBMHCPs) have been implemented to address the fragmented mental health delivery system for children and adolescents needing mental health services (Center for Mental Health in Schools, 2003; New Freedom Commission on Mental Health, 2003; & Surgeon General Report on Mental Health, 1999). There is limited research about SBMHCPs from the perspective of those who have been addressing the mental health needs of students for decades—professional school counselors and professional school counselor educators. This qualitative study examined professional school counselors’ and counselor educators’ experiences working collaboratively with school-based mental health counselors. Seventeen school counselors (n=17) and five (n=5) counselor educators participated in a structured online questionnaire. Phenomenological data analysis methods were used to analyze the results (Hays & Woods, 2011; Moustakas, 1994). Results describe professional school counselor and counselor educator’s perceptions about school-based mental health programs, the roles of professional school counselors and school-based mental health counselors, training recommendations, and funding issues related to school-based mental health programs.

Ethical and competent professional counselors are needed to provide quality counseling services to the public. Counselor educators and supervisors have the responsibility of training competent counselors. Furthermore, counselors and counselors-in-training have the responsibility of continually assessing their own development and implementing measures to increase their competency. Assessment instruments have sought to measure counseling competencies through evaluating counseling skills. However, a paucity of research exists that examines counseling competencies in a comprehensive manner using a psychometrically sound approach. Therefore, a need exists for a psychometrically sound assessment instrument that measures the construct of counseling competencies in a holistic manner. Thus, the purpose of this study was to assess the psychometric properties of the Counseling Competencies Scale© (CCS; UCF Counselor Education Faculty, 2009), an instrument designed to measure counseling competencies, within the areas of counseling skills, professional dispositions, and professional behaviors. The sample included 81 counseling practicum students and 21 counseling practicum supervisors from two graduate counselor education programs at public institutions accredited by the Council for Accreditation for Counseling and Related Educational Programs (CACREP) within the United States (one program in the southeast and another in the northwest). The practicum supervisors evaluated the counseling competencies of the counseling practicum students per the CCS at the semester midpoint and conclusion. Additionally, the counseling practicum students evaluated their own counseling competencies per the CCS at the semester midpoint and conclusion. Furthermore, the counseling practicum students and supervisors both iv completed a demographic questionnaire developed by the researcher. The data analysis procedures employed to test the research hypotheses were: (a) factor analysis, (b) Pearson product-moment correlation (two-tailed), and (c) Cronbach‟s alpha. The exploratory factor analyses yielded five midterm CCS factors ([a] Factor 1: Assessment and Application, [b] Factor 2: Professional Behaviors and Dispositions, [c] Factor 3: Beginning Counseling Skills, [d] Factor 4: Advanced Counseling Skills, [e] Factor 5: Directive Counseling Skills) and four final CCS factors ([a] Factor 1: Professional Dispositions and Behaviors, [b] Factor 2: Counseling Skills, [c] Factor 3: Assessment and Application, [d] Factor 4: Growth). Additionally, the CCS exhibited strong internal consistency reliability for both the individual factors and the overall models. The interrater reliability among raters yielded a low correlation (Skills [r = .436], Dispositions [r = .515], Behaviors [r = .467], and Total [r = .570]). Furthermore, an assessment of criterion-related validity yielded a high correlation (r = .407) between the final total score on the CCS and the students‟ final grade in the counseling practicum course. The results of the statistical analyses support the development of the CCS, a promising assessment instrument for evaluating counseling competencies within counselors-in-training. Through the further development of the CCS, counselor educators and supervisors will have a sound method for assessing their students‟ levels of counseling competencies and learning outcomes. Additionally, the CCS may support counselor educators and supervisions in their ethical and legal responsibilities as teachers, evaluators, and gatekeepers for the counseling profession. Furthermore, the CCS offers counselors-in-training a tool to assist them in understanding and developing their level of comprehensive counseling competencies.

Computer technology is developing so rapidly that the extent to which it is being utilized by counselors and counselor educators in their work is virtually unknown. The purpose of this study was to assess how much and in what ways counselor experts believe computer-related technology (CRT) is being utilized by professional counselors today. An additional purpose of this study was to determine projected use of CRT by the year 2008.Data were collected by means of a modified futures Delphi method in which a panel of 21 counselor experts comprised of one group of counselor educators, three groups of counselor practitioners, and one group of computer technologists completed three rounds of questions. The study, which was conducted entirely on the World Wide Web, requested Likert-type ratings of 53 generic work-related tasks in eight task categories for frequency of CRT use to accomplish the tasks and reasons for the selections. In addition, panelists rated ten specific CRT tools for frequency of use, and supplied written examples of current and future CRT use by counseling professionals.The findings of the study indicate counselors and counselor educators are using a large variety of CRT tools, including word processors, spread sheets, a variety of software programs, e-mail, chatrooms, listservs, databases, and other web-related tools to assist them in over half of job-related tasks today. Experts forecast CRT use by counselors will significantly increase by the year 2008, when professional counselors are expected to utilize CRT for at least 90% of their work-related tasks.It is suggested that findings of this study may provide an important foundation for much needed research investigating potential differences between therapeutic work accomplished with the help of CRT and traditional therapy, i.e., face-to-face therapy, in which computer technology is not utilized. Finally, results establish the need to implement and promote computer skills training and competency assessments in counselor education programs. / Ph. D.