...1. In class we spoke about how much counseling has changed over the years. We spoke about how individuals previously perceived seeking help from a counselor as a huge black mark that you needed to hide at all cost. Today, however, it is more talked about and nothing to be ashamed of. We spoke about high school “guidance counselors” and how majority dictated and limited student’s future career options, opportunities and self confidence; as per “old” days of school counseling. The class also noted that todays modern school counselor no longer limits students ambitions but instead encourages and them to reach of their dreams while teaching them tools to help them succeed. Looking back on the class discussion I would determine that though all of...
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...comprehensive school counseling program based upon the academic, career, and social/emotional needs of the students within the school. The foundation has three main components: program focus, student competencies, and professional competencies. The program focus begins with gathering beliefs that are important to the success of the school counseling program. Next, a vision statement, mission statement, and program goals are created. Student competencies include the ASCA Student Standards, which help to develop a standard for student development. Professional Competencies includes the ASCA School Counselor Competencies and ASCA Ethical Standards for School Counselors, which help to determine if school counselors are being successful in their job performance. The mission statement of our school counseling office is to deliver a school counseling program that nurtures each student's academic, career, and social/emotional needs. School counselors, teachers, and parents will work together to help students become well rounded, successful young adults. 2.Management: The purpose of the management component is to provide organizational assessments and tools to establish a successful school counseling program. These assessments and tools help school counselors to develop, implement, and evaluate their school counseling program. Assessments such as the School Counselor Competencies, the School Counseling Program Assessment, and the Use-of-Time Assessment help school counselors evaluate...
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...Professional Identity The school counseling profession has evolved over time into a collaborative model. This collaborative model involves teachers, school administrators, parents, counselors, other school personal, and community stakeholders. The first guidance program was developed in 1895. In 1926 New York became the first state to require guidance workers to be certified; in 1929 New York became the first state to have full time guidance workers. In 1952 the American Personnel and Guidance Association (APGA) was established, now known as American Counseling Association (ACA). In 1952 The American School Counselor Association (ASCA) was established. In 1958 the National Defense Education Act was passed, which increased training and hiring of school counselors. In 1964 NDEA Title A was passed, providing counseling to elementary schools. In 1997 ASCA published their National Standards, providing benchmarks for student’s competency in academic, career, and personal/social domains. In 2003 the ASCA National Model was published as a framework for school counseling programs it was revised in 2005 and 2012 (Erford, 2015). The collaborative model of school counseling is a cooperative process where the school counselor “helps others in the school community to think through problems and to develop skills that make them more effective in working with student” (Erford, 2015, p.35). Through this model the school counselor partners with parents, educators, and community resources and organizations...
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...My inclination towards psychology led me to opt for school counseling. I want to accomplish many things, but the number one goal is to help my students to reach their potential. I want to serve them by providing guidance and resources for them to be successful. School counselors wear many hats nowadays. I’m aware that it is not only about guidance, but social services, testing, bullying, drugs, whole group and the list goes on and on. A counselor should be honest, open minded, flexible, have moral principles and follow ethical guidelines to best practice the job. Also, we cannot be judgmental nor bias. Be kind and positive is a must a well. Who wants to go see a grumpy counselor? No one will be opening up to you. The use of technology facilitates...
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...Populations: High School Counseling Kean University CED5963 Adolescence is a period of dramatic and revolutionary change. In western cultures it is the time of life, either most reviled, depicted as posing the greatest threat to the established order of things, or most celebrated and romanticized, in particular within the sphere of popular culture, for its creative and challenging energies. At its onset, adolescence can be seen as the beginning of the end of childhood and as such is a time of mourning for the loss of the relative dependency and security of childhood, characterized by attempts at recapturing what was lost. As such it is a time filled with anticipation and foreboding in the face of freedom and separation, characterized by extreme and premature displays of independence and self-destructive and violent attempts to preserve the relative state of dependence. Every adolescent experiences different extremes of this change. Some glide through with minimal events triggering any abnormal or extreme case of emotional overload, others make choices that cause events in their life, which are traumatic and overwhelming, becoming all-consuming. One thing majority adolescents have in common is school. School is a different experience for every one; academics are challenging, social development is awkward, and the unknown of the future is within reach. Having a strong counseling program within a school can provide direction...
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...My philosophy of school counseling includes building relationships with students of all backgrounds, having enthusiasm to help students, advocating for students success, and collaborating with parents and other school professionals. In building relationships as a school counselor, you have to interact with students, care about their personal lives and listen to their problems and share quality time with them. Students will feel safe, accepted and welcome every time they come to talk to me if they know that I am there to guide them. I believe that students from different cultures bring different experiences and background to the classroom. As a school counselor, I need to help teachers take advantage of these different perspectives as a basis for further learning in the classroom. I also have to convey to respect and appreciate different points of view and beliefs. It is also essential to create opportunities for students to talk about their learning experience in school and at home. In fact, my role as a counselor is to listen to students in order to think more about the inside of the students and their homes instead of just the outside of their situation....
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...Abstract: This paper evaluates an ethical school counseling dilemma where a counselor is ultimately faced with a student’s disclosure of suicidal intentions. The setting takes place in a public high school where Lakia, a counselor decides to begin a “relationship skills” group. Lakia post advertisements drawing interest from current students through the schools counseling office. She advertised with little information regarding the mission or purpose of the group. Lakia did not request information from students interested in the group such as their interest to participate, the nature of their past and current problems or previous experiences with other groups. The first meeting began with a total of nine students heavily skewed in the female gender with only two male participants. During the opening of the first meeting, one of the male participants named Robert self discloses his violent past and that he often experiences anger issues predominantly toward women. During a break, five of the female participants decide to exclude themselves from the group. Robert then proceeds to become emotional and unveils his intentions to commit suicide when he arrives home afterschool. This paper will evaluate this ethical dilemma using the American Counseling Association’s (ACA) Decision Model. Evaluation will include discussions identifying the problem, applying the American School Counseling Association (ASCA) Ethical Code, determining the nature and dimensions of the dilemma...
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...Rap Music in School Counseling Based on Don Elligan’s Rap Therapy This article takes a look at the idea of Rap Therapy as a psychotherapeutic intervention introduced by Don Elligan. The therapy is used for working with at-risk youths, primarily African American males whose identities are highly influenced by rap music. Rap music influences the way youth speak, act and perceive their environment. This article discusses the challenges counselors face on an everyday basis working with inner-city youth and the cultural barriers that exist while trying to build and establish rapport for both the client and counselor environment. Rap Therapy, as stated in the article, is rooted in social learning theory and can be integrated into a cognitive behavioral model (Gonzalez & Hayes, 2009). The importance of integrating Rap Therapy with a cognitive behavioral model is that the clients become aware of the association between personal lyric interpretation, their emotions, and at-risk behaviors. This awareness aids in their ability to be reflective and allows them to effectively problem solve. In this article, Rap Therapy is conducted in five stages: assessment, alliance, reframing, role play/reinforcement, and action/maintenance. Before starting the Therapy, Elligan suggests administering self-report pre and post questionnaires to track the progress of the client’s at-risk behaviors. During the assessment stage, the counselor is doing just that; assessing the client’s interest in rap...
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...Ethics Paper: Individual or Group Therapy HSER 511 Liberty University Abstracts The paper researches the ethical issues faced in group counseling. It also shows a comparison of individual and group counseling. The paper discusses issue of confidentiality, and how it affects group counseling. Confidentiality is considered cornerstone to counseling (Kocet 2006). It is very important for the counselor to reinsure that the client understands confidentiality policies. When dealing with adolescents, confidentiality rules and regulations are the same as adults. Counselors are bound by the same rules and regulations to keep the client’s (the minor) records privileged, but in cases of immediate danger or harm to others the counselor can disclose information to the minor’s parent. I think that I was direct leader, and I utilize several of the qualifications and skills that I learned in the class. Ethics Paper: Individual or Group Therapy When seeking help, it is very difficult to decide what type of therapy to choose. Because we have different situations and problems, the decision to choose individual or group therapy could be a very hard one. Many clients choose to benefit from both individual and group therapy. Groups can be a valuable resource to clients and helping them work out their...
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...combination of volunteers and donations of community individuals, businesses, churches, clubs, organizations and schools helps us meet the needs of our neighbors challenged by stressful life circumstances. Our main focus is weekly distribution of food, milk, meat and daily necessities. Our community lives the philosophy “neighbor helping neighbor.” Throughout the year we have special programs for the community – Weekend Back Packs of food for food insecure students - School Supplies – delivery for Seniors – Easter, Thanksgiving and Christmas Meal Boxes - Adopt-A-Family for Christmas gifts. WHO IS ELIGIBLE TO RECEIVE FROM OPEN ARMS MISSION? Anyone expressing a need from our townships is eligible for 2 days of food per family member on a weekly basis. OAM has served 20,257 individuals between the months of January and June 2012. The items we provide at no cost may be supplementing SNAP (food stamps) or assist in reducing the cost of groceries allowing an individual/family purchase medication or pay rent, gas, utilities, etc. Counseling Each week our intake counselors listen in an effort to service our clients in a holistic way. When a need for counseling is identified, the client talks with a director to determine a plan. The majority of our clients are without medical insurance; counseling is one area they cannot afford. We are fortunate to have two local counseling practices that partner with us, allowing us or the client to pay a subsidized amount. Senior Mobile Support...
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...Accomplished, achievement-driven and results oriented individual, seeking entry into Masters of Science in Mental Health Counseling with a Forensic Counseling specialization. Personal/Professional Goals I am interested in furthering my degree, so I can advance in my career and more effectively help people with mental health disorders within the judicial system. After I earn a Master’s of Science in Mental Health Counseling I want become a licensed clinician. My focus primarily will be on helping youth that are court adjudicated into residential therapeutic facilities, such as KidsPeace. At KidsPeace they accept adjudicated clients but there is not a specific program in place to effectively treat these individuals. It is my goal along with the program director of the organization for myself to develop and pioneer a conduct disorder program and establish it within the KidsPeace organization. The reasoning behind choosing this field is my work experience and some of the population I have been exposed to. Through my observation violence is a learned behavior, and unfortunately young victims of violence generally become perpetrators of crime and develop mental health disorders. Many times if juvenile offenders are not adjudicated to the correct residential therapeutic facility; that specializes in conduct disorder programming. When this happens these individuals are more likely to cycle through the judicial system and become career criminal, which leads to over populated correctional...
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...dealing with, they also face a deficit in the world around them; a lack of equal opportunity for many when seeking employment. Career counseling for those who have a disability is an essential task that should include the community as well as the client. Zunker (2012) states, “The overarching counseling goal for persons with disabilities is to maximize each individual’s potential for life and work in the 21st century” (p. 268). This is a task that the counselor should undertake with their clients who have added challenges, as well as advocating to the community to assist with acceptance; “Ideally, a cooperative effort between teachers and counselors promotes an effective school program that is supported and recognized by the community” (p. 269), this further supports all continued efforts and opportunities for our clients. Mental Health and Disabilities: “There is a plan and a purpose, a value to every life, no matter what its location, age, gender, or disability” Sharron Angle; American Politician. All individuals with the capabilities and will to work should be offered equal opportunities to do so. Unfortunately, those with disabilities – physical or mental – face not just the condition they are dealing with, they also face a deficit in the world around them; a lack of equal opportunity for many when seeking employment. Career counseling for those who have a...
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...Life of a Counselor Coun. 6100-9, Introduction to Mental Health Counseling Kevin Feisthamel Pattie Smith November 13, 2014 Life of a Counselor As a mental health counselor one can choose what theories of practice they follow or they can have an eclectic combination of theories they utilize determined by the client and what their needs are. The professional counselor can choose what demographic of the population they want to work with and specialize in that. Or the professional counselor can broaden their practice and work with all different clients, experiencing encounters with different ages of people with different diagnosis. The truth is that a day in the life of a counselor is like no other day before. Days are always changing and there are new experiences with each client. When speaking with Dana Woods LPC, she shared what her days were like. She does in-home care as well as holding clinic hours twice a week and helping in a free or reduced-cost clinic. She travels about 3000 miles a month in order to go into areas that have little access to counseling and provides service for the rural clients. She sees both adults and children, mostly of adolescent age. They all have different issues that take different styles of counseling, however she stated that she uses Cognitive Behavioral Therapy with many of her clients. A typical day for Dana would be checking in at the office for messages and reviewing the files of the clients that she is scheduled...
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...Mental Health Counseling The reason I chose to obtain a MS in Mental Health Counseling is because I have already obtained a MS in Criminal Justice and learned why individuals commit crimes and the different theorist that have studied to criminal mind to try to find an answer to this age old questions, why do individuals commit crimes? Which many has come to conclusions but the end results is many have been incarcerated when they needed medical attention. I have obtain many reasons as to why individuals commit crime but I want to get to point of knowing what influenences are there are mental health issues one of the reasons why our prison system is being overflowed and are these individuals being overlooked. These factors motivates me as an individual which I believe will prepare me to become a competent counselor. I feel as though we are not in the individuals life to judge but to motivate, to achieve a common goal of seeking and resolving a issues/problem that he/she is conflicted with. I intend continue to grow within the counseling field by continuing to research issues that effect society today, such as mental health and seeking solutions for these individuals to be able to live normal lives without the ridicule or label. Being able to write about mental issues and ways to resolve it is a lifelong dream but I feel as though with any profession comes experience and the more experience one has the more knowledgeable one becomes and it is at this point that I feel as though...
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...Why I chose to become a mental health counselor Counseling others is a difficult job that requires people to listen, take notes, and respond in ways that are positive and helpful. It is important that trust be built between the counselor and the patient so that the patient will feel comfortable speaking about issues that are private or embarrassing. There are many different types of counselors including drug counselors; marriage counselors, grief counselors, job counselors, diet and exercise counselors, and others that can help people improve their lives in different ways. Counselors are trained to offer advice and listen to issues that may be bothering other people. They are not allowed to prescribe medication or expected to provide medical advice. Approximately 25 percent of North Americans suffer from diagnosable mental health issues each year. With the increasing awareness of the related social, political and economic impacts of these problems, there is a greater need for professional mental health counselors. Additionally, health care insurance providers, driving the demand for more qualified professionals, recognize most mental health counseling. After earning a master's degree in mental health counseling, most people choose to get licensed or certified in a specialty such as: • Rehabilitation counseling • Substance abuse counseling • Marriage and family counseling Mental health counselors work with individuals, groups and communities on a variety of mental health...
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