Accreditation Of Counseling Research Articles

Ethical Issues Raised by CACREP Accreditation of Programs Within Institutions That Disaffirm or Disallow Diverse Sexual Orientations

The field of counseling is expatiating on counselors’ religious values that conflict with the affirmation of diverse sexual orientations. There is also a germane systemic issue: the Council for Accreditation of Counseling and Related Educational Programs’ practice of providing accreditation to counseling programs housed within religious institutions that disaffirm or disallow individuals with sexual minority identities. This article examines the complexities of this practice given the field's ethical mandate to affirm both religious and sexual orientation diversity.

Negotiating CACREP Accreditation Practices, Religious Diversity, and Sexual Orientation Diversity: A Rejoinder to Sells and Hagedorn

The authors write a rejoinder to Sells and Hagedorn's () article, “CACREP Accreditation, Ethics, and the Affirmation of Both Religious and Sexual Identities: A Response to Smith and Okech,” which supports Smith and Okech's () assertion that a dialogue examining the Council for Accreditation of Counseling and Related Educational Programs' accreditation practices pertaining to counseling programs in institutions that disaffirm/disallow diverse sexual orientation is germane. The authors articulate the common ground they share with Sells and Hagedorn while also highlighting areas of dissension.

Transformational Learning Theory and Transformative Teaching: A Creative Strategy for Understanding the Helping Relationship

ABSTRACTThis article presents a creative teaching strategy to assist counselor educators with meeting the Council for the Accreditation of Counseling and Related Educational Programs’ (CACREP) core standard titled Helping Relationships. Based on transformative learning theory (TLT), the six core methods of transformational teaching are presented in a case illustration. The case illustration uses an introductory helping relationships course to present one experiential TT activity that addresses each of the six core standards.

Social Justice in Counselor Education: Teaching Advocacy Across the Core

ABSTRACTSocial justice advocacy is integral to the counseling profession. This article presents creative pedagogical methods for counselor educators to infuse social justice advocacy throughout the Council for Accreditation of Counseling and Related Educational Programs’ (CACREP) core.

Creative Strategies to Foster Pre-Service School Counselor Group Leader Self-Efficacy

Counselor education programs accredited by the Council for Accreditation of Counseling and Related Educational Programs are charged with the important task of providing pre-service school counselors with didactic information and experiential opportunities that prepare students for the realities of group work in the school setting. It is important for programs to consider ways in which students develop self-efficacy around their group leadership skills. The accomplishment of this task can be a challenge given time constraints and potentially limited opportunities to provide experience, observation, and supervision of group leadership during coursework training. This article attempts to provide creative solutions to these challenges.

Infusing Qualitative Research Experiences into Core Counseling Curriculum Courses

Many calls to action for promoting research with counselors-in-training and producing research-practitioners have been published over the past few decades (Balkin 2013; Granello and Granello 1998; Heppner and Anderson 1985), yet the research-practice gap remains. This article explores how qualitative research may help bridge that gap and offers suggestions for incorporating qualitative research activities into Council for Accreditation of Counseling and Related Educational Programs’ (CACREP) core curriculum areas.

Gatekeeping Ourselves: Counselor Educators' Knowledge of Colleagues' Problematic Behaviors

Counselor educators in programs accredited by the Council for Accreditation of Counseling and Related Educational Programs (N = 335) were surveyed about their knowledge of colleagues' problems of professional competency (PPC). Findings suggest most participants are aware of colleagues with PPC. Professional behavior standards must be developed for those entrusted with counselor preparation.

Supporting Couples, Marriage, and Family Therapy Trainees in Need of Performance Improvement

Couples, marriage, and family therapy (CMFT) educators and supervisors are required to differentiate between typical developmental struggles and more severe competency concerns. This process has the potential to become highly subjective and supervisors may differ in their perceptions of severity of trainee concerns, the need for intervention and/or remediation efforts, types of interventions utilized, and when to discontinue remediation efforts after interventions have failed to be effective. Ethical and competency standards, Council on Accreditation of Counseling and Related Educational Programs (CACREP) guidelines, and American Association for Marriage and Family Therapy (AAMFT) core competencies can be utilized in combination with a collaborative supportive approach to identify and encourage remediation of competency concerns for couples, marriage, and family therapists in training (CMFT-ITs). A composite case study is utilized to illustrate the unique demands of CMFT programs, promote early identification of ineffective trainee behaviors, consider ethical and legal mandates, and provide recommendations for intervention and remediation.

Quantitative Research Attitudes and Research Training Perceptions Among Master's‐Level Students

This study explored master's‐level counseling students' (N = 804) perceptions of training in the Council for Accreditation of Counseling and Related Educational Programs () Research and Program Evaluation standard, and their attitudes toward quantitative research. Training perceptions and quantitative research attitudes were low to moderate, with no statistical differences across program accreditation or specialty area. Implications and possibilities for future research are discussed.

Assessing Counselors’ Self-Efficacy in Suicide Assessment and Intervention

Council for Accreditation of Counseling and Related Educational Programs Standards state that counseling students must be adequately trained in suicide assessment and intervention. To evaluate how well students or practicing counselors are prepared, there is a need to measure self-efficacy specific to the tasks required in suicide assessment and intervention. The purpose of this study was to develop and assess the validity evidence for the Counselor Suicide Assessment Efficacy Survey (CSAES), a measure of self-efficacy related to suicide assessment and intervention. CSAES was studied for use in measuring the outcomes of suicide assessment curricular and professional development. Detailed results of reliability and validity studies are reported.

MCAC and State Counselor Licensure Laws

Although all 50 states, as well as Washington DC and Puerto Rico, have passed laws that license master’s-level professional counselors, the American Psychological Association has historically not taken a role in addressing master’s-level education. In 2009, the Council for Accreditation of Counseling and Related Educational Programs (CACREP) initiated standards excluding psychologists as core faculty and has been a driving force with state licensing boards to credential graduates from CACREP-accredited programs exclusively. The Council for Counseling Psychology Training Programs explored the Masters in Counseling Accreditation Committee (MCAC) as an alternative accreditation for master’s counseling programs. This study examined the extent to which MCAC accreditation standards align with state counselor licensure statutes. Content analyses indicated that MCAC is a viable alternative accreditation if programs pay attention to state required credits for a degree, curricular requirements not specified by MCAC, and clinical requirements. Implications of these findings and recommendations are discussed.

The School Counselor and Special Education: Aligning Training With Practice

The intent of this article is to discuss the importance of training school counselors in providing adequate services to students with special needs, as mandated by special education law and supported by school counseling standards created by the American School Counselor Association (ASCA). In addition, the lack of adequate and unified training for school counselors in this area will be explored. This article suggests implementing a more consistent school counselor education program across institutions that would include coursework and experiences in special education that are in alignment with the standards of ASCA, legal obligations, and daily counselor roles. Examples of ways to incorporate such experiences and assignments into courses across counselor training programs are provided.Keywords: counselor education, school counselor, special education, counselor training, American School Counselor AssociationThe enactment of special education laws and mandates such as the Education for All Handicapped Children Act of 1975 (PL 94-142) and the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA), which require schools to provide free appropriate public education to all students within the regular education setting, have immensely impacted the school counseling profession (Bowen & Glenn, 1998; Dunn & Baker, 2002; Milsom, 2002; Owens, Thomas, & Strong, 2011). The number of students identified as appropriate to receive special education services is growing (Dunn & Baker, 2002; McEachem, 2003; Owens et ah, 2011). Therefore, school counselors are now required to provide equal services to more students with special needs within the regular education setting. Similarly, school counselors are required to take a more active role in the Individual Education Program (IEP) process, from identification to implementation, than what was previously expected in the past (Dunn & Baker, 2002; Milsom, Goodnough, & Akos, 2007; Owens et ah, 2011). School counselors' involvement in special education is not only required by specific legislation, but also poses ethical considerations regarding to direct and indirect services for students with special needs. In response to legislation, the American School Counselor Association (ASCA) has advocated for school counselor involvement in special education and published guidelines for servicing students with special needs (Isaacs, Greene & Valesky, 1998; Myers, 2005; Studer & Quigney, 2005).Despite a study conducted by Studer and Quigney (2003) which showed that school counselors are becoming more involved with special education by serving on teams that assist with disability identification and implementation of services, counselor education programs are not adequately training future school counselors to deal with changing roles and responsibilities included in servicing students with special needs (McEachem, 2003; Milsom & Akos, 2003; Romano, Paradise, & Green, 2009; Studer & Quigney, 2005). Additionally, there is a dearth of recent research in the literature addressing concerns that special education is not being adequately addressed in school counselor preparation programs. Although there is an increasing trend in school counselor training programs to include some instruction about special education (Studer & Quigney, 2005), no specific suggestions for implementing such content into the curriculum have been published to date. In response, this article provides ideas and recommendations for infusing special education content throughout the school counseling curriculum required by the Council for Accreditation of Counseling and Related Educational Programs (CACREP). Counselor education programs must recognize the importance of the school counselor in the lives of students with disabilities, and adequate training should become a priority.Students with Special Needs, the School Counselor and the LawSince the enactment of special education laws and mandates such as the Education for All Handicapped Children Act of 1975 (PL 94-142) and IDEA, the role of the school counselor has continued to evolve (Bowen & Glenn, 1998; Dunn & Baker, 2002; Milsom, 2002; Owens et al. …

Development of Counseling Students’ Self-Efficacy During Preparation and Training

Counselor preparation is multifaceted and involves developing trainees' clinical knowledge, skills and competence. Furthermore, counselor self-efficacy is a relevant developmental consideration in the counseling field. Therefore, the purpose of this longitudinal investigation was to examine the effects of a counselor preparation program on students' development of counseling self-efficacy. The Counselor Self-Efficacy Scale was administered to 179 master's-level counselors-in-training at three points in their counselor training and coursework, including new student orientation, clinical practicum orientation and final internship group supervision meeting. Findings indicated that students' experience in their preparation program resulted in higher levels of self-efficacy.Keywords: counselor preparation, counselor training, self-efficacy, development, internshipThe practice of counselor training is a complex, intentional process of reflective educational and experiential activities to promote the development of knowledge and skills (Bernard & Goodyear, 2013; Council for Accreditation of Counseling and Related Educational Programs [CACREP], 2009; McAuliffe & Eriksen, 2011). As such, the primary goal of counselor preparation programs is to educate and train students to become competent counselors by equipping them with necessary skills, knowledge and experiences (American Counseling Association, 2014; Bernard & Goodyear, 2013; CACREP, 2009). Furthermore, students training to be counselors increase their self-awareness and reflective practice throughout their educational experience (Granello & Young, 2012; Lambie & Sias, 2009; Ronnestad, & Skovholt, 2003). Increased understanding regarding counseling trainee development may aid educators' ability to develop and deliver educational and supervision interventions.Self-efficacy represents an individual's or judgments about his or her ability to accomplish a given goal or task (Bandura, 1995). Furthermore, self-efficacy is a recognized measure of development in the counseling field (Larson & Daniels, 1998), has a positive influence on work-related performance (Bandura, 1982; Stajkovic & Luthans, 1998), and consequently works as an outcome and developmental consideration for counselor training. In addition, there are assortments of published research examining counseling trainees' self-efficacy (e.g., Barbee, Scherer & Combs, 2003; Cashwell & Dooley, 2001; Kozina, Grabovari, Stefano, & Drapeau, 2010; Melchert, Hays, Wiljanen, & Kolocek, 1996; Tang et al., 2004); however, limited research examines counseling trainees' development of self-efficacy in a longitudinal fashion based upon their experiences from start (e.g., educational courses) to finish (e.g., initial clinical experiences) in counselor preparation programs. Therefore, the purpose of this longitudinal investigation was to examine counselor trainees' self-efficacy as they progressed through the educational and experiential components of a counselor preparation program.Counseling Students' Self-EfficacyBandura (1995) described perceived self-efficacy as beliefs in capabilities to organize and execute the courses of action required to manage prospective situations (p. 2). Self-efficacy is considered an appropriate scientific lens for examining individuals' regarding their ability to accomplish professional goals (Bandura, 1997) and is a common research topic in counseling literature (e.g., Larson & Daniels, 1998). Specifically, Bandura (1997) suggested that individuals' ability to accomplish a task or goal not only necessitates skill and ability, but also the belief in oneself that provides the confidence and motivation to complete a task. Larson and Daniels (1998) stated that counseling self-efficacy is one's or judgments about her or his capabilities to effectively counsel a client in the near future (p. 180). …

The Impact of Transformational Learning Experiences on Personal and Professional Counselor-in-Training Identity Development

Transformational learning experiences for counselor training can be described as experiential activities that facilitate the ability to express feelings and meanings related to life issues. The authors investigated the impact of a 2-day seminar using transformational learning experiences on the personal and professional identity development of counselors-in-training. Quantitative results indicate that participants' self-reported professional performance scores were not significantly different following the training. However, in the qualitative inquiry, participants noted that through the transformational learning experiences, they became aware of past and present challenges, the need for change, the impact of processing within a group, and the application of transformational activities in clinical practices. Such findings indicate how transformational learning experiences-particularly through the use of reflective journaling-might influence personal identity development among counselors-in-training.Keywords: personal identity development, professional identity development, transformational learning, counselor-in-trainingThe promotion of professionalism is a significant component of counselor training and is recognized by the Council for Accreditation of Counseling and Related Educational Programs (CACREP) as a core curriculum requirement for graduate counseling programs (CACREP, 2009). Professionalism includes knowledge and understanding of professional organizations, legal and ethical standards, the role of counselors, professional competencies, and personal and professional growth. Development in this area includes both personal and professional growth and is often referred to as counselor development (Gazzola & Theriault, 2007; Rabinor, 2004; Skovholt & Ronnestad, 1996; Thompson, 2004) or counselor professional identity (Auxier, Hughes, & Kline, 2003; Cashwell, Kleist, & Scofield, 2009; Nugent & Jones, 2009; O'Bryne & Rosenberg, 1998; Reisetter et al, 2004).Independently, professional development encompasses the acquisition of skills and knowledge, and is concerned with the doing needs (Donati & Watts, 2005, p. 476), and personal development includes the needs (p. 476), like authenticity, interpersonal engagement, intimacy and self-evaluation. As dependent concepts, one can imagine the significance each has for counselor identity. A counselor lacking skills and knowledge will function quite differently than a skilled practitioner with years of experience and knowledge. Concurrently, counselors must attend to their own form of personal development (Skovholt & Ronnestad, 1996). Wilkins (1997) went so far as to suggest that personal development embraces everything else that facilitates being a practicing counselor. For example, personal development might include ways in which the counselor maintains a balanced lifestyle, or ways the counselor manages the stress brought on by difficult clients. A counselor lacking in personal well-being might not be considered fit to practice.Many counselors view counselor identity development as a process (Auxier et al, 2003; Brott & Myers, 1999) that results in congruency between personal and professional worldviews (Reisetter et al., 2004), or consider it an equal combination of professional (e.g., roles, decisions, ethics) and personal selves (e.g., values, morals, perceptions; Auxier et al, 2003). This view suggests that personal and professional development are not mutually exclusive and are just as much interrelated as dependent concepts.Research on counselor professional identity development has examined areas such as personal or professional fit (Woodside, Oberman, Cole, & Carruth, 2007), critical incidents experienced by counselorsin-training (CITs; Howard, Inman, & Altman, 2006), career concerns of CITs (Busacca & Wester, 2006), evaluation of personal and professional development (Donati & Watt, 2005; Hensley, Smith, & Thompson, 2003; Lamadue & Duffey, 1999), and ways for counselor educators to address problematic behavior of trainees (Bhat, 2005; Gaubatz & Vera, 2002; McAdams & Foster, 2007; McAdams, Foster, & Ward, 2007). …

Development of an Integrative Wellness Model: Supervising Counselors-in-Training

Supervision is an integral component of counselor development with the objective of ensuring safe and effective counseling for clients. Wellness also is an important element of counseling and often labeled as the cornerstone of the counseling profession. Literature on supervision contains few models that have a wellness focus or component; however, wellness is fundamental to counseling and the training of counselors, and is primary in developmental, strengths-based counseling. The purpose of this article is to introduce an integrative wellness model for counseling supervision that incorporates existing models of supervision, matching the developmental needs of counselors-in-training and theoretical tenets of wellness.Keywords: supervision, wellness, counselors-in-training, integrative wellness model, developmentalThe practice of counseling is rich with challenges that impact counselor wellness (Kottler, 2010; Maslach, 2003). Consequently, counselors with poor wellness may not produce optimal services for the clients they serve (Lawson, 2007). Furthermore, wellness is regarded as a cornerstone in developmental, strengths-based approaches to counseling (Lawson, 2007; Lawson & Myers, 2011; Myers & Sweeney, 2005, 2008; Witmer, 1985; Witmer & Young, 1996) and is an important consideration when training counselors (Lenz & Smith, 2010; Roach & Young, 2007). Therefore, a focus on methods by which counselor educators can prepare counseling trainees to obtain and maintain wellness is necessary.Clinical supervision is an integral component of counselor training and involves a relationship in which an expert (e.g., supervisor) facilitates the development of counseling competence in a trainee (Loganbill, Hardy, & Delworth, 1982). Supervision is a requirement of master's-level counseling training programs and is a part of developing and evaluating counseling students' skills (Borders, 1992), level of wellness (Lenz, Sangganjanavanich, Balkin, Oliver, & Smith, 2012), readiness for change (Aten, Strain, & Gillespie, 2008; Prochaska & DiClemente, 1982) and overall development into effective counselors (Bernard & Goodyear, 2014). Supervisors use pedagogical methods and theories of supervision to assess and evaluate trainees with the goal of enhancing their counseling competence (American Counseling Association [ACA], 2014; Bernard & Goodyear, 2014). The method or theory of supervision relates to the interaction between counselor educators and counseling trainees and is isomorphic to a counselor using a theory with a client.The number of supervision theories and methods has increased over recent years. In addition, integrated supervision models have been established with a focus on specific trainee groups (e.g., Carlson & Lambie, 2012; Lambie & Sias, 2009) or specific purposes (e.g., Luke & Bernard, 2006; Ober, Granello, & Henfield, 2009). These integrated models combine the theoretical tenets of key models with the goal of formulating a new perspective for clinical training that adapts to the needs of the supervisee or context. Lenz and Smith (2010) and Roscoe (2009) suggested that the construct of wellness needs further clarification and articulation as a method of supervision. Currently, a single model of supervision with a wellness perspective is available (see Lenz & Smith, 2010). However, it does not specifically apply to master's-level counselors-in-training (CITs) or focus on the wellness constructs highlighted in the proposed integrative wellness model (IWM). Therefore, this manuscript serves to review relevant literature on supervision and wellness, introduce the IWM, and present implications regarding its implementation and evaluation.SupervisionACA (2014), the Council for Accreditation of Counseling and Related Educational Programs (CACREP; 2009), and the Association for Counselor Education and Supervision (ACES; 2011) have articulated standards for best practices in supervision. …

Factors Influencing Counseling Students’ Enrollment Decisions: A Focus on CACREP

A purposeful sample of 359 graduate counseling students completed a survey assessing factors influencing program enrollment decisions with particular attention to students’ awareness of and importance ascribed to accreditation from the Council for Accreditation of Counseling and Related Educational Programs (CACREP) prior to and following enrollment. Results indicated that accreditation was the second most influential factor in one half of the students’ enrollment decisions; nearly half of participants were unaware of CACREP accreditation prior to enrollment. Accreditation was a top factor that students attending non-CACREP-accredited programs wished they had considered more in their enrollment decisions. Findings from the survey indicate that prospective counseling students often lack necessary information regarding accreditation that may influence enrollment decisions. Implications for counseling students and their graduate preparation programs, CACREP and the broader counseling profession are discussed.

Meeting the Need: Applying Concepts for Assessment and Planning With Child and Adolescent Trauma

National and international crisis events continue to elevate the need for an adequate response from the mental health community, especially among children and adolescents. Not only is caring for our young people a common desire across our diverse backgrounds but traumatic experiences also do not discriminate between people of all identities. With the growing expectation for counselors to be trauma informed (American Counseling Association, 2014; Council for Accreditation of Counseling and Related Educational Programs, 2009), it is important for counselors and counselor educators to understand assessment and planning best practices expressed throughout the literature. A case study example is utilized to bring these concepts to life with practical considerations. A review of the literature from counseling and related fields offers an evidence-based context for providing meaningful and thoughtful responses to trauma among young people. Because adequate resources become crucial in managing trauma, careful attention is given to (1) recognize needs, (2) understand types of assessments, (3) develop treatment plans, and (4) apply planning strategies.

Council for Accreditation of Counseling and Related Educational Programs (CACREP) at Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs)

Council for Accreditation of Counseling and Related Educational Programs (CACREP) at Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs)

Council for Accreditation of Counseling and Related Educational Programs (CACREP) at Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs)

Historically Black colleges and universities, (HBCUs) have been educating African Americans and other students of color for over 100 years (Brown, Donahoo, & Bertrand, 2001). Unlike other institutions, HBCUs were founded on and continue to be united by the distinct mission of positioning, preparing, and empowering African American students to succeed in what many perceive to be a hostile society (Brown, Donahoo, & Bertrand, 2001, p. 559). In comparison to predominantly White institutions (PWIs), past research suggests that HBCUs have been the primary higher education institutions for African Americans (Allen, Epps, & Haniff, 1991; Garibaldi, 1984). Stated differently, Roebuck and Murty (1993) found that HBCUs were the undergraduate institution to 75% of all African Americans with earned doctorates, 80% of all African American federal judges, and 85% of all African American medical doctors. Based on this trend, it can be assumed that HBCUs educate African American counselors at a higher rate than PWIs. Therefore, if HBCU counselor education programs are not accredited by the Council for Accreditation of Counseling and Related Educational Programs (CACREP), the largest counseling accrediting agency, what are the reasons?According to CACREP (2009), at the time of the larger study, there were 25 HBCU counselor education programs without CACREP accreditation and five that were accredited by CACREP. These five were North Carolina Agricultural and Technical University, North Carolina Central University, Jackson State University, South Carolina State University, and Southern University and Agricultural and Mechanical College (CACREP, 2009). These institutions of higher learning are public and state-supported and are among the largest HBCUs in the country.The establishment of CACREP was preceded by more than two decades of extensive preparation of standards development and adoption including Standards for the Preparation of Secondary School Counselors in 1967, Standards for the Preparation of Elementary School Counselors in 1968, and Guidelines for Graduate Programs in Student Personnel Work in Higher Education also in 1968 (Sweeney, 1992). Leaders of the Association for Counselor Education and Supervision (ACES) were responsible for beginning the discussion on the importance of establishing standards for the preparation of counselors and counselor educators and since 1981, CACREP has accredited graduate-level counseling programs in more than 200 colleges and universities (CACREP, 2008).Bobby and Kandor (1992) surveyed counselor education professionals to determine if a particular set of standards was a hindrance to seeking and achieving CACREP accreditation. The two researchers found that the cost of the accreditation process, a fear of decreased enrollment, and a belief that the standards were too prescriptive were common perceptions among the participants (Bobby & Kandor, 1992). Holcomb-McCoy, Bryan, and Rayhill (2002) studied professional school counselors to determine to what extent they rate the CACREP school counseling standards as important to their actual work as school counselors. The participants rated each of the standards to be nearly equally important, except for the knowledge and skill requirements as they relate to program development, implementation, and evaluation. The findings imply that survey participants did not perceive this standard to be as important to their work as professional school counselors (Holcomb-McCoy, Bryan, & Rayhill, 2002).McGlothin and Davis (2004) studied mental health and professional school counselors, as well as counselor educators on the perceived benefit of the 2001 CACREP core curriculum standards. Their findings coincided with the findings of earlier studies that analyzed the benefit of the CACREP core curriculum (Bobby & Kandor, 1992; Cecil & Comas, 1986; Vacc, 1992). The overall 2001 CACREP core curriculum standards that were perceived to be most beneficial were human growth and development and helping relationships. …

Preparing Site Supervisors of Counselor Education Students

Counselor educators maintain a responsibility for providing site supervisors with professional development opportunities (Council for Accreditation of Counseling and Related Educational Programs. 2009). The goal of this study was to evaluate a model for providing preparation to site supervisors. Significant differences were observed from pretest to posttest on the Supervisory Self-Efficacy Scale (Johnson & Stewart, 2008).