COU 813                     Week 1                                                                                                                                   

Professional Orientation & Ethics Counseling

Recommend:  Non-Majors take EPY 854 MH & PA

 

I.                    Introduction

A.     To the course

1.        COU 813 Prof. Orientation and Ethics in Counseling (Intro. To Couns.)

2.      Intro. to the profession of counseling and its history.  You will learn about the professional roles of counselors, about professional organizations and their value, about training for the profession and about the professions credentialing standards.

3.      Also we will survey the ethical, legal and professional issues facing counselors and you will learn to use ethical decision making.

4.      Review the fine points of the Counseling Program at EKU and what the various degrees and cert. programs prepare you for.

B.     To each other

1.      Instructor intro

2.      Class intro exercise

a.       each will describe their own demographics;  name, program major, where they live and work

b.      before we do the 2nd part of our intros. we will talk briefly about right to privacy and confidentiality. Take a minute to read section B in ACA Code of Ethics; discuss respect for privacy, discuss permission to record (KTLN) (tapes of this course may be kept by the prof. and used in the future for student training purposes)

c.       conduct peer interviews finding out info. you think a counselor would want to know

C.     Intro to KTLN/ITV (for when this course is offered on EKUs interactive television system)

1.      2 way system, see and hear both ways

2.      Video somewhat jerky

3.      Instructor sees a rotating picture from site to site unless someone speaks up and then that site comes on screen and holds until the speaker finishes

4.      There is (usually) a facilitator in each room to help with the technical stuff and to alert instructor if there is a problem or someone wants to speak but isn’t being heard

5.      We will use the Elmo (demonstration)

6.      The camera shots of you are not good and our facilitators have to work too hard if you spread out too far.  We will now arrange seating so that everyone is in the camera view and please sit there each week.  (Arrange class.)

7.      The microphones are directional and of varying sensitivities.  Please don’t put books, coats, or purses blocking them and when you speak, speak toward them.  In most classrooms you must push and hold the speak button to talk.

8.      Practice to be comfortable, ______ are you out there?

         C.    Intro to Blackboard and the web for all formats

                   1.  You must activate your student email account to access blackboard

                        a.  your login and password will be the same

                        b.  you can and should change the email address you wish to receive your correspondence to for

                            the course on Blackboard

                    2. You must be able to utilize the technology resources required in order to participate in this course.

                               a. establish a “back up plan”

                         b. need help using  technology, call 859-622-3000

                    3.  As the class progresses, always check your grades on blackboard and check announcements before

                        coming to class

II.         What you should learn

A.     An intro. to the history of the prof. (how and why it developed)                  

B.     About being a Professional Counselor (What distinguishes professional counseling and counselors from other Mental Health/School/Human Services Professionals)         

C.     About the practice  of Professional Counseling (What constitutes it, What does it entail)                  

D.     About the standards of good practice (guide lines for ethical/effective practice)                    

E.      About the Ethical, Legal & Professional issues of today

F.      About how to use ethical decision making skills

III.       Review of Syllabi and text requirements (in class and on Blackboard)

            A.  Although given an abbreviated syllabus always check the full length version.

IV.       What is Counseling?

A.     The text says:  “A process through which counselors interact with clients to assist them in learning about and dealing with themselves and their environment and the roles and responsibilities inherent in this interactive process.”

B.     What do you say?

1.      a process or a product? Why?

2.      can it be, or must it be, educative; interactive; discoverative; facilitative; or mediating?

3.      note & discuss change over time

4.      discuss different definition of MH VS School Counseling VS Human Services

5.      discuss ACA Definition

V.        Why do people choose to study it?

A.     To find personal mental health or growth? (often rather than seeking personal therapy)

1.      in counseling, you are the instrument

B.  Out of a need and to help others?  (true and sole altruism)

      1.  many of us have a need to make a difference or “do good work”

C.  To develop skills in interpersonal communication?

1.      counselors, to be effective, must be good communicators (effective listeners as well as talkers)

D. Out of respect for, enjoyment of, and desire to help others?

1.      counselors like people, enjoy them

            E.   Other reasons?

VI.                          The Masters, Certification, the Profession & You

A.     EKU and the CEL Department offer:

1.        See first meeting assignment and Virtual Student Handbook

2.        M.A. in Mental Health Counseling and M.A.Ed. in School Counseling: CACREP Accredited

3.        M.A. in Human Services: Community Agencies and Student Personnel Services in Higher Education Tracks

4.        Alternative Route to Certification in School Counseling and other non degree options

B.     Credentialing, Certification & Licensure

1.      For Counselor Preparation Programs, the Primary Credentialing Body is The Council for Accreditation of Counseling and Related Educational Programs (CACREP).  CACREP is an independent national council whose purpose is to implement min. standards for counseling and human development graduate training programs.

a.       in KY:  Murray State (Community Counseling), Lindsay Wilson(Mental Health and Marriage and Family)  and in 2005 WKU (Mental Health) & EKU (Mental Health and School Counseling)

b.      see the CACREP in Kentucky Document on the Blackboard site

c.       CACREP looks at 8 Core Area Competencies (see power point)

2.      This leads us to NBCC which is a board created to credential couns. professionals:  It is a national certification organization and it uses the NCE exam and additional training and experience criteria to certify counselors as NCC’s.  It also, after earning the basic NCC certification, has certification requirements and programs to certify specializations in 5 areas:  School Couns.(NCSC), Clinical Mental Health Couns.(CCMHC), Master Addictions Couns.(MAC), Career Couns.(NCCC), & Gerontological Couns. (NCGC)

a.       it uses CACREP standards and the NCE assesses based on the 8 core competencies

b.      the NCE exam has also been selected as the exam for the Kentucky LPCC

c.       SHOW VIDEO ON NBCC in class (and students should review the Introduction to the NBCC on BB)

3.      Next we will discuss licensure and certification by state boards:  KDE/EPSB & KBLPC Board.

a.       for mental health couns. (non-school) the state licensure is the LPCC and the LPCA

b.        School couns. may earn the LPCA/LPCC but aren’t required to by law or KDE at this time.

i.      new law in 1996, credentialing began in May 1997 (changed to a licensure law in 2000)

ii.    KY 43 state out of 48 that have licensure or certification– all have educ. exp. & exam. req. (ranging from 1000-4500 hrs. supervised experience, passing an exam (usually NCE), and an appropriate Masters or above and specific coursework).

iii.   The specific requirements for KY are: (go to website below)

     http://www.state.ky.us/agencies/finance/occupations/procounselors/index.htm#CPC%20PAGE

(masters or above in C or RP, 60+, 1 min. in 9 and all 60 from 9, NCE and 4000 post degree)

4.      School counselors can get NCC or LPCC but must be certified by KDE to practice (see http://lrc.ky.gov/kar/016/003/060.htm)  (alternative route to certification modifies the following)

i.         Provisional (new counselor standards) Cert. (Ky. teaching cert., 1 yr. teaching exp., and approved program)

ii.       Standard (experienced counselor standards) Cert.  (above plus I yr FT School Couns. Exp. and completion of an approved planned program in counseling)

iii.    Grade level certification currently Elementary (P-8) and Secondary (5-12).

iv.    Endorsements to one of above available for grade level change and for the IIAE

5.      After reviewing all these certifications, the next question is why are they important?

a.       Standards Of Professionalism

b.      Provide clients & employers with info. & increased confidence

c.       3rd party payment

C.     After looking briefly at what you must do to get employed, next what are the opportunities & outlook

1.      Now (school couns./MH couns./Human Services Workers)

2.      Later (school couns./MH couns./Human Services Workers)

VII.                       Professional Organizations and You

A.     Why belong to a professional organization?

B.     Advantages?  Opportunities?

C.     ACA (divisions, regions)

1.      1952 Personnel & Guidance Assoc. (PGA) quickly (1953) APGA to avoid confusion

2.      1983 AACD to distance itself from guidance and personnel services as a limiter

3.      1992 ACA to represent membership more accurately (more on ACA later)

            D.  KCA (see introduction to KCA on the web and on BB)


Presentation on ACA/KCA Organization Structure

(HISTORY)

 

I.          When we consider exploring the organizational structure of an entity like ACA or KCA it is often a good idea to begin with a brief review of its history. 

A.     As you can see from these lists of affiliations and changes, we (ACA & KCA similarly) are organizations of diverse interests and emphasis’s brought together under our common umbrella of counseling.

B.                 As you can also see, we are organizations of smaller groups making a whole and as the smaller groups evolve and change so must the whole.

1.      As we all know, with change often comes turmoil.  For ACA, most recently, this has come in its 2 largest divisions considering disaffiliation.  This issue was reviewed at the last conference a few months ago and both divisions (MHCA & ASCA) agreed to remain a part of ACA while trying to work out differences.

II.         ACA is more that just its history or its collection of divisions.  It is the parent organization for all counselors at the local, state, regional, national, and international level.

A.     Its mission is to promote public trust and confidence I the counseling profession as well as to promote/enhance human development throughout the lifespan.

B.     Its vision is to be recognized as the association for professional counselors.

C.     And its organizational structure is charged with facilitating and furthering these goals.

VIII.                    ACA is headquartered just outside of Washington D.C. in Alexandria Virginia.  The association serves counselors in all 50 states and in 50 other countries throughout the world.  This international nature is the reason we use branch association instead of state association.

A.     KCA is one of these branch associations

B.     ACA currently has or is associated with 56 branches

C.     In addition, there are 16 member associations

D.     Also, ACA is affiliated with several corporate and related professional organizations with intent to improve member services and service in the profession (NBCC & CACREP)

IX.                          ACA is more again, than just a collection of divisional affiliates.  These are an important part of both ACAs and KCAs organizational structure, but there is more.

A.     The organization has a geographical structure with 4 regions.  These are the

§         North Atlantic Region

§         Midwest Region

§         Western Region

§         Southern Region – KY along with Texas, Georgia, Mississippi, Florida, Tennessee, North Carolina, South Carolina, Virginia, West Virginia, Arkansas, Louisiana, and Alabama.

1.      regions est. to assist State Branches in providing leadership training, professional development, and continued education for members in accordance with the association’s strategic plan.

B.     KCA, as one of ACA’s branch association and as a part of the ACA Southern Region, also has divisions (11 of the current 16) plus it has 12 Regional Chapters throughout the state.