A Counselor Classification System: Accountable

The Wisconsin State Employment Security Division has an employment counselor classification scheme which responds to the cry for accountability. This article discusses (a) technical requirements and performance standards for three levels of employment counselors; (b) specific job duties and levels of skill for Manpower counselors 1, 2, and 3; (c) caseload size, counseling outcomes, counseling and assessment skills, community resources, job development activities, and additional performance requirements expected of the master level counselor; (d) the system of reclassifying a Manpower counselor 2 to the Manpower counselor 3 level; and (e) the use of an on-site review by a state counseling supervisor as the method of evaluating a counselor's Performance. Values of the counselor classification scheme are indicated.     

THE INCREASING SIGNIFICANCE OF EMPLOYMENT COUNSELING

With changes in the world of work and with increased use of employment services, employment counseling is taking on added significance. The transformation of work realities and attitudes toward work are causing problems that the employment counselor must confront. At the same time the once simple world of work has become increasingly complex. This complexity places additional responsibility on the counselor's shoulders as greater demands are made for his services. Consequently, the employment counselor faces many challenges in offering a unique service.     

Counselor Training in Canada: An Alberta Approach

This article examines the initiatives of the Alberta/Northwest Territories Region of Employment and Immigration Canada in the implementation and continuing development of employment counselor training within the context of changing economic conditions and policy changes. Initiatives have included innovative group approaches, a program of competence maintenance and enhancement, and the development of an accountability framework for employment counseling. Future directions for training are also examined.     

Employment Counselor Training and Professional Issues in the United States

Employment counseling as practiced during the past 30 years in the United States Employment Service (now Job Service) is discussed, including (a) the historical forces that affected employment counseling, (b) their consequences over this period of time, and (c) employment counseling training initiatives. The Competency-Based Employment Counselor Training Model is described, and more recent training initiatives are identified. The counselor credentialing process (particularly certification and licensure) is examined.     

Use of Tests in the Canadian Employment Services

This article provides an overview of the use of tests within the Canadian Employment Service. Some of the topics covered include the place of tests in the counseling service (the general context), the level of testing services provided to clients, the training provided for employment counselors, and the involvement of the employment service in test development.     

Employment Counseling for Adults With Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder: Issues Without Answers

This article provides an overview of issues employment counselors will face in counseling adults with attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). There is little research on counseling clients with ADHD, and counselors are often ill prepared to provide appropriate services for this growing and underserviced population. Reviewed is the evolution of the ADHD label and its prevalence in adults. Diagnostic criteria are presented, and a selected review of adult outcome and treatment research is provided. Strategies for counseling adults with ADHD about careers are adapted, with caution, from literature on counseling adults with learning disabilities (LD), and specific guidelines for the employment counselor are presented.     

Minnesota Employment Counselor Activities

Employment counselors, counselor supervisors, managers, and counselor educators were surveyed in Minnesota concerning the amounts of time that are now spent and should be spent in eleven employment counselor activities. All respondents generally agreed on the amounts of time that are now spent and should be spent in the activities. They also agreed that there should be significant increases (p > .05) in the amounts of time that should be spent in counseling, teaching, and research/follow-up, and decreases in the amounts of time that should be spent in selection/intake and records/clerical activities. Employment counselors in main offices indicated that they now spend significantly less time than counselors in subordinate offices in counseling, consulting, and staff activities, and significantly more time in testing.     

Counseling Supervision and Consultation: A Psychobehavioral Approach

The Florida Bureau of Employment Service within the Florida Department of Commerce has developed and implemented a competency-based counselor training model. The model has established competencies for counselors in the areas of relationship skills, career development, individual and group assessment, group guidance and counseling, continuity of services, community relations skills, professional development and workload, and intra-office relationships. In the supervisory portion of the model competencies were explicated in the areas of supervisory skills, assuming that all the counselor competencies are also present in the supervisor's behavior. This article is limited to a discussion of the basic components of the supervisory model and the presentation of an actual case, to illustrate its direct application in the field.     

Introduction—Accountability or A-ccount-ability?

Guest Editors Larry Ellis and William Prochnow introduce this special issue of JEC by raising questions and issues of accountability that affect all professionals in employment counseling. Past accountability definitions hare been narrowly defined using accomplishmen/cost approaches. The Manpower Administration has attempted to use this approach in the provision of and justification for counseling services. Positive outcome data have been obtained for counseled applicants, but the counseling function is still being questioned. This article proposes expanding the concept of counselor accountability and introduces a multi-approach to accountability.     

Counseling the Disabled Older Person for the World of Work

Although work is meaningful to many older persons, numerous barriers exist that prohibit their active participation in the labor force. Employment counselors must possess a variety of attributes to help break down these barriers. This article discusses skills that the counselor needs when working with older adults and in particular with those who are disabled. Specialized approaches to job placement are discussed, including job modification and job restructuring. To become a successful advocate for the disabled elderly wishing to enter or remain in the labor market, the employment counselor is urged to become familiar with characteristics of older persons and federal laws relating to job development and placement for older and handicapped workers.     

Serving Clients With Hearing Loss: Best Practices in Mental Health Counseling

This article examines the risk factors and characteristics of clients with hearing loss, including inequitable access to education and mental health care services, financial barriers, communication problems, and societal discrimination. Culturally specific counseling approaches and techniques for mental health counselors serving clients with hearing loss are presented, with a focus on building counselor competency and client employment skills. The use of interpreters in therapeutic settings is also discussed.     

Guidance of the College-Bound

This paper discusses the paradox which exists between counselor education and counselor practice as related to counseling and guidance of the college-bound. Theory and research about higher education, the school counselor mandate concept, and implications for strengthening counselor education are explored. The position is taken that the gap between counselor education and counselor practice in guidance services for the college-bound is too great but that correctives exist which must be examined and implemented.     

Web‐Assisted Career Counseling

For the past 20 years counselors have used computer‐based career information systems to assist clients with career planning and job hunting. Much of the same this information is now available on the Internet and can be accessed without the aid of a counselor. Such developments are likely to have a major impact on employment counseling practices. This article outlines selected Web‐assisted counseling issues that are likely to affect counselors over the next few years and summarizes the career services currently available on the World Wide Web.     

Employment Counseling for the Elderly: Legislative History and Outlook

Employment counseling for older persons has traveled a rocky road in the United States. Awareness of the need was triggered by the 1929 depression and the manpower dislocations following World War II. The principal deliverers of services, the state employment services and nonprofit counseling agencies, are hard pressed to maintain adequate levels of support. Although Congress wants the agencies to do more, the Department of Labor and the Employment and Training Administration seem reluctant to capitalize on congressional interest. Future prospects seem brighter, as the baby boom of the 1950s becomes the senior boom of the next century.     

Effectively Counseling the Shy Minority Client

This article focuses on shyness as a barrier to meaningful employment for some minority persons. It provides a definition and discusses specific examples of shy behaviors that may be displayed. The article maintains that the employment counselor can work to help the minority client overcome this emotional-personal problem. A seven-step systematic procedure for effectively counseling the shy minority client is delineated.     

I-Level: a differential counseling system

This article suggests that the counselor, the client, and the counseling strategies employed must be systematically examined in order to maximize the effectiveness of counseling. The authors introduce the Interpersonal Maturity Level Typology as a vehicle through which this can be accomplished. They describe client and counselor types, present the notion of matching, and recommend differential counseling strategies.     

Guidance and Counseling in the Republic of Ireland

University College Dublin introduced counselor training in 1967, and guidance and counseling are now established in secondary education and the national employment and rehabilitation services.     

Addiction,the addict,and career: Considerations for the employment counselor

Employment counselors have been resistant to working with persons in recovery from addiction except under the strictest of criteria. This article examines the relationship between this resistance and the concepts of addiction and addict. Following this is an examination of substance abuse recovery and practical suggestions on incorporating recovery knowledge into career counseling. The goals of the article are twofold: (a) to present a framework that highlights the necessity of employment counseling for the recovery process from substance misuse and (b) to affirm that many employment counselors have the skills needed to assist clients who have been labeled as addicts.     

The Client Action Plan Within Employment Counseling

The action plan development model introduced in this article describes the process recommended to assist clients who receive employment counseling through Canada Employment Centres or other agencies funded by the Human Resources Development Department. This specific decision-making process is established in the context of employment counseling assessment interviews illustrating how potential objectives are explored, prioritized, and translated into concrete and feasible activities that form a client's action plan.     

Follow-Up of Doctoral Graduates in Counseling

The national population of persons who graduated from doctoral programs in counselor preparation during 1984–1985 was surveyed to discern their demographic, work history, current job status, productivity, and future employment plans. The 270 responses revealed a high level of preparation-related employment, with work being performed in very diverse settings. Today's graduates are older than those who graduated 15 years ago and are relatively experienced in counseling and human development services. Private practice has emerged as a significant employment setting and is projected to increase even more. Productivity in terms of contributions to the profession is substantial. Conclusions and implications are drawn for practitioners and counselor preparation institutions.