COUNSELING THE EMOTIONALLY TROUBLED CLIENT FOR PSYCHIATRIC REFERRAL

From time to time the employment counselor encounters applicants who need referral for psychiatric assistance in order to increase their employability and potential work adjustment. In many instances the client may feel that he has neither an emotional problem nor a need for psychiatric evaluation. The counselor can help the applicant to recognize his problem and to accept a psychiatric referral by using communication alternatives such as reflection of feeling, reflection of experience, sharing of the process experience, interpretation, and confrontation with maintenance of tension. The client can be assisted in evaluating community mental health resources and in arranging for the initial psychiatric evaluation appointment.     

JOB DEVELOPMENT FOR THE MENTALLY RESTORED PSYCHIATRIC PATIENT1

The experiences of the placement department of the Mental Health and Manpower Project have demonstrated that an effective team can be created to develop job opportunities for the mentally restored psychiatric patient. Composed of a vocational counselor and a placement counselor, the team is effective in securing meaningful employment and developing re-education programs in the community. While the vocational counselor provides the clinical information concerning the restored patient-client, the placement counselor serves as a more personnel oriented individual in finding the appropriate kind of employment position. The team points to the potential that the mental health center possesses in involving the general community in its programs.     

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.     

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.     

Value Conflict Resolution: A Training Model for Counselors of Minority Clients

It is assumed that the employment counselor controls what happens in the counseling session by virtue of position and superior knowledge of what the counseling process can and cannot provide. When employment counselors counsel individuals who have cultural and racial backgrounds different from their own, the probability of value conflict in problem solving and decision making is increased. Counselor control over the counseling process suggests that these conflicts will often be resolved according to the value preferences of the counselor. Failure to consider the value input of the client leads to the development of plans for action that don't work. The Carkhuff helping model is presented to show where counselor-client value conflicts are likely to occur, and a value conflict resolution training model is provided to help counselors assess value conflicts and resolve them in ways that promote client-counselor success.     

The Evolution of Ethics: Personal Perspectives of ACA Ethics Committee Chairs

This article presents a survey of the American Counseling Association Ethics Committee chairs regarding their experiences, learning, and insights in the area of professional counselor ethics resulting from their service on the committee. In addition, ethics chairs reflect on current and future trends in counselor ethics.     

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.     

Boundary Considerations Between Doctoral Students and Master's Students

Counselor educators have a responsibility to teach students about boundary issues and multiple relationships. In addition to counselor–client concerns, there has been increased attention to faculty–student multiple relationships. Like faculty, doctoral students in counselor education programs often engage in roles with master's‐level students in which they hold a position of authority. This article reviews the professional literature on multiple relationships and boundary issues within counselor preparation programs and applies the research to boundary considerations between graduate students. Potentially fruitful areas for research are also suggested.     

Developing a Model of Advanced Training to Promote Career Advancement for Certified Genetic Counselors: An Investigation of Expanded Skills,Advanced Training Paths,and Professional Opportunities

There are currently multiple paths through which genetic counselors can acquire advanced knowledge and skills. However, outside of continuing education opportunities, there are few formal training programs designed specifically for the advanced training of genetic counselors. In the genetic counseling profession, there is currently considerable debate about the paths that should be available to attain advanced skills, as well as the skills that might be needed for practice in the future. The Association of Genetic Counseling Program Directors (AGCPD) convened a national committee, the Committee on Advanced Training for Certified Genetic Counselors (CATCGC), to investigate varied paths to post-master’s training and career development. The committee began its work by developing three related grids that view career advancement from the viewpoints of the skills needed to advance (skills), ways to obtain these skills (paths), and existing genetic counselor positions that offer career change or advancement (positions). Here we describe previous work related to genetic counselor career advancement, the charge of the CATCGC, our preliminary work in developing a model through which to view genetic counselor advanced training and career advancement opportunities, and our next steps in further developing and disseminating the model.     

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.     

MOTIVATIONAL INTERVENTION: THEORETICAL CONSIDERATIONS IN EMPLOYMENT COUNSELING

The function of employment counseling has benefitted from a problem analysis approach based on the concepts of vocational choice, change, and adjustment. Continued growth, however, might be facilitated by the development of a more positive point of view that includes an analysis of the motivational process that clients experience in their attempts to attain employment. If we perceive motivation as a series of stages, we can then provide ourselves with a tool by which we can explore various points where the counselor can intervene to help clients overcome resistance and frustration.     

BEYOND SCHOOL COUNSELING

An appeal is made for less emphasis upon separate programs and certification in counselor education. The employment service counselor and the rehabilitation counselor are discussed. Preparation of a generic counselor should receive priority over programs which contribute to attitudinal and operational isolation. A request is made for the development of mutual respect for the competencies and professional contributions of counselors employed outside the school setting.     

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.     

The application of solution‐focused work in employment counseling

The author explores the applicability of a solution‐focused therapy (SFT) model as a comprehensive approach to employment counseling. SFT focuses the client on developing a vision of a preferred future and assumes that the client has the talents and resources that can be accessed in the employment counseling process. The solution‐focused counselor enters the therapeutic relationship from a point of “not knowing” and works with the client in job transition to develop possibilities that evolve from the client's strengths and knowledge. Examples are given of how solution‐focused employment counseling could be practiced.     

The Polyvalent Counselor

Employment counselors must serve many different kinds of clients and provide a wide variety of services. They must be capable of providing individual and group counseling services as well as environmental intervention. The counseling process is somewhat different for the employment counselor who must also consider the available job market, motivational forces, aptitudes, skills, and interests. This article discusses the framework in which the polyvalent employment counselor works. This article was the basis of a workshop for the Employment Security Commission at their state meting in Burlington, North Carolina, in June 1977.     

Counselor Bias and Women

Counselors are biased against girls and women. Several recent studies examining counselor's sex biases are reviewed. Research indicates that attitudes of counselor trainees, school counselors at all levels, counselor educators and supervisors, and clinicians are sexist. The Attitude Toward Women Scale was administered to 80 employment counselors. Male counselor attitudes were more sexist than female counselor attitudes. Suggestions for dealing with counselor bias are reviewed. Counselors must first battle their own biases. They should also be sensitive to the developmental stages of a person's life, as well as to job requirements and employer attitudes. Occupational literature should be nonsexist and nontraditional.     

Listening and Communication Skills Training: Implications for Counselor Accountability

This article describes the development and implementation of a training procedure in listening and communication skills for employment service counselors. Implications are drawn from the listening and communication skills training and other human relations training approaches for counselor staff development and counselor accountability.     

Increasing Empathy for Employment Service Counselors: A Practicum

Outservice practicum training of employment service counselors presents a particular challenge to counselor educators. An overview of a two-week practicum-laboratory training program is presented and discussed. The efficacy of the training is examined from the standpoint of helpful levels of empathy presented by the employment service counselors trained. The difference between pretraining and posttraining levels of empathy indicated statistically significant gains were realized.     

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.     

Women,Work, and Life Transitions

Work is a positive force in helping women manage the issues and problems caused by separation and loss. The role of the employment counselor can be crucial during the process of transition.