Category: Counseling

Introduction

Today, much attention and resources are defined and spent to offer professional counseling to the population. In most cases, counselors are individuals who help clients manage their lives and empower individuals to solve their problems, make decisions, and maintain emotional and physical well-being. It is expected that an expert in this field is able to put aside personal judgments and cooperate with different patients. It is not enough to establish trusting relationships but also to offer help without directly interfering in their lives. Thus, the burden level is hard to recognize, and self-care plays an important role in professional counseling practice in predicting work stress, dissatisfaction, and turnover. Education, cooperation, behavioral changes, and communication are the main aspects of self-care interventions for counseling professionals to be integrated through education and social support.

Need and Purpose

The conditions under which counseling professionals work vary, depending on the populations needs and other external factors that affect human behaviors. The need for this advocacy project is to prove that even the best professionals should take care of themselves and learn the interventions that might improve their well-being. The purpose of the project is not only to describe counseling obligations and challenges but identify the strategies and prove the possibility of their implementation today.

Population

In this project, the population is a group of professional counselors who report low job satisfaction, stress, and burnout. According to Posluns and Gall (2020), counselors are mental health practitioners who have to work in a one-way caring culture. These professionals should demonstrate compassion, empathy, and patience to their patients and develop relationships for emotional support (Posluns & Gall, 2020). As well as any other employees, they cannot deal with job burnout on their own and professional help must be found in other settings.

Goals

The goals or intentions of the current project are directed at the improvement of counseling professionals well-being. First, counselors need to keep learning and manage their time to discover new and interesting things and ideas. Second, the strategies should be individual, so it is easy for counselors to take self-care anytime they need it. Finally, most interventions must address burnout and other work-related challenges and problems. It is possible to find experts who cooperate with counselors and show potential threats to solve. At the same time, the idea of self-care is the encouragement for counselors to improve their well-being and create a safe working environment independently.

Strategies

Education is one of the most effective interventions to promote self-care for counseling professionals. Although most people have a solid academic background in the field, additional training and courses on self-care are highly recommended (Lemmons & Zanskas, 2019). Educational booklets, access to current and reliable literary sources, and behavioral guidelines should be available to counselors at home and at work (Dineen-Griffin et al., 2019). It is not a shame to admit that new knowledge is obligatory for experts because modern technologies, preventive techniques, and additional support are constantly developing. Counselors should have some time to learn innovations and apply them in their professional life.

Another strategy is based on what counselors can do to improve their behaviors and thinking abilities. Yoga and massage may be offered to relieve physical and emotional stress (Lemmons & Zanskas, 2019). Diaries and mobile applications allow to control their changes and identify the factors that bring positive and negative emotions (Dineen-Griffin et al., 2019). Communication with colleagues is another way to endorse self-care during regular meetings. It is possible to ask questions, share personal and professional experiences, and observe how different people cope with similar problems. Self-care is a chance to improve health without addressing medications and other pharmacological interventions but focusing on personal needs.

Roles and Responsibilities

When counseling professionals address some help to manage their emotional conditions and solve their working challenges, they want to cooperate with another expert and learn something new. Thus, the roles and responsibilities of helping professionals should be clearly identified and fulfilled. First, it is necessary to listen to the client and recognize the core issue of the problem. Second, additional resources, recommendations from specialized organizations, and written guidelines must be developed and shared (Dineen-Griffin et al., 2019). Communication is a good way to promote self-care, but counselors might want to work independently, and printed material can be effective (Lemmons & Zanskas, 2019; Posluns & Gall, 2020). Following ethical standards and maintaining confidence are the two critical responsibilities that are never ignored.

Individuals who cooperate with counseling professionals understand that these patients are special because they are highly aware of possible interventions and lifelong hints. Thus, helping professionals focus on professional issues, time management, and mindfulness to support their clients (Posluns & Gall, 2020). Instead of asking questions, they might predict answers and make counselors participate in these care processes. Self-care practice needs to advance understanding of a situation, and helpers introduce the best sources and innovative techniques.

Intended Outcomes

If all recommendations are properly followed, and the goals of strategies and interventions are achieved, several positive outcomes may be observed. First, the level of stress in clients will be significantly reduced (Posluns & Gall, 2020). This achievement will allow predicting the development of other cardiovascular diseases, depression, and obesity (Dineen-Griffin et al., 2019). When a person is able to recognize stress symptoms and turn for help immediately, mental and physical health improvements will be noticeable. Compared to stress, when emotions are overactive, and energy is lost, burnout is characterized by blunted reactions, the feeling of helplessness, and poor motivation. The possibility of managing burnout is another outcome of self-care interventions. Finally, improved self-esteem and self-confidence will be observed because counseling professionals learn how to solve their concerns.

Instead of avoiding problems, counselors will be ready to continue their practice and help others do the same. Personal experience in self-care is a good chance to understand what other people feel and need when they are at risk of stress and burnout complications. Self-care is a source of inspiration and additional motivation for creating an encouraging culture of wellness (Lemmons & Zanskas, 2019). Cooperation, communication, and a work-life balance will be restored in counselors to complete their primary function as mental health practitioners.

Conclusion

Despite the common thought that counseling professionals should help the population and solve someones problems, this group of practitioners might also need assistance from time to time. Work overload, burnout, depression, and stress provoke low self-esteem and reduce their readiness to offer professional services. Self-care strategies need to be developed and implemented for counseling professionals to reboot and find new sources of inspiration. Education, communication with colleagues, physical training, and mental practices are effective methods in such situations. This project shows how to cooperate with a counselor and introduce self-care as a solution to follow.

References

Dineen-Griffin, S., Garcia-Cardenas, V., Williams, K., & Benrimoj, S. I. (2019). Helping patients help themselves: A systematic review of self-management support strategies in primary health care practice.PloS One, 14(8). Web.

Lemmons, R., & Zanskas, S. (2019). Residential counselors and self care: A retrospective qualitative Study of archival interview data.Health Services Research and Managerial Epidemiology, 6. Web.

Posluns, K., & Gall, T. L. (2020). Dear mental health practitioners, take care of yourselves: A literature review on self-care.International Journal for the Advancement of Counselling, 42(1), 1-20. Web.

The validity of a test instrument refers to the ability of a test instrument to measure what it purports to measure. There are three different forms of validity content, criterion, and construct validity.

Content validity is established based on the extent to which a scale reflects the intended domain of content (Carmines & Zeller, 1991, 20). Criterion validity is established based on the extent to which a scale corresponds to a pre-defined criterion and construct validity is established when a researcher engages in a series of activities that simultaneously defines a construct and develop a scale to measure the developed construct (Kaplan & Saccuzzo, 2005, 149-150).

In order to determine the level of content validity, one has to examine whether the scale is developed appropriately in that he/she has to examine items such as the level of reading necessary to understand the items and respond appropriately. Additionally, one needs to examine concepts such as the level of logical reasoning necessary to interpret the items. The notions of construct underrepresentation and construct-irrelevant variance also prove applicable when one discusses content validity.

Construct underrepresentation refers to cases when the scope of the test instrument proves to be limited in that it does not cover the important aspects of a construct (Kaplan & Saccuzzo, 2005, 137). A construct-irrelevant variance occurs within a test scale when the scores obtained through the use of a scale are influenced by something outside the scope of the construct.

Content validity proves to be very important in all forms of testing but it proves to be critical in educational testing especially since the lions share of educational testing is based on knowledge acquired in the course of a given academic endeavor. For instance in GED testing, the content is based on knowledge acquired during the course of education through high school. If a test developer decided to include content from a quantum physics class, this would prove to be outside the scope of GED testing and would adversely affect the content validity of that test.

In counseling, validity can be important in that counselors utilize many scales aimed at assessing constructs such as self-esteem. In examining such constructs, one has to rely heavily on self-reported scales. In addressing the validity of a scale, it is prudent to examine the reviews of the given scales. Such reviews can be found in the Mental Measurements Yearbook and other similar databases. The reviews of the scales represent one of the most accurate sources for information on the given scales. An example of this can be seen when I searched for a scale to measure self-esteem. I found the Abuse Disability Questionnaire (ADQ). The review of this scale listed information on the construct, concurrent, and divergent validity.

Test reliability refers to the precision, consistency, or the ability of a test to produce the same or statistically similar results each time a test is administered. Essentially, reliability is the measure of an error occurring in test administrations. When administering a test that measures a psychological construct there will be some measure of error because, by its very nature, psychological constructs can never be measured accurately. An example of this can be seen in the measure of the effects of an event on an individual. How can we accurately measure this? There is no precise way. We can devise tools that will measure constructs such as self-esteem.

These tools, however, will never be able to measure self-esteem without some error in measurement. Kaplan and Saccuzzo (2004) utilized the example of measuring an object utilizing a rubber ruler to illustrate the construct of reliability in testing. Each time the object is measured with a rubber ruler, it will yield a different measurement because the rubber ruler is flexible and will react differently.

In examining the construct of reliability, one can see that there are four forms of reliabilityInter-rater, test-retest, parallel forms, and internal consistency. Inter-rater reliability is utilized to assess the degree to which raters are able to consistently estimate the same phenomenon. Test-retest reliability is used to establish the consistency of a test measure over time. Parallel-forms reliability is used to establish the consistency of two tests which are constructed in the same way and from the same domain of items. The only difference between the tests in parallel forms reliability is the fact that the two tests contain different items. Internal consistency reliability assesses the consistency of the test results across different items within a test.

In parallel forms reliability, there are two tests consisting of items taken from the same pool of items. One way to assure that reliability is properly assessed using parallel forms reliability is to create a large pool of test questions and randomly select questions to be utilized by the two separate tests. After this is done, a correlation is established between the two tests and the result indicates the error in testing. This error in testing is indicative of the reliability of the tool. This method of establishing reliability can be problematic in that it requires the test developer to create lots of items that measure the same construct and it presupposes that the randomly divided halves are equivalent (Research Methods Knowledge Base, 2006).

In counseling, reliability is vital in that counselors utilize many scales in order to conduct diagnosis and to discern a diagnosis. In so doing, the scales utilized by counselors have to produce the same or similar results each time they are utilized. The implications of unreliable tests are such that they are rendered useless if they cannot be depended upon to produce consistent results both over time and when used once. Overall reliability and validity speak to the usability of a scale.

References:

Carmines, E.G. & Zeller, R. A. (1991). Reliability and viability assessment. Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage.

Kaplan, R.M. & Saccuzzo, D.P. (2005). Psychological testing: principles, applications, and issues (6th edition). Belmont, CA. Thompson Wadsworth.

Research Methods Knowledge Base. (2006). Types of reliability. Web.

Evaluation and assessment of individuals behavior are critical to help them to evolve in an appropriate way and acquire the social skills needed to remain integrated with society and cooperate with peers. To determine the existing problems and find appropriate ways to solve them, a counselor, as a specialist responsible for the in-depth assessment of persons cognitive, developmental, and communicational skills, should devote special attention to unusual behaviors, inappropriate or undesired patterns, or other threatening signs.

For this reason, counseling sessions become a potent tool that can be used to communicate with a client and determine his/her current problems using strategic approaches and specific skills demanded for the critical analysis.

The given paper presents a transcription of a counseling session with Kenry Lambert, a 7th-grade student. He is Cuban American, Catholic. He grows up in a nice family that does not have signs of violent behaviors or other inappropriate patterns. He has a younger sister and a caring mom. The addressed problem is the boy does not want to share the ball at the gym and plays by himself. Last Friday he had a fight with his best friend Mike because of the ball. Kenry punched the friend on his face. It shows the existence of anger issues.

The given transcription outlines communication between the counselor (C) and the student (S). The dialogue between the specialist and the boy is presented in detail because of the necessity to understand utilized techniques and make a conclusion about the existing problems and the further need for actions.

Transcription and Analysis

Theoretical Framework

The investigation of the given cases presupposes the creation of the specific theoretical framework that can be applied to the case to help the student to eliminate undesired behaviors and achieve success in socialization. During the session, the boy and the counselor engaged in trustful and friendly relations, which are critical for the final success (Geldard, Geldard, & Yin Foo, 2017).

Regarding the existing problem, the main idea was not to blame the client for his action, but to attain the increased understanding of its negative impact on his socialization, the impossibility of violent behaviors, and teach him appropriate patterns that can be used in society (Slaten & Baskin, 2014). In such a way, the humanistic behavioral and psychodynamic approaches were combined to achieve the goal during the session and ensure that the boy will not act similarly again.

The central idea of the humanistic approach is that the present is more important than the past. In other words, instead of blaming the student for this fight, the counselor emphasizes the fact that he is a good learner and player with multiple opportunities for achieving success, self-development, and self-actualization (Gilfillan, 2017).

The counselor believes in the goodness of the boy and does not spend time on past negative behaviors; instead, there is the focus on the cultivation of the desired responses and appropriate skills that will help to achieve the highest potential (Gilfillan, 2017). Utilization of the given framework helps to engage in trustful relations with the boy as he also sees a specialists interest and is ready to act in accordance with the new instructions to achieve success and remain in good relations with the class.

Furthermore, the behavioral approach states that every person can be taught to act in certain ways to achieve success. The major concern is to demonstrate the appropriate behavior and ensure that an individual understands the need for it correctly (Capuzzi & Stauffer, 2016). For this reason, during the session, the counselor tried to emphasize the necessity to use other methods while communicating with peers and playing basketball. With the help of questions and encouragements, the specialist ensures that the impossibility of violent acts becomes obvious to the boy. Moreover, he should realize the importance of compromise and how it can be achieved.

Finally, with the help of the psychodynamic framework, the counselor can determine external factors impacting the boys behavior and his decision to fight with his friend. The core factor that motivated the student to behave in this manner was the usual patterns he utilized while playing at home (Kelly, 2017). There were no partners, and the game was important for him. In such a way, understanding the central motifs, the counselor can create additional motivation to act appropriately and socialize with peers. It will help to solve the existing problem and achieve good results. Altogether, the utilization of the given framework contributes to the improved understanding of the session and decisions made by the counselor during the communication with the student.

Self-Reflection Summary

The given case provided an excellent opportunity to work with a client and evaluate my own skills which are critical for the successful work of a counselor. From the given experience, it should be said that I am ready to work with children to assess their states and suggest various solutions to improve their socialization and cooperation with peers. I have enough knowledge to determine the needed theoretical framework that can be utilized to create the best possible intervention and assist students in elaborating appropriate behaviors.

At the same time, there is a need for new experience as it will help to improve competence and acquire new skills that can be used in more complex situations. I think my work during the session was successful as the improved understanding of the case and possible solutions were outlined through the investigation of existing literature.

The case also shows critical importance of socialization skills for individuals who belong to a collective and have to cooperate with its members. For this reason, this area should be given special attention and investigated more attentively to increase the ability to cope with complex cases and provide appropriate care. Additionally, analytic skills should also be developed, since, in multiple cases, the correct analysis of the situation and the central causes for the emergence of some incident help to create the needed course of actions and assist participants in engaging in appropriate behaviors (Capuzzi & Stauffer, 2016).

Furthermore, role-play skills can also demand additional attention as one of the potent tools to work with students who have problematic behaviors and assist them by utilizing a certain model. These competences are critical as they will contribute to the improved outcomes of the next session and a better understanding of the essentials of counseling.

The case also contributed to developing of such skills as empathy, sympathy, emotional intelligence, and cognition. Their use is critical in almost all situations that presuppose counseling intervention as they help to determine the need for certain measures. In such a way, utilizing these skills while communicating with patients, it is critical to achieve positive outcomes. In general, it can be described as a positive experience that contributed to the improvement of counseling skills. The boy recognized the impossibility of violence in solving problems and engaged in appropriate social behaviors. The correct intervention and the effective session helped to discover the main reasons for the emergence of these negative patterns and achieve progress.

References

Capuzzi, D., & Stauffer, M. (2016). Counseling and psychotherapy: Theories and interventions (6th ed.). Alexandria, VA: American Counseling Association.

Geldard, K., Geldard, D., & Yin Foo, R. (2017). Counselling children: A practical introduction (5th ed). Thousand Oaks, CA: SAGE Publications.

Gilfillan, B. H. (2017). School counselors and college readiness counseling. Professional School Counseling. Web.

Kelly, K. (2017). Basic counselling skills: A student guide. New York, NY: Counsellor Tutor.

Slaten, C. D., & Baskin, T. W. (2014). Contextual school counseling: A framework for training with implications for curriculum, supervision, practice, and future research. The Counseling Psychologist, 42(1), 97123. Web.

Abstract

The primary objective of this study was to determine the value of counseling services in Dubai public prosecution. Based on the primary and secondary data that was collected and analyzed, it was established that counseling is critical for both victims and offenders. For the victims, it is necessary to ensure that they are capable of overcoming their trauma when the case is finally solved. For the offenders, they need help to come to terms with the new lifestyle they are going to face when they are finally sent to prison. There should be a standard procedure in the prosecution system of Dubai.

Background

Dubai Public Prosecution has an important responsibility of ensuring that the rights and freedom of people are protected. Those who go against the law should be subjected to a fair trial and appropriate punishment should be given to them in courts under the existing laws. It is expected that justice is maintained at all times and the basic rights and needs of both the accused and the victim are preserved.

In the current Dubai public prosecution system, non-legal counseling is not a service that is offered either to the victim or the accused. It is a practice that has yet to become common not only in the United Arab Emirates but also in other parts of the world. However, counseling is very critical for both the victim and the defendant, especially if they are minors. There are cases of teenagers taken to court because of crime such as rape, robbery with violence, or even homicide.

These are serious crimes that have a massive impact on both the defendant and the victim or their family. In cases of rape committed against a minor, the victim may have a life-long trauma if proper counseling is not done. Post-traumatic stress disorder, if not addressed properly, may have major impacts on the victim. Rape victims require immediate attention from medical experts to help them cope with their new condition. In some cases, a minor may be brought in for homicide that occurred mistakenly without his intention.

The jury may be very understanding and the judge may give very light sentences. However, there is the mental torture that the child will have to bear because of causing the death of a loved one. It is the responsibility of the public prosecution team to offer some form of counseling to these people so that they can lead a normal life free from mental torture. Sometimes the parents may need to be trained so that they can help their children overcome the trauma they face.

Given that the minor will be spending most of their time with their parents, the experts may need to train them on how to handle their delicate children based on what happened to them, and what can be done to ensure that such an event does not recur in future. This is a proposal for a new policy that the prosecution should consider embracing as it strives to offer quality services to its clients. In this paper, the researcher seeks to determine the value of counseling services in Dubai Public Prosecution.

Purpose of the Proposal

The purpose of this proposal is to determine the value of counseling services in Dubai Public Prosecution. The prosecution system does not consider counseling as an important service that should be offered to both parties, especially when it involves major crimes such as homicide, murder, and rape. These are incidents that create a permanent scar even among the perpetrators. The feeling of being haunted may remain in them forever if they are not taken through proper counseling.

Most of the serial killers are people who were not properly counseled when they murdered for the first time. Given their disturbed spirit, they may feel compelled to commit similar crimes either when in prison or once they are released after serving their terms. Making them realize that what they did was wrong but it does not turn them into beasts is very critical. They need to be aware that even after committing such heinous crimes, they are still human beings and need to behave normally.

This proposal seeks to propose new guidelines within the prosecution system where counseling will be a mandatory service both to the victims and the offenders. Before the offenders are subjected to prosecution, deliberate attempts should be made to make them appreciate the purpose of the prosecution. They should be made to realize that under a normal social system that law governs the behavior of people, facing prosecution does not mean that the state is against the accused. What it means is that a crime was committed and as per the law, appropriate punishment is necessary. When they are made to develop such a feeling, they will go to prison knowing that they are paying for their crime and that the authorities are trying to change their behavior.

Research Objectives

In this policy proposal project, the researcher has developed clear objectives that should be achieved by the end of the project. The following are the objectives.

1. To determine the value of offering counseling services in the DPP system, especially for the juveniles
2. To determine if the juveniles (accused or victims) need someone to talk to and the procedure that should be followed to do so.
3. To determine the current regional practice regarding counseling among the public prosecution systems
4. To come up with recommendations on how the DPP system can embrace the practice of counseling the victims and defendants as appropriate.

Research Questions and Hypotheses

In this proposal, the researcher seeks to respond to the following research questions.

1. What is the value of offering any counseling services in the DPP system, especially for juveniles?
2. If you see that Juveniles (accused or victims) need someone to talk to, what is the procedure currently?
3. What is the current regional practice regarding counseling among the public prosecution systems?
4. If a proposal for juvenile counseling services were developed, do you think the DPP would consider it?

To respond to the above research questions, the researcher will collect the relevant data from various sources.

Literature Review

Counseling within the public prosecution system is a relatively new concept that is just emerging in some parts of developed countries. In the past, counseling was considered a primary responsibility of the medical staff. If a victim suffered a rape case, it would be a standard procedure for him or her to be offered such services in hospitals when they are receiving medical services. For the prosecutors, their primary responsibility is largely considered to be that of prosecution.

The prosecutor is expected to give the victim justice by punishing the rapist appropriately. However, in doing so there is a need to offer adequate counseling to the accused, especially if he is a juvenile (Thibault & Maceri, 2009). The victim needs to understand the essence of the punishment. There should be clear information that the sentence is meant to offer the juvenile opportunity to reform and become a better person in society (Snyder, Glaser, & Calhoun, 2013).

Emphasis should be on the need for the accused to be transformed other than on the desire to punish them. The ultimate goal of the prison service is to transform offenders so that they can be successfully integrated into the community. For juvenile prisons, there is often the pressure to transform juvenile delinquents to be better people and possible future leaders in society. This can only happen when the accused juveniles are properly counseled. They should develop the desire to have a better life in the future where they are more responsible and determined to transform the community within which they live.

The prosecution may offer legal advice to the victim, but not counseling services that may help them deal with the post-traumatic stress disorder. As such, when the victims are with the prosecution team, they expect counseling on how they can get the most justice based on their case. Counseling is often very important when a victim is seeking justice. In most of the cases, the victims- who happen to be juvenile- may need counseling just as much as they may need to see justice served.

They need to move on with life despite what happened to them (Masters, 2004). Although the victims are represented by the state in such prosecution processes, they still need some form of counseling. For instance, they may want the prosecution to continue without their identity being revealed to the public. They may have a feeling that the physical and emotional trauma they are going through is so severe that they cannot withstand any other stress of negative publicity during the prosecution process.

As such, they need to be advised on how they can testify without revealing their identities. They also need counseling on how to handle themselves during the trial time of prosecution and what to do when the case is finally brought to conclusion. The current prosecution system in the entire Middle East often tries to offer this counseling to its clients. They try to make the victims understand their position and rights in the entire process. However, a lot more still needs to be done to improve the system (Holloway, Brown, Suman, & Aalsma, 2013). Counseling should be made a mandatory requirement in the legal institutions.

The defendants also need legal counseling from the prosecution system. Sometimes defendants are completely unaware of their rights either because of their age or lack of any legal background. They may not be aware of their right to legal counseling. Some do not even understand what they should or should not say to the prosecutors that may lead to self-incrimination. It is the responsibility of the prosecution to inform the accused of their right to a legal representative, especially when they are facing serious crimes such as homicide, robbery with violence, or rape. They should be enlightened about their right not to speak to the prosecution team in the absence of their lawyer.

These are services that are currently available not only in the Dubai prosecution system but also in other prosecution systems in the region. However, it is worrying that in most of the cases the prosecution fails to offer such legal counseling to the defendants when trying to develop their case. They do not inform or remind the accused of their right not to speak to the prosecution. They go ahead and interrogate them, sometimes even using threats to develop their case.

The suspect would end up incriminating themselves, even in cases where a clear explanation of the events would help the jury understand the motive of the defendant. As such, these juveniles need proper counseling before they can be presented in court (Evans & Zhou, 2014). They need to know how to present themselves in court and how to narrate the events that happened to help the jury understand what transpired.

Project Method

This is a policy proposal project that seeks to introduce a new system in Dubai Public Prosecution. The current prosecution system in Dubai primarily focuses on serving justice at all times. This should continue to be its primary focus. However, it should also focus on caring for the emotional torture of the victims and the accused so that the entire process of prosecution does not leave them emotionally destroyed.

In this policy proposal project, the aim is to consider the value of juvenile counseling and offer a program proposal within this department that will ensure that the prosecution process does not add unnecessary emotional and psychological burden among those who are involved in the process.

In this project, the researcher has conducted a review of the literature to determine what other scholars have found about the issue of counseling in public prosecution. The researcher also engaged a sample of the stakeholders in the prosecution department within Dubai to determine the current status of affairs regarding this issue. It was necessary to collect primary data from these respondents because of the research gaps identified in the literature review. It was evident that not enough research has been done in this field that specifically focuses on Dubai. The respondents that were identified are currently working within this department.

They understand the system and know whether or not public prosecution offers to counsel to the victims and defendants. To select the participants for the study, simple random sampling was used. The people working in this department were chosen randomly to ensure that the personal bias of the researcher does not affect the outcome of the study. Using the research questions that were developed for this study, the researcher gathered data from these respondents. Primary data is important because it helps in confirming the claims made by other scholars as witnessed in the review of the literature.

Primary data collection was done through a face-to-face interview. As mentioned above, all the respondents are currently working in Dubai Public Prosecution. It is common for loyal employees of a given organization to give false information as a way of protecting its image. It was, therefore, necessary to use an approach that would limit the chances of the respondents giving false information. It is easy for a researcher to detect when a respondent is giving wrong information. It takes time for one to create a lie and a good researcher should be able to detect this lie from the facial expression and body language of the respondent.

It was one of the reasons why the face-to-face interview was considered appropriate. It was also an appropriate method of collecting data because it allowed the researcher to clarify issues that the respondents had before answering the questions. The researcher reassured them of the anonymity of their identity and the fact that this paper was only meant for academic purposes.

Program Proposal

The researcher was interested in finding answers to the research questions set in chapter one to achieve the objectives of this paper. There were four questions based on the four objectives of the study. The study used both primary and secondary data to respond to these research questions. The following were the research questions used in the study.

What is the value of offering any counseling services in the DPP system, especially for juveniles?

In this question, the focus was to determine the value of offering counseling services in the DPP system, especially for juveniles. The respondents were asked to give their views about the value of counseling services in the Dubai public prosecution system. It was clear that most of them understood the importance of counseling both to the victims and perpetrators of criminal acts. The respondents particularly noted that rape victims need proper counseling to ensure that they lead a normal life. The respondents noted that these victims often undergo a lot of trauma when subjected to such demeaning and physically hurtful ordeals.

They need to be taken care of emotionally to ensure that they overcome their emotional stress. The defendants also need some form of counseling to help them deal with their situation and be ready to face a life behind bars knowing that one day they shall be integrated back into the community and will be expected to lead normal lives just like other members of their society. The respondents noted that counseling services were specifically important for juveniles because most of them have limited knowledge about the processes of courts and the possible impact that legal processes may have on their lives (Roberts & Springer, 2007).

Offering counseling services prepare them for the possible outcome of such legal processes. They get to understand what is expected of them and how they can handle themselves before, during, and after the legal proceedings.

The findings closely matched the findings made in the review of the literature. The perpetrators of these criminal acts also require some form of emotional support as they go through prosecution. Not all those who are suspected of committing a crime are often found guilty. Some allegations may have serious impacts on the defendant. In such cases, being declared innocent after a fair trial may not offer them full psychological freedom. They may still have the scar of being referred to as rapists or murderers. These people rarely get the support they need to recover from the emotional torture after being suspected of committing certain crimes.

The prosecution should come up with a new system where such people are taken through proper counseling to help them lead a normal life. They should be made to understand that it is normal for such allegations to come up, but the most important thing is that their innocence has been proven in the court of law. Such people may have resentment towards their accusers and may even be tempted to take revenge in any manner possible. However, through proper counseling, these people can overcome their resentment and forgive their accusers. They can lead a normal life knowing that the accusations do not change who they are and that they do not turn them into social misfits.

It was also noted that some of these juveniles come from abusive families and are committing crimes because they feel they have nothing to lose. Others are bought up in environments where they learn that the only way of solving their problems is through violence. Such juveniles need counseling before they can be subjected to legal proceedings (Grebstein & Van, 2016). In some cases, the accused may be found guilty beyond any reasonable doubt of committing a given crime.

When these people are sent to prison, the aim is always to help them change their criminal behavior and become law-abiding individuals. However, these people can only change their behavior in these correctional facilities if they develop a mentality of wanting to be better people. Instead of focusing on the criminal acts of these defendants during the prosecution period, the prosecutor should work closely with them to help them appreciate the relevance of the prosecution process. They need to understand that they are given a second chance in life to go through their past criminal acts and to decide on how to become better people.

With the help of counseling, they will not consider the time they spend in jail wasted. They should consider it as an opportunity given to them to reflect upon their lives, away from the society, and to decide on the best way they want to integrate with members of the society once they are released from prison. In Jordan, the legal system has developed a culture of counseling those who have been sentenced to a jail term before they are sent to prison.

Such processes help them to cope with the new lifestyle in prison. As such, counseling services are very important for the Dubai prosecution system. The current system has not placed enough emphasis on juvenile counseling (Siegel & Welsh, 2011). The findings show that the juveniles need to be protected when they are subject to legal processes. It does not matter whether they are the victims or offenders. Measures should be put in place that considers the fact that they are not of legal age.

If you see that juveniles (accused or victims) need someone to talk to, what is the procedure currently? Are there any plans in place for additional services?

In this question, the focus was to determine if currently there are procedures put in place that can be used to offer counseling services to juveniles. As such, it was necessary to determine if these officers working in the Dubai Public Prosecution department often offer counseling to t victims and defendants for the period in which they interact with them. The respondents noted that in most of the cases, the accused may get counseling.

The juvenile has the liberty of visiting a specialist who will be responsible for taking care of the problems. However, such a juvenile only has access to one specialist who will meet all the counseling needs. For the victims, the system allows them to look for counseling services on their own, without any mandate that forces the DPP to help them get such counseling services. The office is yet to come up with a policy that will ensure that the victims and the accused can get emotional counseling. They stated that it is appropriate for the department to come up with a new policy that will focus on offering both legal and emotional counseling to the participants.

The victims often need counseling services to help them deal with the mental torture that they may be experiencing based on the ordeal they went through at the hands of their attackers. For instance, a juvenile who is a victim of rape may need counseling to help him or her deal with the problem emotionally. If such counseling services are not offered properly and within the right time, they may have a permanent scar that will forever affect their lives in the future.

What is the current regional practice regarding counseling among the public prosecution systems?

The respondents noted that they play a small part in counseling and they often take workshops so that they can test the efficiency of these services in helping the juveniles undergoing legal processes. Understanding the victim or accused that needs counseling services is critical for the specialists. In the review of literature, it was apparent that little has been discussed about emotional counseling offered to offenders and their victims for the period of prosecution.

The prosecutors often focus on proving to the court that the accused is guilty as charged and rarely do they focus on how to help them overcome their emotions. The respondents felt that more still needs to be done to ensure that juveniles, both victims and accused, get adequate counseling every time they have to undergo the legal processes.

If a proposal for juvenile counseling services was developed do you think the DPP would consider it?

The DPP indeed reserves the right to approve the proposals made from the project. In this section, the interest of the researcher was to determine if the appropriate department would consider implementing the proposals made. The respondents gave overwhelming support for a new system that focuses on helping the offenders and the victims overcome their emotional trauma during the time of prosecution. Given that sometimes prosecution may take a long time, they need counseling services to deal with the emotional challenges they are facing. The respondents felt that the proposals needed to be implemented. It was noted that in most cases the juveniles go without getting proper counseling because of the poor structures and systems that do not emphasize these services.

Conclusion and Recommendations

Counseling services are very important for people who are going through legal trials. As to the victims of crimes such as rape, they need help to overcome post-traumatic stress disorder. Although sometimes they get such services at the hospital where they are given medical attention, the prosecution team should also have its counseling services for these victims. Offenders also need to be taken through counseling. Some of these cases may take very long before they are concluded.

During that period, the suspects may be subjected to a lot of mental torture, especially if they did not commit the crime. They need to be taken through regular counseling to enable them to appreciate the relevance of the process.

In case they are guilty of the crime and the court finds them so, they need to know that serving a term is meant to bring justice to the victims and to offer them an opportunity to reflect upon their past and come up with a new approach of facing their life. It is worrying that in the entire region the prosecution system has never considered emotional counseling as a necessary service that it should be offering to the clients. In most of the cases, both the victims and defendants are often subjected to massive emotional stress that may have massive psychological impacts on them in the future. A good example is a rape case.

The study shows that the victim may lead the rest of his or her life wondering why the incident happened. They may not have an effective interpersonal relationship in their future lives if their emotional torture is not effectively addressed. It is often expected that such victims would get counseling from the medical experts who address their cases. However, they need support even after being discharged.

The prosecution team should find a way of helping such victims cope with their condition during the entire process of prosecuting the case. The parents need to be trained on how to handle their children given their delicate emotional status after such horrific events. They need to know how to monitor the behavior of their children and to determine if they need special assistance that may require the attention of medical staff. In many instances, these victims are left with an emotional scar that may not heal immediately. It may take a while and may require constant support for these victims to fully recover.

The following policy proposals were made based on the analysis of primary and secondary data.

• Dubai Public Prosecution should embrace a new policy where victims of specific crimes and the offenders are taken through some form of emotional counseling for the entire time of prosecution.
• To ensure that this policy is effectively implemented, the prosecution department should train its staff on counseling and hire more staff that will be responsible for counseling the victims and the offenders.
• The department should coordinate with hospitals and other institutions caring for the victims to ensure that coordinated counseling services can be offered to these victims.

References

Evans, M., & Zhou, H. (2014). A systematic review of the juvenile justice intervention literature: What it can (and cannot) tell us about what works with delinquent youth. Crime & Delinquency, 60(3), 451-470. Web.

Grebstein, C., & Van, W. A. (2016). Turning the tide of male juvenile delinquency: The ocean tides approach. New York, NY: Springer Publishing Company.

Holloway, E., Brown, J., Suman, P., & Aalsma, M. (2013). A qualitative examination of juvenile probation officers as gateway providers to mental health care. Criminal Justice Policy Review, 24(3), 370-392. Web.

Masters, R. E. (2004). Counseling criminal justice offenders. Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage Publications.

Roberts, A., & Springer, D. W. (2007). Social work in juvenile and criminal justice settings. Springfield, ILL: Charles C Thomas.

Siegel, L. J., & Welsh, B. (2011). Juvenile delinquency: The core. Belmont, CA: Wadsworth/Cengage Learning.

Snyder, B., Glaser, B., & Calhoun, G. (2013).The juvenile offender parent questionnaire: A structural validation study. Measurement and Evaluation in Counseling and Development, 46(1), 38-49. Web.

Thibault, E. A., & Maceri, J. J. (2009). Juvenile justice guide. Flushing, NY: Looseleaf Law Publications.

.

For this evaluation paper, I have chosen the video School Counseling Video EP (Poage, 2012). It includes the counseling session with a first grader. I have selected it because I believe this school counseling session from K-12 to be an excellent example of decent counseling. The main point is that the counselor shows her understanding of the importance of teaching students who study at the elementary school how to report and address incidents of bullying.

The video is made in the counselors room. A little girl comes to the counselor searching for help. Her name is Karlie, and she is in the first grade. The girl makes a bullying complaint. The counselor evaluates the situation and encourages Karlie to include more details in the explanation of the issue. She clarifies the information, asks questions, and helps Karlie to find a way out of the current situation. She also appoints another consultation to check whether the girl will be able to cope with the issue or not.

At the beginning of the conversation, the counselor asks the girl some questions to make sure that she realizes what she can gain from the talk. In this way, she educates her. In the video, the woman checks whether the girl understands the concept of bullying. She explains how Karlie can handle the situation and report on it. In this way, the counselor also prevents possible attempts of bullying performed by the victim (Dollarhide & Saginak, 2011). As Karlie [the girl] realizes the feelings of those who suffer from bullying and the consequences such actions bring, she is not likely to be engaged in them (Elliot, 2002). The counselor also makes her understand that such complaints are treated seriously, and she will be not the only person who is going to get to know all peculiarities of the issue. The woman explains that she may have to tell some other people about their conversation and asks if the girl accepts these terms.

A teaching strategy for school counselors who work with K-12 students was made to enhance the process, and the counselor works according to it. She encourages the girl to take a part in the conversation and provide her ideas but not just praises her for a decent answer (for example, she asks What do you think would be a good choice to tell your teacher?) (Poage, 2012). The counselor should not just tell a child what he/she is to do. The main thing is to teach by example, attitude, or good decision-making (Ziomek-Daigle, 2015).

As Karlie is already bullied, the counselor goes beyond the task. She asks to name the person who bullies her and to consider how she can act if such a situation happens again (Wittmer & Clark, 2006). The counselor repeats the girls words and asks her to tell everything several times to experience the feelings she will perform while talking with the teacher or the bully. Moreover, the counselor asks questions that make the girl evaluate the issue and deepen into it (How do you feel when this happens?) (Poage, 2012). The task of the school counselor also includes assistance (Thompson, 2012). She gives several clues that help the girl to decide what else she can do in the current situation. From the very beginning till the end of the conversation, the counselor shows her sympathy and involvement (I am sorry you feel that way. I hope that we can help) (Poage, 2012).

References

Dollarhide, C., & Saginak, K. (2011). Comprehensive school counseling programs: K-12 delivery systems in action. Boston, MA: Pearson Education.

Elliot, M. (2002). Bullying: A practical guide to coping for schools. Boston, MA: Pearson Education.

Poage, E. (2012). School Counseling Video EP [Video file]. Web.

Thompson, R. (2012). Professional school counseling: Best practices for working in schools. New York, NY: Taylor & Francis Group.

Wittmer, J., & Clark, M. (2006). Managing your school counseling program: K-12 developmental strategies. Minneapolis, MN: Educational Media Corporation.

Ziomek-Daigle, J. (2015). School counseling classroom guidance: Prevention, accountability, and outcomes. Thousand Oaks, CA: SAGE Publications.

Introduction

The core objective of a school is giving a course education. Much of the time spent is in increasing the students skills for passing their courses, planning for college and skills both for white-collared jobs and for blue-collared jobs. But this cannot be achieved without incorporating it with the counseling role which is non judgmental and goal focused.It centers upon solving problems such as abuse of drugs and alcohol, suicide, physical as well as sexual abuse among others. According to Schmidt & Ciechalski (2001) the role of a counselor in one school varies from a similar counselors role in a different institution. Therefore, it is the responsibility of the teachers and the principal to maintain a job description and critical professional training standards (Brown & Trusty, 2005).

By collecting the data below, the counselors will be able to sort the various groups of students who have the same needs, are of the same age, have the same attitudes and belong to a similar grade level, since students from diverse backgrounds seem to be affected by different factors (Brown & Trusty, 2005). This in effect will lead to effective counseling groups since one group needs may not be similar to anothers. Therefore, grouping the students according to their relevant needs produces effective counseling that monitors and evaluates personal attitudes and career goals as well (Stone & Dahir, 2006).

Needs Assessment

Here the school Counseling Program will adopt instruments that are easy to use and whose results will be easy to summarize and analyze. The Data collected from the instruments will be used to develop a system for determining patterns and the trends within the school environment (Brown & Trusty, 2005). The methodology will include surveys, observations, and quantitative data. The Surveys will be carried out by way of questionnaires, observations will be through assessing the relationships between the churches, military camps, private organizations and homes and all other types of social amenities that surround the school, while quantitative data will be from sample surveys from various age groups within the society environment (Brown & Trusty, 2005).

The Questionnaire used for the survey will look like this and the results are highlighted at the end.

Questionnaire Data

What is the Ratio of boys to girls in the school?

• 1.7: 1

What is the cultural background of the Students of the school?

• 40% whites
• 30% African American
• 20 % Hispanics
• 10 % other communities

What is the median age of the students in the school?

• 16 years old.

How competent is the staff in providing counseling sessions to the Students?

• 60% staff members have not been trained to provide counseling sessions.

The Data from observations will be obtained through the following method:

Observation Statistics

The Cultural diversity of the society. What is the percentage numbers of the different comminutes in the society? I.e. What is the percentage of the White community, the African American Community, the Hispanic community and any other community?

• 80 % whites
• 10 % African Americans
• 5 % Hispanics
• 5 % Other Communities

What instruments are there within the community to ensure that the diverse community social and cultural values are maintained and will be used by the students as a way to maintain their cultural backgrounds?

Community social halls. Used by the community to gather and air pressing issues in the community

What are amenities available within the society that will enable the students to interact well with the populace of the society?

• Sports Arenas for the community to engage in sports.
• Churches, mosques and libraries to engage the society in extra curricular activities.

Quantitative Data will be obtained through the following method:

Quantitative Data

What is the population of the Society?

• 25786 people

What is the male to female ration of the society?

• 1:1.8

What is the median age of the populace of the society?

• 42 years

What is the majority religious view of the society?

• 70 %Christian
• 25 % muslim
• 5% Other

The data obtained shows the cultural composition of the students differs from that of the society by wide margins hence the need for a classroom guidance unit as well as a group-counseling element. The Data will be used to develop a school-counseling program, such that more teachers will be trained on how to counsel hence the reduction of the untrained percentage to below 15%. The various cultural backgrounds will be taken into account as the curriculum for learning is structured so as the studies that help integrate the various ethic groups can be adapted into the system.

References

Brown, D., and Trusty, J. G. (2005). Designing and leading comprehensive school counseling programs: Promoting student competence and meeting student needs. Belmont, CA: Thomson Brooks/Cole.

Schmidt C. and Ciechalski, J., (2001). School counseling standards: A summary and comparison with other student services standards. Professional School Counseling, 4, Routledge, New York, NY, pp 328-333.

Stone, C., and Dahir, C. (2006). The transformed school counselor. NY: Lahaska Press.

Introduction

Ever since the concept of school counseling became an integral element of Americas system of education, teachers used to think of it as simply an additional instrument of increasing students chances to succeed in academia. However, during the course of recent decades, this concept had undergone a drastic transformation  from being essentially an educational tool, it was turned into the tool of politically correct indoctrination. It is exactly because particularly progressive counselors strive to meddle with school affairs, which add considerably to the process of the countrys educational standards continuing to hit new lows, as time goes by.

In its turn, this created a situation when even many ardent proponents of school counseling grow to realize counter-productive aspects of this practice. In their book Strengths-based school counseling: Promoting student development and achievement, John P. Galassi and Patrick Akos made a perfectly good point while stating: School counseling and school counselor education have been criticized for focusing on the mental-health concerns of a small percentage of students rather than on academic development of all students (2007, p. 150). Nevertheless, even though there is plenty of evidence as to the fact that school councilors activities do not result in anything but boosting up ethically unique students perceptional ignorance even to a further extent, the government continues to provide counselors with financial grants rather enthusiastically.

The reason for this is simple  given the fact that the conceptual fallaciousness of multiculturalism (as official state policy), appears especially self-evident within the framework of Americas educational system, it is the matter of foremost importance for governmental officials to try concealing the fact that students ability to operate with highly abstract categories (the rate of their IQ), and consequently their chances of attaining social prominence in the future, directly correspond to the specifics of these students racial affiliation.

In its turn, this explains why school counselors actual agenda is being primarily concerned with: a) endowing particularly bright students with the sense of guilt (intellectually developed students are automatically assumed euro-centrically minded and therefore intolerant), b) encouraging representatives of racial minorities to think that their lowered intellectual abilities constitute their uniqueness and that the actual reason why they attend school is to celebrate diversity, rather than to obtain knowledge.

The fact that many Americas public schools, where counselors enjoy complete freedom of action, often end up on the list of countrys worst schools, substantiate the validity of earlier suggestion. The following is the interview, conducted with one of William R. Harper High Schools (Chicago, Illinois) administrators on the subject of school counseling (interviewed person preferred not to disclose his name).

Interview

What is the role of the professional school counselor in your school?

The role of schools professional counselors is to indulge in sophistically sounding but utterly meaningless rhetoric, in regards to the sheer importance of diversity, as their full-time occupation. Apparently, they believe the students would be able to benefit enormously from being exposed to such rhetoric.

What do you see as the primary duties and responsibilities of your professional school counselor?

As far as I am concerned, counselors should go about helping students to adopt a responsible attitude towards studying. However, they seem to be mainly preoccupied with encouraging students to contemplate how this world can be made a better place to live.

In what ways do your school counselors serve as leaders in the school?

I guess they do serve as leaders, but only for as long as Black and Hispanic students are being concerned, simply because they encourage these students to think that their academic underachievement reflects the fact that White teachers are being instilled with racial prejudices.

In what ways do your school counselors serve as advocates for student achievement?

I do not think counselors are capable of serving as advocates for student achievement, in the first place. This is because, in the eyes of many of these counselors, the very concept of academic achievement is being grossly distorted. For example, they seriously believe that, for as long as students do not skip classes, it should automatically qualify them for high school diplomas, even if upon their graduation, students prove themselves incapable of pointing at the U.S. on the worlds map.

What do you think is the most important function of your school counselors?

I think that, despite their officially proclaimed agenda, school counselors often act as the agents of underachievement in the academic curriculum. Their second most important function is to act as squanderers of valuable academic resources.

Are there any additional responsibilities you feel that your school counselors should have?

I think that counselors deal with too many responsibilities as it is, even though many of them clearly lack intellectual powers to even understand what the concept of responsibility stands for, in the first place. Therefore, endowing them with additional responsibilities would be a mistake  how can a particular counselor act as a responsible individual, if it is in the very nature of his or her job to teach students how to draw links between the concepts of responsibility, discipline and racism?

If you could relinquish your school counselors from any responsibilities, what would they be?

I would relinquish schools counselors from a responsibility of trying to prevent teachers from being able to adequately address their professional duties. When I worked as a teacher, counselors were constantly trying to convince me that I should have adopted a relaxed attitude towards dealing with students academic underachievement. Yet, I remain a firm believer in the fact that students should be graded as they actually deserve, as opposed to how the color of their skin implies they deserve to be graded.

Discussion

For the duration of the last twenty years, Harper High School remained on the list of Americas 100 worst-performing public schools, as seen on the website of Turkish Weekly. As of today, 98% of the schools population consists of Black students. Thus, it comes as no surprise that this particular school employs an extensive number of counselors and psychologists  these people are believed to be able to help students being less exposed to institutionalized racism and poverty. Harper High even features its own Counseling Department, headed by Venisa Beasley-Green  even a brief glimpse at this womans photo leaves no doubt as to the fact that the only reason she was able to graduate from university, in the first place, is that she knew how to take quick advantage of affirmative action policy, while it lasts. The same can be said about the overwhelming majority of school counselors and teachers that specialize in humanitarian disciplines.

Predictably enough, teachers that specialize in technical disciplines, such as math, geometry, physics, chemistry, and biology, are overwhelmingly White and Asian. Therefore, the specifics of how school counselors go about addressing their professional duties appear quite clear  these individuals simply teach students to refer to their White teachers as subtle racists. After all, ones does not have to possess a particularly high IQ, in order to prove its effectiveness as a counselor in a multicultural classroom.

The interview with one of the schools administrators was conducted over the phone. Prior to being interviewed, this person requested for his identity not to be revealed, as he fears that he would be facing the prospect of losing his job if his name was not kept confidential. While writing down administrators answers, I had a clear impression that he was not only expressing his personal opinions, in regards to the subject matter but also the opinions of many of his colleagues. As this person had told me, after the interview was over  as time goes by, more and more American educators get to experience a sheer horror while contemplating their chances to be accused of racism.

This is exactly the reason why many White teachers appear extra enthusiastic while trying to prove their racial open-mindedness in a multicultural classroom. Yet, what they say to each other, while in the safety of their homes, differs considerably from what say to students and to counselors, while in school. The reason for this is simple  given the fact that many educators were able to retain their ability to assess surrounding reality in terms of logic, despite being subjected to the governmentally sponsored propaganda of political correctness, they understand perfectly well that teaching students how celebrate diversity could not possibly help these students to improve their grades. Therefore, the statement that school counselors work as advocates to remove systemic barriers that impede the academic success of any student, contained in The ASCA national model: A framework for school counseling programs, appears to be deprived of any sense, whatsoever. For example, how may a counselor go about trying to remove systemic barriers that impede a particular students chances to succeed in academia, if the IQ of this student equals 60? And, as scientists are aware  the rate of ones IQ is a genetically predetermined category.

In their book IQ and the wealth of nations, Professors Richard Lynn and Tatu Vanhanen state: Black infants reared by White middle-class adoptive parents in the United States show no improvement in intelligence, contrary to the prediction of environmental theory and consistent with a genetic explanation of the lower average IQ of Blacks (2002, p. 194). Therefore, as I have suggested in the papers introductory part, the very concept of school counseling in its present form cannot be referred to as anything but yet another intellectual by-product of the neo-Liberal mentality.

What todays counselors are trying to do is adjusting the objective reality to correspond to the set of their obscure beliefs, which derive out of an unscientific dogma of peoples equality. As a logical consequence  more and more Americas corporate employers now prefer hiring professionals from abroad. For example, as of today, 80% of Microsofts most prominent software designers consist of naturalized citizens from Russia, India and China. Apparently, despite what counselors want underprivileged students to believe, it is not an individuals ability to indulge in constant whining about inequality, which deems him or her as a desirable employee, but specifically his or her ability to act as a facilitator of cultural and scientific progress. This has always been the case and will continue to be the case, for as long as America remains a civilized country.

Conclusion

Given the context of what has been said earlier, the practice of school counseling in its present form will simply not be improved, because the very notion of improvement is of a clearly qualitative nature; whereas, the overwhelming majority of school counselors adopt an essentially quantitative approach to dealing with the issue of students academic inadequateness.

Nevertheless, this practice can still be instilled with a certain degree of sensibility, if its proponents learn how to express their thoughts in a clear and comprehensible manner. Given the fact that many counselors do realize their own intellectual inferiority, they address their psychological anxieties by resorting to the utilization of sophisticate but essentially meaningless terminology, in regards to the technical aspects of counseling. For example, the book which we have already mentioned earlier, The ASCA national model: A framework for school counseling programs, contains a multitude of such terms as transition-decision making, student empowerment, participative leadership, etc.  apparently, books authors have assumed that this type of made-up terminology would make a perfectly good sense in the eyes of readers. Unfortunately, this is far from being the case. In its turn, this creates an objective precondition for counselors to use their own discretion, in regards to how they should execute their professional duties  thus, turning the practice of counseling into the subject of irrational interpretations and consequently depriving this practice of even remains of its former academic legitimacy. It is only after counselors learn how to remain intellectually honest with students that the hypothetical possibility might arise for them to be able to benefit young people practically.

Reference

Bowers, J. & Hatch, T. (2005). The ASCA national model: A framework for school counseling programs. 2^nd edition. New York: American School Counselor Association.

Galassi, J. & Akos, P. (2007). Strengths-based school counseling: Promoting student development and achievement. New York: Lawrence Erlbaum Associates.

Lynn, R & Vanhanen, T (2002). IQ and the wealth of nations, Westport, CT., Greenwood Publishing Group.

Mission & Vision (2010). William R. Harper High School. Web.

Top 100 worst-performing public schools in the U.S. (2010). Turkish Weekly. Web.

Discussion

School counselors have often been considered as additional staff by most education stakeholders. However, a close examination of the issue reveals that counseling has become a necessity in the current learning environment. This article persuades education stakeholders in the Jordan school district to increase the number of school counselors. According to the author, current statistics indicate that school counselors can assist students to overcome roadblocks to success (OGrady, Year of Publication). On the other hand, national statistics indicate that the United States is lagging behind in its bid to achieve high-quality education for its learners. In the Jordan school district, the strategy of using school counselors interventions to improve education standards is yet to be fully embraced. This discussion focuses on the policies that are necessary in order for the local school district to move forward with its school counselor agendas as outlined by OGradys article and in line with national statistics.

National school completion statistics indicate that most minorities are at the receiving end of poor educational achievement. These statistics are replicated in the Jordan school district in Utah where stakeholders have made a plea to expand the participation of ethnic minority students in early college programs and increase career awareness among them (OGrady, Year of Publication). Another outlined policy includes increasing overall communication between students and counselors. Nationwide, stakeholders are pursuing a comprehensive approach to school counseling. Consequently, the students are set to enjoy the maximum benefits from the counseling staff. Communication is the hallmark of good counseling and the local district recognizes this fact. The districts education stakeholders are also prepared to carry out a community assessment exercise regarding the impact of counseling.

Assessment: Services Provided by Counseling Services in K-12 Schools

Psychosocial Competencies for K-12 Development

The driving force behind a K-12 counseling program is the team of professionals behind it. The counseling staff spearheads student improvement through well-delivered services. School counselors have the knowledge, skills, and attitudes that make them ready to take up this professional challenge. Counseling is a rigorous profession that requires repetitive effort by these professionals. K-12 school counselors also have to maintain a certain code of ethics (Wittmer, Clark, & Sorenson, 2007). Ethical competence allows the counselors to maintain a high level of integrity, foster leadership qualities among students, and pursue professionalism in all situations. Counselors are also required to have elevated decision-making capabilities. Good decision-making ensures that both the interests of the students and educational stakeholders are respected in the course of student counseling. Self-assessment ability is another quality that makes school counselors a good asset in the quest to shape the destiny of K-12 students. Overall, school counselors have to be certified by a recognizable body. Certification prepares school counselors for current and future counseling issues.

Tiered Levels of Response to Intervention (RtI)

The task of providing counseling services has far-reaching impacts on students, school administrations, guardians, and the community. Consequently, the effort is only effective depending on the overall participation of all the stakeholders that are involved in K-12 school counseling. The tiered model of action in regards to school counseling begins with the students direct and indirect responses. Counselors initiate direct student services in form of in-person interactions between the students and professionals (Ratts, DeKruyf, & Chen-Hayes, 2007, p. 95). These direct student-services might be in the form of responsive or interventional activities. Developing a counseling-curriculum is the first response to school counseling. Curriculums are laid out modalities that point the students towards high levels of competence. All schools use their counseling curriculums as the frameworks for advancing K-12 levels of counseling intervention. Another intervention counseling service involves personal student guidance. Under this intervention modality, students are able to achieve personal goals and formulate future plans. Responsive services involve activities that are initiated by school counselors with the view of combating immediate and pressing concerns. Examples of responsive services include group-counseling sessions among students or having crisis response stations within the school.

Relations to Internal Stakeholders

Counselors and students among other groups make up the bulk of internal stakeholders when it comes to high school counseling. On one hand, K-12 school counselors dedicate resources and expertise towards improving the welfare of the students. Students determine the success of any school counseling program. For school counseling to be effective there has to be a balance between students and the available counselors (House & Hayes, 2002). Current recommendations stipulate that the rate of counselors to students should be at least one professional for every two hundred and fifty students. Furthermore, counselors are expected to have direct or indirect contact with their students during eighty percent of their practice time. On the other hand, students are supposed to adopt a mindset that is open to learning and behavioral modification. Students are also in charge of guiding the development of effective school counseling programs around three main domains: academic, career, and social/emotional development (Dahir, Burnham, & Stone, 2009, p. 185).

Opportunities for External Stakeholders

External stakeholders in regards to K-12 counseling programs include local boards of education, administrators, and the local community in general. Boards of education stand to benefit because they can obtain rationales for instituting counseling programs in their areas of jurisdiction. Furthermore, when there are comprehensive K-12 school counseling programs it is easy for boards of education to justify some aspects of educational funding (Paisley & Peace, 2015). School administrators have the opportunity to create structured-programs in regards to counseling. Furthermore, administrators have the opportunity to improve the images of their organizations through counseling programs. The other external stakeholders when it comes to K-12 school counseling programs include local businesses and the labor industry and they all stand to benefit from having access to wholesome school leavers. Furthermore, these external stakeholders have the opportunity to improve a regions labor force albeit indirectly. There is also the opportunity for collaboration between external stakeholders and K-12 school counseling programs.

Program Evaluation Methods

There are various methods for evaluating the success of any school counseling program. Nevertheless, all evaluation methods should be in form of measurable standards and they should track all aspects of progress. Counselors are one group of individuals who are in charge of evaluating the success of counseling methods. Consequently, the counselors evaluate all data pertaining to their counseling programs. There is also a need to evaluate the actual progress that is made by students between the time when they enroll in any counseling program and when they are assessed. Progress data can be in the form of various factors including students attendance, academic achievement, and behavioral tendencies. Evaluation methods keep changing from time to time but some of their aspects can be retained. There is also the need to evaluate the performance of school counselors. The best way to evaluate the performance of a school counselor is through the basic standards of practice that are expected of school counselors implementing a comprehensive school counseling program (Dollarhide & Saginak, 2011, p. 34).

References

Dahir, C., Burnham, J., & Stone, C. (2009). Listen to the voices: School counselors and comprehensive school counseling programs. Professional School Counseling, 12(3), 182-192.

Dollarhide, C. T., & Saginak, K. A. (2011). Comprehensive school counseling programs: K-12 delivery systems in action. New York: Pearson Higher Ed.

House, R. M., & Hayes, R. L. (2002). School counselors: Becoming key players in school reform. Professional School Counseling, 5(1), 249-256.

OGrady, K. (Year of Publication). Using results to get results. Retrieved from (web address)

Paisley, P. O., & Peace, S. D. (2015). Developmental principles: A framework for school counseling programs. Elementary School Guidance & Counseling, 30(2), 85-93.

Ratts, M., DeKruyf, L., & Chen-Hayes, S. (2007). The ACA advocacy competencies: A social justice advocacy framework for professional school counselors. Professional School Counseling, 11(2), 90-97.

Wittmer, J., Clark, M. A., & Sorenson, D. L. (2007). Managing your school counseling program: K-12 developmental strategies. Boston: Educational Media Corporation.

Introduction

Today, school counseling has evolved as a viable profession manifesting national standards, a national identity, and a national mission to provide more accountability of programs and services for meeting the changing needs of youth, schools, families, and communities (Thompson, 2001; Sink, Eppler, & Cher, 2011 ). In the current age, the school counselor has emerged, and for the first time, there are National Standards for School Counseling Programs. Their intent is to (a) help school systems identify what students will know and be able to do as a result of participating in a school counseling program; (b) establish similar goals, expectations, support systems, and experiences for all students; (c) serve as an organizational tool to identify and prioritize the elements of an effective school counseling program; and (d) provide an opportunity to discuss the role of counseling programs in school to enhance student learning (Peterson & Deal, 2002)

Points that shaped the profession

The post-world war II years dramatically affected guidance and counseling in schools (Inc, 2007). New psychological theories and techniques evolved with the predominant advancement of psychodynamic methodologies of therapy. The influence of Carl Rodgers and his counseling orientation of person-centered therapy led counselors to consider counseling as their primary function (Holcomb-McCoy, 2007). The particular emphasis in school counseling was termed the therapeutic role.

The Case Study

This case presents a situation whereby students in a school in Kentucky have been performing dismally. Furthermore, it highlights a situation whereby the teachers and the education administrators are discouraged by the prevailing circumstances. Due to this, there is a need to establish intervention strategies in order to mitigate the negative perspectives which have been created within the institution. Some of the steps to be followed are outlined below.

Step One

This step involves identifying the prevailing problem. There are several issues which are arising from this case that need urgent attention. First, there is the issue off low morale among the teachers and the students. This has led to inconsistent school attendance. In addition, the school is located in an area that is characterized by low socioeconomic status.

Step Two

This step entails gathering information about the school situation. The information was to be gathered by interviews and looking at the archives. According to the records within the school, this problem started to manifest itself approximately five years ago when there was a change in the school principal who brought about changes in the school policy. Due to the fact that the school is located in a low-income area, the school depended on grants from the government.

Step Three

This involves identifying the stakeholders within and without the institution that can play a role in revamping the school. In this case, the stakeholders include the teachers, the students, the community, the funding organization, and the local government. The role of the teachers and the administration is to put in place the right framework in terms of policy with regard to running the school. The parents are supposed to inform the administration of the challenges that affect them as well as address some of the challenges that the students might be facing right from home. The students need to also take part in adhering to the processes and ongoings within the school. The government should step in to address some of the challenges that they might not be in a position of addressing. Lastly, the community should also step up efforts that should be aimed at guarding the school against declining.

Step Four

The advocacy problem of the school has been based on the fact that there has been little, which has been done in order to let the stakeholders know exactly what has been happening. Some of the previous measures included seeking audience with the local authorities to attempt to let the problems be known. Secondly, the administration convened meeting with the parents to try and understand the scope of the problem. However, the problems were never addressed as expected due to a lack of commitment from all the parties.

Step Five

The intervention plan will include establishing meetings with the stakeholders in order to give them an opportunity to air out their issues or the fears that they hold. This will be followed by establishing links with the local authorities in light of the fact that much needs to be done within a given span of time. During this time, the researcher shall be able to work out a plan of action that shall be followed towards addressing the problems which are facing the school.

Step Six and Seven

The goals to be followed include, opening networks of communication among the school stakeholders, ensuring that the stated parties are able to appreciate the progress and the challenges which lay ahead, to work in conjunction with the students in order to ensure that the proper strategies are realized. Lastly, the goals to achieve will be arrived at in partnership with the local committee, which shall be established to oversee the implementation of the project. There were circumstances that contributed to this problem. Some of them included a lack of commitment among some of the stakeholders. This slowed down the process of establishing the intervention. The location of the school hindered communication with the local authorities.

Currently, a lack of commitment from the parents is a major barrier that is facing the school progress. Secondly, the lack of commitment from the community to address the prevailing challenges has also posed a major challenge in this area. These hindrances are complex.

References

Holcomb-McCoy, C. (2007). School counseling to close the achievement gap: a social justice framework for success. New York: Corwin Press.

Inc, J.-B. (2007). The Jossey-Bass reader on educational leadership. New York: John Wiley & Sons.

Peterson, K. D., & Deal, T. E. (2002). The shaping school culture fieldbook. New York: John Wiley & Sons.

Sink, C. A., Eppler, C., & Cher, E. (2011 ). School Based Group Counseling. California: Cengage Learning.

Thompson, R. ( 2001). School counseling:best practices for working in the schools. New York: Psychology Press.

Introduction

The client in this case (S in the transcription) is a seventh-grade student who was asked to talk to a school counselor by her teacher because she was concerned about the girls behavior in class. S seems to be struggling with school: she has trouble concentrating, cannot focus on a given task, and rarely turns in her homework. It is easy to see how such low academic engagement led to dropping grades. Mathematics appears to be the subject that causes the most problems for S. Moreover, she is disrespectful of teachers, which does not help her situation at all. Her problematic behavior can be attributed to the stressful family environment that she cannot change. S lives with mom, stepdad, and two baby sisters (twins). The girl finds the twins annoying and hates babysitting them, especially given that her mother makes her do that over the weekends.

The counselor (C in the transcription) is trying to analyze the students behavior without scolding and criticizing her. The professional learns about the girls background and notices her interest in studying that is, however, somewhat impeded. The counselor helps S to open up about her problems and offers healthy alternatives. This paper provides a verbatim transcription of their conversation with analysis as well as a theoretical framework based on Carl Rogers views and a piece of self-reflection.

Transcription and Analysis

Theoretical Framework

The present transcription was analyzed from the standpoint of the person-centered theory developed by Carl Rogers. He was one of the founders of humanistic psychology, and his most groundbreaking idea was to redefine the therapeutic relationship between the counselor and the client (A study guide, 2015). Traditionally, the specialist was seen as the leader and the client or patient as the follower. Rogers introduced the person-centered approach and assigned the counselor the role of a mediator rather than an instructor.

As seen from the transcription, the counselor focuses on Ss struggles and employs reflective listening when approaching them. According to Rogers, this strategy makes the client front and center of each interaction (Arnold, 2014). The counselor needs to develop an empathetic frame of mind and not interrupt the clients flow (Arnold, 2014). In our example, the professional encourages S to speak and expresses sympathy for her challenges.

Rogers also believed that all human beings possess a tendency to self-actualize  reach their full potential. He noted, however, self-actualization would is only possible if an individual is provided with an environment that promoted growth. Rogers argued that the directions in which a person would grow were unique to his or her personality (A study guide, 2015). From the present therapy session, we can see that the counselor is aware of Ss genuine interest in studies and art. He or she does not attribute her falling grades to laziness. The professional is aware of the fact that her family environment is stressful and makes an effort to change it. S is offered three different opportunities  math study group, relaxation group, and dance classes  to help her unfold her potential.

Self-Reflection Summary

I must admit that completing this assignment was both interesting and challenging. What helped me analyze the transcription was Carl Rogers theory of patient-based theory and such concepts as reflective listening. In my personal life, I have often heard that I am a good listener, and my friends and family often contact me to share their thoughts and feelings. When analyzing the transcription, I have noticed that I would employ the same listening strategies as the counselor. For instance, I appreciated how he or she encouraged S to go on with her story and asked meaningful questions. As for my weaknesses, honestly, I would have trouble dealing with my underage clients parents. Sometimes mothers and fathers are set in their ways and are reluctant to listen to someone elses opinion even if this person is a professional. I plan to overcome this difficulty by studying communication strategies.

In the nearest future, I plan on concentrating on two skills: reflective listening and rapport building. I think that more often than not, people need someone who would listen to them attentively and accept them for who they are. The case of S showed that the lack of empathy and compassion in her closest environment drove her to misbehave and fail school. However, when allowed to speak her mind, she found it easy to share, and the counselor could find a way out and offer her alternatives to her current behavior. Rapport building is also essential for the counseling profession because holding a session implies building both a professional and a personal relationship with a client (Stone & Dahir, 2016). I envision myself working on making the first impressions count and appearing welcoming and likable.

References

Arnold, K. (2014). Behind the mirror: Reflective listening and its tain in the work of Carl Rogers. The Humanistic Psychologist, 42(4), 354-369.

A study guide for psychologists and their theories for students: Carl Rogers. (2015). Farmington Hills, MI: Gale, Cengage Learning.

Barnett, E., Spruijt-Metz, D., Moyers, T. B., Smith, C., Rohrbach, L. A., Sun, P., & Sussman, S. (2014). Bidirectional relationships between client and counselor speech: The importance of reframing. Psychology of Addictive Behaviors, 28(4), 1212-1219.

Davis, T. E. (2015). Exploring school counseling (2nd ed.). Stamford, CT: Cengage Learning.

McLain, C. M., & Lewis, J. P. (2018). Professional behaviors and dispositions: Counseling competencies and lifelong growth. Abingdon, UK: Routledge.

Stone, C. B., & Dahir, C. A. (2016). The transformed school counselor (3rd ed). Boston, MA: Cengage.