Category: Profession

Introduction

More has been seen in the expansion of risk management methods across a wide range of logistic frameworks in the previous few decades, including the milieu, well-being, nourishment, delinquency, broadcasting, and transportation. Many organizations have adopted ways of relating the risks in the environment. In the case of healthy living, undue attention has been paid to enhance people’s welfare. Therefore, organizations should relate the risks experienced with the environment they are in (Colonna, 2017). This danger, in a given setting, is not limited to industrial operations but instead involves how the partakers react to the perceived threats.

Civic relations, effective communication, and participating risk supervision have all progressed as strategies to deal with society’s divergent interests. Furthermore, community perception may pose a threat in the notion that they might jeopardize the rightfulness and constancy of existing risk management methods (Just & Echaust, 2021). This essay outlines how society and the public perceive the risks associated with public health and the sociological concepts that support the different understanding from health professionals. Moreover, COVID-19 and diabetes are used as reference conditions in this case to help in the exploration of the concern by these groups. These conditions help in understanding what the public and the health professionals know on issues concerning threats.

The recent outbreak has created an extended emergency. The risk of this condition to the society will have to be accepted and have ways in which they will live with the coronavirus. Health-related perceived risks are essential in driving patient participation, and empirical data shows that consumer decisions may be divided into three categories: deliberative, emotional, and instinctive (Panno, 2016). The role of mathematics, past experiences and prominent occurrences of the hazard, and emotion in the formation of purposeful health-related risk judgments will be well known. (Buchanan & Sripada, 2019). Furthermore, studies have looked into the effects of correct – and incorrect – critical assessments on health behaviors and attitudes (Wardman, 2020). Nevertheless, there is a dearth of data on how focuses on how emotional health-related cognitive factors are formed, and no study on how false optimism regarding perceived dangers is conceptualized to use these non-deliberative judgments

Sociological Role in Diseases and Illnesses

For healthcare professionals engaging with patients and family, as well as for primary care organizations to treat diseases and encourage recuperation, comprehending how to lay society sees the causes of illness and sickness is critical (Schneiker, 2018. Bystanders are less inclined to follow expert advice for managing health or preventing illness when they do not reflect specialists’ ideas about major effects on health (for instance, when they do not think that smoke is harmful to the body). Smoking increases the complications related to diabetes, putting people at risk (Schneiker, 2018). The laypeople and the health professionals adopt different lifestyle choices that would be the leading factor in understanding the risks of diabetes.

With an increase in body weight and sedentary the public and health professions have a high chance of acquiring diabetes. The understanding of the risks, in this case, differs since the health professionals are more equipped with the knowledge to counter diabetes as compared to the laypeople (Curran, 2018). Well-being risk perceptions are critical in motivating health actions, and empirical evidence suggests that perceived risk may be classified into three types: cognitive, emotional, and visceral (Curran, 2018). Much is predictable on the involvement of numeracy, prior understandings and salient occurrences of the danger, and sentiments in the construction of premeditated health-related risk judgments (Heilmann, 2019). Furthermore, studies have looked into the effects of correct–and incorrect–deliberative risk assessments on health behaviors and results (Stockdale, 2021). The members of the public and health experts have a similar understanding of risk as sociologists have shown that people’s financial position, ethnic customs, and other cultural factors are some of which play a role in illness and transmission.

Disparities in culture are repeated in our care and well-being treatment based on socioeconomic class, color and religion, and gender. For instance, diabetes is affected by this sociological factors mentioned above (Pitikoe, 2017). The formerly exclusively responsible for one’s health was based on biological and natural conditions (Stockdale, 2021). To improve the public health standards, there should be a prioritization of programs that are used for management (Rolfe et al., 2018). To improve risk supervision values transferrable to any healthcare environment, the fundamental mechanisms to detect and succeed threats or hazards are needed. For diabetes, therefore, patients should be educated on changing the behaviors that would then lead to better health.

From Social Issues to Dangers

Since its inception, the link between people and groups has been essential to sociological theory. Sociology has – and continues to – examine and describe this link in a variety of ways. Even while everyone recognized that there were no such things as “pure personalities” – people who were untouched by civilization and developed their beliefs, feelings, and destinies independently of it – they all concurred that the connection was not peaceful (Feng & Feng, 2017). People are bound by their social beliefs and cultural ties, and they struggle to transcend society and individual constraints (Stevens, 2020). Similarly, sociologists emphasized that human goals and values emerge not only from within but also from without – from norms and values that surround them and that they will gradually acquire (Schrecker, 2021). They do not create their objectives, values, or interests in isolation from those of others but rather in response to them.

When respective increasingly characterized as caregivers of last option for destitute healthcare or handle Medicare or other support organizations, some patient safety employees are worried. According to some who are anxious, these duties take time away from critical community health operations such as epidemiology and management (Lidskog & Sundqvist, 2012). As a result, neither the person nor the master are puppets, and therefore, conceptual frameworks and cultural identity function as both obstacles and enablers of social activity (Lidskog & Sundqvist, 2012). In a functioning democracy, advancement on healthcare issues needs adequate consensus on the goal and substance of human health to establish a foundation for social opinion (Harding, 2021). There is no common understanding among influence policy, healthcare professionals, quality healthcare institutions and employees, and thought leaders on how to translate a broad objective into particular action.

Thus, the above would be well related to the COVID 19 pandemic that has affected the healthcare system. The professions’ have a piece of more advanced knowledge on the coronavirus than the lay society (24th Sociology of Health and Illness Monograph, 2015). Many public health facilities have been under pressure on a capacity they do not meet during the pandemic. The dangers linked to the health system are that gaps will be created if they will not be protected, and therefore the population will be impacted, and the health of the people questioned.

Stressful situations cause individuals to feel concerned, anxious, and incapable of managing themselves and, therefore, unsafe to their well-being and can cause demise. Fear of contamination, misunderstandings, and myths about the coronavirus are all exacerbated by the ‘infodemic’ of incorrect information about the disease. Lengthy performance can be affected by social factors (24th Sociology of Health and Illness Monograph, 2015). Anxiety, uncertainty, a bad self-image, social isolation, as well as a loss of control over someone’s job and personal life all have a detrimental influence on another’s health.

False information about COVID-19 has a significant influence in establishing such views and behaviors across the world. The social difficulties happen slowly, boosting the incidence of severe depression and early mortality. Prolonged bouts of worry and uncertainty, by way of an absence of supporting connections, may be damaging an aspect of human life (Green, 2019). The lesser individuals in the established and created socioeconomic structure, the more common these problems become (Zinn, 2021). These challenges have different effects on the public and health professionals. For example, health care professionals have experienced yelling racial slurs, being branded an “infectious rat,” being beaten after taking public transportation, getting their things destroyed, and having their kids prejudiced even against colleagues.

Risk Misperceptions in the Public Eye, Explained by Sociology

Risk leaders and scholars progressively realize that the general popular view of danger differs from that of professionals. Fears and attitudes about possible hazards as well as the environment amongst the general population are important elements to consider in community health planning and policy implementation (Abiodun & Olu-Abiodun, 2018). Perceived risk can differ based on geography, age, ethnicity, wealth, and training. The landmark paper “Framework to assist versus technical risk,” published in the scientific journal by nuclear physicist Chauncey Starr, highlights the necessity of assessing public acceptance of risk (Cherry & Heininger, 2017). Because of the programs that have transmitted data to the public, they may impact how people perceived risks and resulting in disparities between potential and actual threats that are difficult to go forward with the statistical generator of hazards.

Sociological Theoretical Approaches

The established epistemological split in sociological concepts amid those that claim that society can be understood objectively by finding and studying its structures, and others argue for a more interpretive or particular approach to social phenomena that focuses more on communal actors (Abbas, 2019). However, in modern years, a third viewpoint has emerged, attempting to reconcile the dichotomy between the qualified importance of social thespians and social institutions. Scientists have spent their time giving attempts to understanding the various community and people’s perceptions of the dangers (Mitchell et al., 2017. Therefore, Identification measures and different theoretical approaches to the above issues have to be dealt with.

Health and Disease from a Functionalist Perspective

The conceptual approach focuses on the significance of contemporary societies, sustainability, and collaboration. Communal events have described their purpose in keeping society’s persistence (Mitchell et al., 2017). We acquire societal principles that are then translated into responsibilities through the socialization process. As a result, it appears that human behavior is structured to attain unanimity (Sinclair, 2019). Having COVID-19 effects shows how unstable society is and, therefore, sickness is endorsed as a custom of nonconformity.

From a functionalist standpoint, health becomes a need for the proper running of society. Being sick entails neglecting to fulfill one’s social obligations; illness is thus regarded as “unmotivated deviation” (Giordano, 2021).” The mechanism of the ‘sick duty’ idea, as well as the regulation by the associated ‘social management’ role of doctors in allowing people to take on such a sick condition. People that are infected by the coronavirus or have a condition such as diabetes are regarded as unproductive from a societal perspective (Ward, 2020). The health professionals are, therefore, required to make policies that would incorporate all the people, and this creates the difference between the laypeople’s understanding of risk and the medical professions (Kearney, McGeoch, & Chown, 2019). The latter would function even after infection compared to the public that would be restricted on some responsibilities.

Health and Disease from a Marxist Perspective

Material production, as of the creation of the basic social requirements such as food, housing, and apparel in a sustenance frugality, is the large production of supplies in modern consumerist society. According to the Marxist viewpoint, it is the most central of all human endeavors (Kearney, McGeoch, & Chown, 2019). Whether the manufacturing takes place in a contemporary or existence bargain, it necessitates some level of organization and the use of appropriate instruments. This is referred to as the ‘powers of innovation.’ Marx recognized that all forms of production include social connections (Feng & Feng, 2017). This approach is applicable in medical sociology in developing the social roots of a disease (Reinert, 2016). The functioning of the capitalist economic system is regarded as influencing population health outcomes.

Global capitalism is usually directly threatened by crises such as COVID-19 as well as other predicaments that would not pose a challenge to the supremacy of intrinsic value. Indeed, problems such as gender discrimination, joblessness, and climate variation play critical roles in the development and maintenance of entrepreneurship (Kearney, McGeoch, & Chown, 2019). Instead, socialism is challenged by how it responds to crises such as the coronavirus outbreak. If, in the handling of the situation, things besides valuation are prioritized, society is jeopardized. When it comes to the COVID-19 pandemic, the reaction is all about saving lives.

The worth of life may be conceptualized in many formats; nonetheless, this is complex and difficult to reduce to a standard financial number. First, health is compromised at the production chain scale, either specifically through workplace diseases and accidents, psychological health issues, or indirectly through the larger consequences of wealth creation in modern society (Cieslik, 2017). The manufacturing processes harm the environment, while the use of the consumables has protracted health implications linked to packaged foods, preservatives, and automobile accidents, among other things (Lupton, 2017). Secondly, the degree of dispersion has an impact on health where individuals reside, their access to learning resources, and their style of existence are all influenced by their income distribution (Lupton, 2017). One should not be Marxist to understand that most of the current societal terrible conditions stem from its material foundations and that people at the bottom of the social ladder (lay people) suffer more considerable risks of disease, infirmity, and early death than the health professionals.

Societies as Collection of Subjective Realities

Individuals engage in deliberate, purposeful activity and, via language, attach interpretations to their activities. Sociologists will be less anxious in explaining the behavior than to know how consumers come to perceive the world in the manner they do (Bartková, 2019). To achieve this goal of interpretative knowledge, essentially, descriptive research approaches are used to get as close to the reality of the patients or social groups being studied as possible (Scambler, 2019). In terms of quality of life and ailment, this informative analysis focuses mostly on (symbolic) connotations rather than confining its understanding of health to what may be deemed the confined field of professional care.

Thus the community should focus on what it means to be unwell. For the approach, the symbolic interactions stand out and the constructionism. Social Scientism, the influence of COVID-19 is overpowering, influencing frameworks and varying rapidly human civilization, and human progress is inescapable and irresistible in that procedure (Scambler, 2019). This is not sudden, but a slow process rising, from leaps and bounds, an urgency to severity, and from occasionally to notify additional transformation of the culture, and evolve from expressionism to modernity.

Health and Disease from a Symbolic Interaction Perspective

This viewpoint arose from a preoccupation with communication and how it allows us to acquire self-awareness. Any language is built on the usage of symbols that represent the interpretations we assign to cultural and psychosocial objects (Dylman, Champoux-Larsson & Zakrisson, 2020). There is an interchange of this symbolism in each social situation where social relationships occur; that is, we search for hints in understanding the behavior and intents of others. Because learners interact street, the interpretive process necessitates a discussion between the people involved. According to this approach, cultural relations have been impacted by the emotions of others (Cohen, 2019). So, if we show any deviant or ‘abnormal conduct, it is possible that the terminology used to describe this behavior in a specific region at a certain time would be attributed to others as people (Hier, 2019). This has the ability to significantly alter our sense of self-identity (Chowdhury & Goswami, 2020). In the case of diabetes, many people have had perceptions that are negative on the use of insulin to treat diabetes.

The knowledge some of the patients have had or heard from close friends has led to negative conclusions. Medicine can be regarded as a societal activity in this light, and its entitlements to be an impartial science would be questioned (Chowdhury & Goswami, 2020). Public discontent can arise in the doctor-patient relationship if the doctor applies a preexisting outline (disease categories) too rigorously to the patient’s personal sickness experience (Luis Turabian, 2018). Culture is essential in healthcare because it encompasses unified aspects of human behavior such as languages, interaction, conventions, attitudes, and ideals. In this regard, the public and the health professionals should incorporate some cultural values with an aim to reduce the misconceptions of diseases such as diabetes, heart disorders and enable better treatment.

The Relativity of Social Reality from Social Constructionist Viewpoint on Health and Disease

The notion of authenticity as a community phenomenon reinforces the conception of the cultural construct in disease knowledge. In other words, there is no absolute standard; only our subjective views of it occur (Macchioni & Prandini, 2019). This sociology of sickness perception scrutinizes problems of how some complex called their ailments as well as the lifestyle choices they make to live managing their conditions. Cultural and individual characteristics both have a crucial influence in shaping the disease state (Mullens et al., 2020). Many healthcare organizations now recognize how human perspectives affect the process of heath and sicknesses, for example, how public health has been socially constructed over time and how scientific competence has changed substantially. The public manages the issues related to health with their cultural values to protect the sick and those that are healthy (Mullens et al., 2020). Many of these Health professionals are more advanced in that most of them have knowledge of different health conditions.

Identifying the Subject of Sociology of Health and Disease

In the learning of health and sickness, sociology provides two unique areas of investigation. On the one hand, it aims to “make sense of sickness” by using sociological perspectives on an investigation of chronic infection and the social structure of well-being and illness on the other (Halwani et al., 2016). It contributes significantly to multiple disciplines into topics of relevance to medical specialists, healthcare strategy formulation, and epidemiological investigations at this particular stage. Sociological investigation can help us understand how broader social dynamics impact people’s health and culture circles at a deeper level. (Burch & Magalhães, 2017). Social disparities, professional connections, transformation and personality, information and authority, and consumerism and risk are examples of such dynamic

In a period of 20 years, well-being promotion and health sociological academics have extensively examined the function of associated systems and their connection to skillful scientific understanding (Cohen, 2019). This connection is effected by a variety of rising developments. Consequently, clinical practice has become more democratic as people lose faith in medical as well as scientific competence and have more exposure to other care services (Burch & Magalhães, 2017). Sociologists urge more individual accountability for health managing risk, with social care users are placed as engaged and “informed users” of health strength‐care strategy (Burch & Magalhães, 2017). The development of service handlers as knowledgeable customers puts the conventional relationship to the test.

Conclusion

The current Covid-19 epidemic has wreaked havoc on the demographics’ mental and sociological well-being. Diabetes has also been a leading cause of death in different parts of the world due to its complications. It may be challenging to provide appropriate diabetic treatment in order to obtain the desired results. Acknowledging patients’ viewpoints, beliefs, heritage, societal problems, and linguistic barriers may make it easier to offer appropriate treatment and help both healthcare professionals accomplish their mutual objective of enhanced care heath. The public and health care workers, for example, have developed thread major depression, anxiousness, depressive disorder, as well as specific other primary causes as a result of their exposure, according to research.

People’s choices and perceptions of sensitivity for others were also influenced by social remoteness and protective measures. Sociology has enabled a realization of how different professions understand the risks under public health. In this context, the health professionals have more knowledge than the lay society that uses cultural beliefs in protecting the people. The sociologists monitor the different patterns and behaviors and, thus, this enables institutions and other stakeholders to care for the survival of humanity.

References

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Cherry, J., & Heininger, U. (2017). Measles morbidity and mortality in the developed world are greater than the public perceives.Open Forum Infectious Diseases, 4(suppl_1), S574-S574. Web.

Chowdhury, S., & Goswami, S. (2020). COVID-19 and type 1 diabetes: dealing with the difficult duo. International Journal Of Diabetes In Developing Countries, 40(3), 315-320. Web.

Cieslik, M. (2017). The happiness riddle and the quest for a good life. Houndmills. Palgrave Macmillan.

Cohen, P. (2019). Scholarly Communication in Sociology. Open Sociology.

Colonna, M. (2017). Editorial overview: Sense and react: how the innate immune system detects threats and generates protective responses. Current Opinion in Immunology, 44, v-vii. Web.

Curran, D. (2018). Beck’s creative challenge to class analysis: From the rejection of class to the discovery of risk-class. Journal of Risk Research, 21(1), 29–40. Web.

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Halwani, M., Koshak, E., & Maddy, E. (2016). Teaching infection control longitudinally in an integrated medical program: Will that make the difference? Infection, Disease & Health, 21(3), 139-140. Web.

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Heilmann, L. (2019). Health and numeracy: the role of numeracy skills in health satisfaction and health-related behavior. ZDM, 52(3), 407-418. Web.

Hier, S.P. (2019). Moral panic and the new neoliberal compromise. Current Sociology, 67: 879–97. Web.

Just, M., & Echaust, K. (2021). An optimal tail selection in risk measurement. Risks, 9(4), 70. Web.

Kearney, M., McGeoch, M., & Chown, S. (2019). Where do functional traits come from? The role of theory and models. Biodiversity Information Science And Standards, 3. Web.

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Since the emergence of humanity, mercy, mutual help and assistance have been the main driving force behind the social system’s development. Families united in communities to help each other in raising children and caring for the sick and old. If there was no mutual assistance, there would be no development of society. People needed to create an integrated system of state support for vulnerable groups, which contributed to the emergence of a new profession – a human services worker. It has become a step towards forming a humanistic society and this occupation functions and flourishes, improving its work forms and methods.

Not every person is capable of performing a social worker job. The human services profession is not only an occupation but a position of mind. Some scholars consider that this is an avocation that gives a feeling of belonging and devotion to this work, without which it is impossible to communicate with people who face problems (Craig et al., 2017). A human services worker should mentally empathize with people, feel sympathy and love for them, and be willing to help to change the situation for the better. Thus, not every person will become a satisfactory specialist in this field since it depends on the emotional aspect.

The emergence of social work characteristics dates back to the Middle Ages, when the clergy served and cared for the poor. From then, the development of this direction has begun, which subsequently gave rise to the movement for charity and social justice in the 19^th century. Jones and Lima (2018) claim that the modern profession of the social worker has developed from three different directions. There is social policy for poverty reduction, based on the English Poor Laws of the 17^th century, the Charity Organization Society’s activities in Great Britain, and measures taken by the settlement house movement. Thus, the development of the profession of a social worker began in the Middle Ages.

The driving force for the spread of social work was moral values: compassion, sympathy, the pursuit of justice, and social progress. They gave rise to the development and popularization of the charity. First of all, this tendency is connected to society’s spiritual sphere since the main world religions promote assistance to the community’s most vulnerable citizens. According to Jones and Lima (2018), in the 16^th and 17^th centuries helping the poor was the social responsibility of the population’s wealthier segments. Thus, since in the Middle Ages the church had significant influence and actively promoted spiritual values, the idea of charity began to spread in society.

With the development of industrialization and urbanization, the church’s work of helping the poor began to be supplanted by more formal welfare services. In connection with the strengthening of social stratification in the 19^th century, reforms began in Europe, and social work became more systemic. Jones and Lima (2018) note that after the fall of feudalism, the state authorities believed that the poor were a threat to the social order’s stability. In this regard, the state took several measures to organize systemic assistance to needy persons. For example, in 1834, the Poor Law Amendment Act was passed in England, which led to centralizing the social assistance system and increasing social activity (Jones & Lima, 2018). Thus, workhouses were created, which became one of the significant socio-economic and socio-political decisions of the 19^th century.

In the 20^th century and into the 21^st, the development of social professions extended actively. Social workers continue to labor for justice and compassion, as well as equality in civil rights. Thus, today in different European countries, various practical models of social work are prevalent. As stated by Thompson and Stepney (2017), the English model is characterized by minimal state participation in the social sphere, and the financial basis for the implementation of social programs is private insurance. In turn, in the continental model, widespread in Germany, Austria, France, and Italy, there is a more active public sector intervention in social work. Moreover, there is the Scandinavian model, which was adopted in Sweden, Norway, and Finland, and which is characterized by a high degree of universality and institutionalization, emphasizing the public sector. Thus, today, social work continues to develop actively, and in various European countries this area has characteristic features.

As for the social worker’s perspective future, many factors indicate that this area’s demand will increase every year. Millions of people, including the retired, the disabled, the unemployed, orphans, and refugees, need emergency social assistance and protection. Nikitina et al. (2017) assert that in the context of today’s reality, the focus of the social worker’s activities is shifting. Technologies aimed at increasing the client’s adaptability and their stability in a situation of constant changes in living conditions are becoming relevant. Consequently, the dependence of social work on economic, political, and spiritual processes in society determines its ability to influence the change in the individual’s status in the social space. As European countries’ history shows, neither social development programs nor the social policy of the state can be implemented without taking into account the activities of social workers. Specialists in this field are involved as experts in preparing legislative acts and decision-making by local authorities and public organizations. Therefore, social workers are unfolding the broadest prospects in the coming years.

In conclusion, the profession of a human services worker is complicated and has a rich history of its development. A person who decides to become a social worker needs to make difficult decisions, be a good psychologist, possess such qualities as liability, decency, communication skills, tact, have good organizational skills and leadership qualities. Moreover, the human worker’s contribution to the life of society is tremendous and invaluable.

References

Craig, S., Iacono, G., Paceley, M., Dentato, M., & Boyle, K. (2017). Intersecting sexual, gender, and professional identities among social work students: The importance of identity integration.Journal of Social Work Education, 53(3), 466-479. Web.

Jones, D., & Lima, A. (2018). Social work and social welfare in Europe. Oxford Bibliographies.Web.

Nikitina, N., Romanova, E., & Vasilyeva, T. (2017). Characteristics of the process of culture development project activities (culture of social engineering) at the future bachelors of social work.European Journal of Contemporary Education, 6(1), 64-76. Web.

Thompson, N., & Stepney, P. (2017). Social work theory and methods. The essentials. Routledge.

Introduction

Social work is a profession that addresses social disparities.

Social workers occasionally interact with individuals in the community.

Thus, they abide by regulations that allow them to offer high quality assistance.

A Brief History of Social Work in Georgia

Social work emerged during the early 19^th century in the US.

Initially, social workers took the initiative to provide care to marginalized individuals.

Its regulation was due to social, cultural, economic, historical, and environmental factors during the 20^th century.

The licensing of social workers was meant to offset racial and cultural inequalities.

Historical and environmental factors also encouraged standardization.

Subsequently, licensing laws were created to guide the practice and maximize on initiatives.

Over time, social work differentiated to address other human concerns like mental health and child welfare.

In Georgia, the first department dealing with social work and associated issues was established in 1972.

The Definition of Social Work According to Georgia State Laws

Social work is a specialty based on activities aimed at promoting the development and integration of socially vulnerable groups into society.

A social worker is any person who professionally engages in the social work practice.

Mental Health Practice in Social Work

Mental health practice is a technique that adopts psychotherapy to address and manage individuals’ emotional or mental conditions.

Mental health practitioners are obligated to adhere to Georgia’s social work laws.

Social Work Licensing and Certification Laws in Georgia

Social workers in Georgia must attain a specific level of education or training.

They should also licensing to identify them as certified social workers.

However, individuals can either become a Master’s Social Worker or a Clinical Social Worker.

Mandatory Reporting Laws in Georgia

Social workers in Georgia are among professionals classified as mandated reporters.

Georgia requires mandated reporters to report cases and associated issues within 24 hours after the abuse has occurred or after the identification of mistreatment.

Lately, authorities demand a report as soon as an individual has reasonable cause to suspect abuse.

Regulations Regarding Involuntary Commitment in Georgia

Georgia authorizes the involuntary treatment of people deemed to be suffering from severe mental illness or drug addiction.

To enroll an individual into voluntary treatment, two signatories must raise a petition in court (Popple, 2018).

These individuals must report the unusual behaviors within 48 hours.

The Duty to Warn and Duty to Protect in Georgia

Duty to warn and a duty to protect are concepts with notable ethical consequences for social workers.

In Georgia, there are no specified statutory laws to reinforce the duty to warn and the duty to protect.

The administrative rules allow medical practitioners to share confidential patient information with potential victims.

Duty to Warn and Duty to Protect Examples

During a meeting with a client, they could confess that they want to kill one of their colleagues at work without mentioning anyone. However, if a practitioner does not take any action, they are not liable for outcomes in Georgia.

Subsequently, an individual can mention that they fantasize about mass shootings. Although a social worker is not required by law to report the issue, they are obligated to act by their standards of practice.

References

Coleman, K. (2021). The American Revolution in Georgia, 1763–1789. University of Georgia Press.

Germain, C., & Knight, C. (2021). The life model of social work practice. In The Life Model of Social Work Practice. Columbia University Press.

Goldberg, E. M., & Warburton, R. W. (2021). Ends and Means in Social Work: the development and outcome of a case review system for social workers. Routledge.

Popple, P. R. (2018). Social work practice and social welfare policy in the United States: A history. Oxford University Press.

Prior to crisis management action accurate analysis of a disaster situation is essential. Only after an obvious danger is established then can suitable handling or avoidance steps be taken. Catastrophe analytical procedures can equally be applied to exhausted care professionals.

Trauma casualties and crisis management specialists are generally at risk of sympathy lethargy. A state of despair may engulf both a disaster victim and the caregiver. Diminished optimism has been observed in numerous care professions including nursing and counseling.

Compassion fatigue occurs in repeated flashbacks of traumatic episodes. A common indicator of sympathy lethargy is intuitive freezing or expressiveness collapse. Psychological outcomes are inefficient work productivity and abandonment. Signs of compassion fatigue are comparable to burnout indicators. However, exhaustion status is distinct in that it occurs over a prolonged period.

Burnout feelings are developed by a dissatisfaction of working conditions. On the other hand, compassion fatigue is accumulated and its origin can be traced back (Stang, 2010). Compassion fatigue is therefore as a result of individual reaction to a trauma situation. Exhaustion is directly connected to a psychological condition adapted by an individual.

Trauma management experts can develop both compassion fatigue and burnout. The consequences are founded on individual disaster reaction. An individuals’ lethargic status, separated from despair, is directly linked to task performance. Weariness effects might be revealed by sluggish response, pessimism, or individual incompetence. Such qualities typify a diminished keenness to tackle a task and a mood of hopelessness (Miller & McGowen, 2010).

Contemptuous approaches towards management of trauma victims can lead to care apathy. Consequently, fatigue developed by disaster assistance personnel can be predicted. An observation of personal approach to the task exposes tiredness. The outcome of work satisfaction is largely dependent on individual performance on a task.

Population age sets reaction to traumatic episodes has solicited lengthy discussions among psychology scholars. Studies have suggested diverse opinions on age group response, susceptibility, and handling of disasters. However, advanced research has established disaster reaction and handling parallels exist among age sets. Different age groups respond to distressing episodes in comparable styles. Reactions to catastrophes based on troubled notions intensity, evasive conduct, and ensuing health challenges are alike across age sets.

Disaster sensitivity accounts for how individual age groups respond to a traumatic event. Studies have established that disaster impact awareness is similar in all age sets. Disaster alertness relation between age sets contributes to response and coping outcome. Persons with diverse age sets respond equally to disasters and apply matching survival tactics.

Therefore, it is unwarranted to imagine that elderly persons have better disaster reaction capacities. Psychologically all persons have similar insight on disaster effects hence equivalent reactions are expected across all generations.

Recently, the World Health Organization stipulated that a major objective for crisis administrators ought to be elderly members of the society care. The organization issued the statement to curb injuries and poor health among older people in the event of a disaster.

Quick reaction to a disaster must surpass the typical crisis response (Eureka Science News, 2010). Elderly society members are equally vulnerable to crisis as other members. Ultimately, all members of a population should be cared for similarly in the event of a calamity.

In the long run, crisis management has no age, sex, or gender barriers. Reaction and coping to an emergency is similar across different human strata. Response differentiations appear in individual psychological preparedness. Persons with post-trauma experiences can develop compassion fatigue much more readily.

Furthermore, burnout feelings depend on individual psychological status. Negative feelings towards a task produce a drowsiness experience. Compassion fatigue and burnout states are related to individual consciousness in a crisis situation.

References List

Eureka Science News. (2010). Frail elderly disaster. Inderscience Publishers. Web.

Miller, N.M. and McGowen, R. (2010). Strategies to Avoid Burnout in Professional Practice Some Practical Suggestions. Psychiatric Times. 27 (2). Web.

Stang, D.L. (2010). What to Do When Helping Starts to Hurt. Web.

Burnout is a term used to signify the mental fatigue that often accompanies professional demands. The intensity of therapist burnout often differs between different therapists with indicators that vary from empathic slips to grumpiness and retorting at patients during therapy sessions. Therapist burnout levels are linked to emotional exhaustion, depersonalization and individual sense of professional and personal accomplishment. The study used the Counselor Burnout Inventory to investigate the causes of burnout among therapists using a sample of 167 therapists.

The findings of the research supported the main hypothesis, which stated that burnout was connected to interpersonal challenges. As established in the study, burnout among the therapists engaged in the sample increased in consistency with an increase in the levels of interpersonal problems. The study findings indicated that the relationship between burnout and interpersonal challenges agreed with the perception of the process of psychotherapy as an interpersonal practice (Hersoug et al., 2001). That finding implied that personal events in therapists’ lives played a significant role in the way they performed their therapeutic duties.

This relationship between interpersonal challenges and burnout can be attributed to personal stressors such as divorce, bereavement and bankruptcy, which increase therapist stress levels. While interpersonal problems affect the overall productivity of therapists, prolonged exposure to stressors directly elevate the levels of burnout.

The way therapists respond to these stressors is likely to affect their burnout levels. People who approach interpersonal problems in a proactive and confrontational manner are capable of dealing more effectively with stressors than those who postpone or escape personal problems. Future studies in this area should focus on specific interpersonal stressors and how each contributes to therapist burnout.

The study findings indicated no substantial variance regarding the personal experience of therapists who had undergone a process of therapy and its connection to burnout. The number of therapy sessions (if any) that the therapists had attended, or the focus of their previous therapists had little bearing on the burnout levels of individual therapists. It was understandable to expect therapy to relieve some amount of stress associated with therapeutic practice since therapy was supposed to assist individuals in dealing with stressors and personal problems.

On the contrary, there was no difference between those who attended therapy and those who did not attend therapy in regards to burnout. However, since the study did not assess whether the respondents were undergoing therapy at the time of the study, it was impossible to determine any significant variance between therapists who were attending therapy at the time of the study and therapists with past attendance experience.

Future studies in this area should also investigate the reasons why the therapists seek therapy. The reasons for seeking therapy can have significant implications on the link between individual counselling attendance and burnout. A therapist who is currently attending therapy may have a higher burnout level than a person who attended therapy in the past because the problem that the therapist seeks to deal with is still existent. Despite the absence of an extensive literature or empirical studies supporting the significance of personal therapy in the therapeutic process, previous studies have discovered that most professional counselors feel that their personal counseling has positive effects on their professional output (Kottler, 2010).

The findings concerning the relationship between demographic variables such as the age of a therapist and the number of years a therapist had been practicing typified the findings of previous studies (Baird & Jenkins, 2003; Rupert& Morgan, 2005). The study indicated that young therapists with little experience displayed more levels of burnout that their older, experienced counterparts.

One possible explanation for that development was that young therapists who had little experience in the practice possessed limited control over their work environment and were, therefore, more aggravated by their working conditions. Moreover, younger, inexperienced therapists had limited control of the varieties of clients that they treated, unlike established therapists who possessed more liberty to choose the type clients that they met. For instance, an experienced therapist might have chosen to focus on treating patients who were able to pay out-of-pocket.

The low burnout levels among older therapists could also be associated with a natural weeding process, in which therapists who had undergone burnout chose to quit the profession. Those who were left in therapy practice were, therefore, more resistant to burnout than inexperienced therapists. Another explanation for the decreasing burnout levels as therapists grew in experience was that more experienced therapists acquired means of dealing with challenges that accompanied clinical practice.

The findings of this study indicated a little direct link between age (and experience) and a burnout. The hypotheses of the study were investigated for a linear association between demographic variables and burnout. However, contrary to the way the study depicted the relationship, it might not have been necessarily linear.

There were a few limitations raised during the study. The primary area of concern was that, though the Counselor Burnout Inventory (CBI) seemed to portray a considerable level of quantitative face validity as well as strong psychometric characteristics, it was a technique of computation that was not as widely applied as the Maslach Burnout Inventory (MBI).

The MBI is a tool that is widely applied in academic research, which implements Maslach’s three-dimensional paradigm in assessing burnout levels. Maslach’s model factors in inefficacy, exhaustion and cynicism as components of job-related burnout, and is widely accepted. Though the CBI is specially designed to be used on counselors, it is not as applied as the MBI. This may affect the validity of the results of the study.

Another limitation of the study concerned the representative sample used during the study. The sample comprised mainly of therapists of the white race with little representation from other racial communities. The fact that a considerable number of respondents who participated at the beginning of the study did not complete all the items that were asked also raised questions of bias.

The fact that the study found a strong link between psychologist burnout and interpersonal problems showed the significance of self-care among psychologists so as to enhance their therapy effectiveness. More studies are still necessary to clearly delineate the connection between interpersonal problems and burnout, especially in clarifying whether interpersonal problems precede or follow therapist burnout.

Studies can also be carried out to assess the levels of burnout among therapists before they commence practicing and during their practice to monitor the pattern of change in interpersonal problems. A burned out therapist lacks motivation and care towards his work and clients. The work becomes meaningless while the therapist becomes emotionally exhausted and non-responsive. It is important to identify burnout early so that it can be treated and eliminated.

References

Baird, S., & Jenkins, S. R. (2003). Vicarious traumatization, secondary traumatic stress, and burnout in sexual assault and domestic violence agency staff. Violence and Victims, 18(1), 71-86.

Hersoug, A. G., Høglend, P., Monsen, J. T., & Havik, O. E., (2001). Quality of working alliance in psychotherapy: Therapist variables and patient/therapist similarity as predictors. Journal of Psychotherapy Practice and Research, 10, 205-216.

Kottler, A. J., (2010). On being a therapist. San Francisco, CA: John Wiley & Sons.

Rupert, P. A., & Kent, J. S. (2007). Gender and work setting differences in career-sustaining behaviors and burnout among professional psychologists. Professional Psychology: Research and Practice, 38(1), 88-96.

Initial statement

Every day, somewhere, a physician, psychiatrist, counselor, or other helping professional is presented with a case of near-death experience (Greyson, 1991).

A near-death experience (NDE) is defined as a “profound psychological event that occurs when a person is either close to death or faced with circumstances resulting in physical or emotional crisis” (Greyson, 1991, p.488).

Near-death experiences contain a pattern of perceptions, which form a complete, identifiable occurrence or experience (Greyson, 1991).

Traditionally, when such persons have been forthcoming about their experiences, they “have received reactions bordering on catastrophic from healthcare providers, family members, friends, and clergy” (Griffith, 2009, p. 36).

According to Eben Alexander, who wrote about his own brush with death in his book, Proof of Heaven published in 2012, members of the medical community are skeptical to say the least about NDEs.“Scientists have argued that they (NDEs) are impossible”, the well-educated neurosurgeon writes.

Alexander knew that near-death experiences seemed real to some of his patients, but he believed they were “simply fantasies produced by brains under extreme stress before he had a near-death experience” (2012, p. 34).

Additionally, Linda Griffith writes, “NDEs are reported to affect nearly one-third of individuals having a close brush with death; that is about five percent of the United States population” (2009, p. 39).

With these blaring numbers, caregivers need to acknowledge these events, whether real or imagined in order to address the needs of those they serve. Researchers agree that near-death experiences can radically change the attitudes, beliefs, and values of individuals who experience them.

Acknowledging these experiences offers to help professionals the chance to serve and satisfy the needs of certain patients and clients in a healing crisis. Though most near-death experiences bring about some spiritual awakening, there is much questioning about the reality of such an experience (Zaleski, 2012).

With many Christian theologians, the skepticism is extreme, and the stories of near-death experiences are largely ignored or repudiated. Some consider the whole thing a childish interest, a narcissistic pre-occupation that distracts people from the church’s mission in a hurting world (Galli, 2012).

Religious clergy and scholars are not the only ones preoccupied about the validity of near-death experiences and the attention given to the subject. Emotions tend to run high regarding subjects that touch on religious doctrine or established and widely accepted scientific truths.

Statement of the Problem

Often, individuals who experience NDEs are immediately faced with dismissal and disapproval when sharing their near-death experiences.

Particularly distressing to individuals who experience NDEs is the typical situation where friends, family, and those persons they have close, intimate relationships with treat them in this fashion.

As previously mentioned, Dr. Eben Alexander was once a skeptic about NDEs until he miraculously came out of a near-death coma in 2008.

He reports that he spent many years “not getting it”, and after the experience that changed his life perception, he was determined to help those who had a similar story to tell (Wilson, 2013).

Helping professionals still fail to consider the effect upon recovery of individuals who experience NDEs, and their resultant adjustment to a major shift in beliefs and values. Raymond A. Moody, a famous investigator of NDEs writes:

There is one common element in all near-death experiences: they transform the people who have them. In my twenty years of intense exposure to individuals who have experienced a near-death experience, I have yet to find one who hasn’t had a very deep and positive transformation as a result of his experience (1975, p. 38).

Rice speculates, “Frequently, the first person individuals who experience NDEs speak to after their experience is a nurse, physician, or Emergency Medical Technician (EMT)” (2007, p.7). How the people in these positions react to the shared experiences can have a positive influence on individuals who experience NDEs and their recovery as well.

Often, the cases of individuals who experience NDEs are given psychiatric attention due to an associated mental disorder. New and highly broadened beliefs may be difficult to discern from the “hyper-religiosity associated with mania”.

With the guidance and education of a highly trained and aware mental health worker, the patient can differentiate between a religious zeal and the strong feelings of elation stemming from a genuine transcendent experience.

Steven Rice, Master of Divinity spent many years as a clergy member who worked closely with seriously ill and dying patients. He claims to be a reformed person because of the stories he has listened to about the near-death experiences of many.

In a letter to the editor, in a professional journal, he expresses his thanks to readers for the support of his article, “Supporting a Patient After a Near-death Experience”. Also in the letter, Rice shares his desire to learn more about how the experience has made a person feel, and what the experience has done for the person.

Rice exclaims that terminally ill patients who have experienced NDE are eager to approach their “impending death or the afterlife, whether or not they consider themselves religious” (2007, p. 8).

Apparently, research has focused more on the reality of near-death experiences than it has focused on the after effects of NDEs, the relationships between the NDEs and the influence of attitudes, beliefs, and values of their helping professionals.

Thorough research between the relationship of individuals who experience NEDs and their helping professionals (as relates to adjusting to life after a NDE) is an area worthy of study.

Purpose of the Study

The purpose of the study is to explore the impact and role of the acceptance of NDEs among those in the helping professions concerning the quality of the care they provide to those seeking their care.

Research Question

What impact do the attitudes, beliefs, and values of helping professionals about near-death experiences make in the care they provide for individuals who have experienced NDEs?

Significance of the Study

Despite many research attempts conducted concerning NDEs and their beliefs and values, minimal study has been directed concerning the beliefs and values towards NDEs in non-NDE populations.

“There appears to be a correlation between knowledge of NDEs and attitudes toward them. People with a great knowledge of NDEs, tend to have positive attitude towards individuals suffering from NDEs” (Ketzneberger&Keim, 2001, p. 227).

Individuals who have experienced NEDs may face unique issues, which need to be addressed.

With the incidence of NDEs increasing from the early 1970’s due to advancements in modern medicine, healthcare and mental health providers need to factor in the reality of the occurrence of NDEs in their education and training (Wilson, 2013).

The importance of the study is to show effects of mis-diagnosis, and or discounted problematic issues of NDEs by those in the helping professionals in relation to the significance of validating their experiences, and being well prepared for treatment on behalf of those seeking recovery or help after a near-death experience.

Literature Review

This literature review will explore attitudes, values, and beliefs and how they affect the quality of services that caregivers offer to patients suffering from near-death experiences. The review will use behavioral theory as the theoretical framework.

Theoretical Framework

Behavioral theory will be used as the theoretical lens for this study. Behavioral theory states “cultural and sub-cultural conditioning moulds and shapes behavior and subsequently the personality” (Sikazwe, 2009, p. 2).

Using the behavioral theory, the literature review will analyze the beliefs, attitudes, and values of therapists and relate them to how they conduct themselves when dealing with NDErs.

Duffy and Olson (2007) give a clear and accurate meaning to the importance of understanding a patient after a traumatic NDE. They state that health care professionals should know how to respond when a patient reluctantly begins to speak of the experience.

It is crucial for a therapeutic environment of trust to be established so the patient can express the meaning of the experience. Being nonjudgmental and employing active listening are crucial aspects of helping a patient after a near-death experience (Duffy &Olson, 2007).

Sadly, NDEs are frequently mis-diagnosed or ignored, and individuals who encounter NDEs are left to sort their experiences out on their own, sometimes with little or no support from friends, family, or spouses.

Often associated with NDEs are issues such as marital conflicts, identity crises in areas of work, religion, depression, family difficulties, and adjustment disorders (Moody, 1975). For an example, it is estimated that over half of marriages where one partner has experienced an NDE ends in divorce (Christian, 2005).

Attitudes, beliefs, and values of helping professionals about near-death experiences significantly affect the quality of the services they extend to individuals who have experienced NDEs. At times, the professionals impose their interpretations of beliefs about the experience on the patient.

Rather than relying on the understanding and account of the individuals who experience NDEs, the professionals act out of their judgments or preconceptions. Griffith (2009) suggests that caregivers, at times, fail to acknowledge the NDE as a tremendously important tool for transformation.

They overlook the insightful possibility of experience to initiate both positive and negative transformations in beliefs, personality, and physiological functions. Most of the times helping professionals have prejudices against NDE individuals.

This leads to the caregivers labeling both the NDE and the patient with a medical verdict based on their understanding. This, in return, leads to the professionals alienating those who have experienced NDE instead of helping them.

Ketzneberger and Keim maintain, “When an individual who experiences NDEs meets diagnostic criteria for treatable condition, the patient, and the caregiver need to know that the diagnosis is autonomous of and unassociated to the NDE itself” (2001, p. 229).

Normally, caregivers are unable to establish a therapeutic relationship with individuals who experience NDEs due to dishonesty. They disrespectfully express their reservations to the experience discounting the individual’s attitude.

They, at times, go to the extent of revealing the contents or existence of the near-death experience without the individual’s consent (Ketzneberger&Keim, 2001). This discourages the near-death experience individual from sharing their emotions with the caregivers, therefore, affecting their recovery process.

Deep emotions characterize the near-death experiences. Therefore, individuals who have experienced them normally have strong feelings that they need to vent, share, or explore.

Failure to respond to their feelings, descriptions, and interpretations hampers the ability to reveal hard-to-describe experiences. In addition, it intensifies the individual’s fear of being ridiculed or misunderstood (Duffy & Olson, 2007).

Insensitive behavior or comments ruin the resuscitation efforts of the NDE individuals (Wilson, 2013). Wilson says, “Patients who appear unconscious may be aware of their surroundings, and may later recall behavior that is callous or offensive” (2013, p. 2b).

At times, caregivers engage in insensitive behavior or say insensitive opinions during the resuscitation process. This leads to the individual’s struggle to resolve issues with startling memories in their future.

The prejudice that a majority of the caregivers have towards the individual makes it hard for them to maintain human contact with individuals recovering from NDE. Consequently, it is likely that they fail to help the patient regain bodily consciousness through physical and verbal orientation.

Duffy and Olson (2007) make recommendations on how the professionals can work on their attitudes, beliefs, and values, therefore, offering quality care to patients recovering from NDEs.

They suggest that every professional ought to establish a rapport with the victim and to create opportunities that can persuade the individual to share their experiences. The way the professionals communicate or conduct themselves when talking about the NDE experience shows their willingness to help the patient (Duffy & Olson, 2007).

Duffy and Olson (2007) even recommend the rotation of listeners in hospital units as a way to avoid burnout. At times, caregivers lack the patience to listen to the NDE individual. This leaves the patients with no option but to keep the experience to themselves, which affects their recuperation process.

Helping professionals need to distinguish between their expectations, and those of their patients to work effectively with individuals who have had the near-death experience (Griffith, 2009).

Caregivers need to have a clear understanding of the help that patients with a near-death experience require from them, and let the patients know about their expectations too. At times, caregivers fail to consider the individual’s level of functioning and personality before their near-death experience (Griffith, 2009).

Therefore, they end up not addressing the challenges that a near-death experience poses to the patient. In its place, therapists strive to address the existing aspects of patients’ mental health problems caused by other sources. Eventually, it boils down to conflicting goals or interests.

As therapists attempt to help the patient cope with psychological and behavioral challenges, they end up increasing the patient’s NDE-related distress. To address this challenge, caregivers need to address only the near-death-related challenges and refer all the other issues to a different therapist (Griffith, 2009).

Conclusion

Attitudes, beliefs, and values of helping professionals about near-death experiences significantly affect the quality of the services they extend to individuals who have experienced NDEs. In most cases, caring professionals use their interpretation of NDE to treat patients suffering from NDEs.

Besides, they at times make insensitive comments, which interrupt the patient’s capacity to resuscitate. The prejudice the caregivers have towards NDErs deters them from establishing personal contact with patients. To add to the existing literature, this study will conduct a research on patients recovering from NDEs.

The study will seek to understand how attitudes, values and beliefs of caregivers affect the quality of services given to individuals suffering from near-death experiences.

References

Alexander, E. (2012). Proof of Heaven: A Neurosurgeon’s Journey Into The Afterlife (Vol. 1). New York, NY: Simon & Schuster, Inc.

Christian, S. (2005). Marital Satisfaction and Stability Following a Near-death Experience of One of the Marital Partners. Web.

Duffy, N. & Olson, M. (2007). Supporting a patient after a near-death experience. Nursing, 37(4), 46-48.

Galli, M. (2012). Incredible journeys. Christianity Today, 56(11), 24-30.

Greyson, B. (1991). Near-death experiences and systems theories: A biosociological approach to mystical states. Journal of Mind and Behavior, 12(4), 487-508.

Griffith, L. (2009). Near-death experiences and psychotherapy. Psychiatry MMC, 6(10), 35-42.

Ketzneberger, K. &Keim, G. (2001). The near-death experience: knowledge and attitudes of college students. Journal of Near-Death Studies, 19(4), 227-232.

Linzmeier, B. M. (n.d.). Attitudes toward near-death experiences. In Near Death Experience Research Foundation (NDERF).

Moody, R. (1975). Life After Life. New York, NY: Harper Collins Publishers, Inc.

Moore, R. (2013). Donate to the NDE medical training video. In International Association for Near-Death Studies (IANDS).

Rice, S. (2007). Letters: insights on near-death memories. Nursing, 37(6), 8.

What is a near-death experience? (2011). In International Association for Near-Death Studies. Web.

Sikazwe, H. (2009). Behavioral theories and the impact on human interactions: A compilation of articles, essays and discourses around the world. Web.

Wilson, C. (2013). Publishers in seventh heaven over near-death memoirs. United Methodist Reporter, 159(42), 2b.

Zaleski, C. (2013). Visions of heaven. Christian Century Journal, 130(1), 6.

Pre-Interview Impressions of a Counselor

In this paper, an interview with a licensed counselor will be developed and analyzed. The peculiar feature of this kind of work is the possibility to develop a personal attitude to a topic before an interview, learn a lot during the interviewing process, and develop conclusions and attitudes to this profession at the end.

Using different books and peer-reviewed articles, much information about the counseling profession could be found. For example, it is a well-known fact that the middle of the 20^th century was the period when this profession emerged as the possibility to guide people in personal, vocational, and academic matters (Schweiger, Henderson, McCaslill, Clawson, & Collins, 2013). Therefore, I understand that licensed counselors usually involve in different types of activities and could help at personal, as well as academic or professional, levels.

Besides, I know that counselors may work in different disciplines like medicine, education, or business and follow the same endeavors because regardless of the fields and disciplines, there is one mutual goal, to empower an individual to accomplish personal goals and cope with emotional challenges (Scott, Royal, & Kissinger, 2014). I am not sure of the correctness of such an approach. Therefore, I want to believe that my further communication with a counselor could provide me with some answers and promote discussions about the role of counseling in human life.

This time, I would like to focus on school counseling and interview a school counselor, who explains to me the peculiarities of this profession and describes the path of becoming an expert of children’s souls.

I think that it is not enough to read books and booklets and consider the opinions of the experts to comprehend the value of this profession. Direct communication is one of the best methods to gather information and identify the strengths and weaknesses of being a counselor.

Counselor Interview

The interview occurs in a school, where the chosen counselor works at the moment. She is a too busy woman. Therefore, we agree to meet at 3 p.m. in her office that is a separate room in the school building with 2 large windows and several flowers in pots. There are also several pictures on the walls and two large bookcases. She meets me with a smile on her face and explains that she has about one hour for this interview. After nice greetings, we pass directly to the questions prepared beforehand.

Why did you choose counseling as your job? Did you have this profession as your goal when you were a school student?

When I was 10, I faced several deaths in my life. They were my close relatives, and I could not cope with the emotions and feelings. As was expected, I was directed to a local psychologist, who helped me to survive that period. With time, I started reading some books on Psychology. At the age of 16, I found several powerful Freud’s works. When the time to choose a degree came, I did not have any doubts. I wanted Psychology as my major.

Did your college choice was a personal decision or mutual (with your parents)?

My parents supported me a lot. They also believed that psychology was the field that helped people in their complicated lives. The University of Florida was the final choice. I was accepted, and I wanted to become a good student to get as many opportunities as possible.

Have you ever thought about your practice?

You know, it is not always easy to find patients in a short period. Besides, my management and leadership skills are not as good as my psychological knowledge. Therefore, at this time, I do not think about my independent project. I think that I could help many students at this school and enjoy the local beauties.

Are you satisfied with the working hours, conditions, and salary?

It is hard to achieve satisfaction at all points. Still, I am close to it. I have a good place to work at. I can establish my working hours on my own. However, I prefer to work the way this school works and follow the schedules defined by the manager. As a rule, I work 6-8 hours per day. Sometimes, I could work with 10 students per day, and sometimes, I have one or two meetings only. As for the salary, I think that everyone wants to earn more. I believe in my perspectives. As soon as I get the necessary experience and develop the required portion of skills, I will think about my financial opportunities.

What do you like about your job the most?

Communication and diversity! I cannot imagine a day without people asking me for help or a child wanting to cope with a new challenge. If I do not have meetings, I try to walk around the school and observe students’ behavior and relations. It is interesting to observe how children communicate, make decisions, and even move.

So, you like to work with children. There is a quote by Asa Don Brown that “all children should be taught to unconditionally accept, approve, admire, appreciated, forgive, trust, and ultimately, love their person” (Purushothaman, 2015). Do you support this thought?

I think that there are some of these actions that should be taken unconditionally. Still, not all of them. This quote seems to be an approval for all decisions and thoughts developed by students. However, it could happen that students, as well as adults, make mistakes. Therefore, it is not necessary to forgive or trust unconditionally. I think that a counselor’s job is to make students believe that everything is in their hands in case they can accept it and understand the environment and the changes around. In other words, it is too easy to take everything for granted. It is possible to challenge something and believe that everything could be changed in case personal confidence and knowledge are applied.

What are the main challenges in your work?

It is not always possible to understand if a student needs help. Besides, some students do not want to receive help. Sometimes, they are ready to demonstrate their aggressive behavior due to the necessity to follow certain rules. Therefore, the establishment of contact with students is the main challenge I have to deal with.

Do you believe that students and adult patients need the same help? In other words, are you ready to work with older patients?

I do not think that counseling should be the same for all ages. When a student addresses a counselor, the reasons may vary from personal instability or ordinary laziness. When an adult searches for a counselor, a certain type of help should be offered relying on personal knowledge and practice. I am not sure that I am ready to provide an old lady, who comes from her husband’s funerals and asks for what should be done next, with a high-quality idea being a single 27-year-old woman. This lady has a life that I could only dream of. I am afraid that I am just not ready to work with adult patients. Therefore, school counseling is what I am good at.

Finally, do you have any regrets or concerns about your profession? What do you expect from this line of work?

There are many interesting books written by Rosemary Thompson and Tamara Davis about the worth of school counseling and the methods of helping children. I am lucky to read those books and follow their suggestions. Still, the variety of counseling help is impressive indeed. I have so much work to deal with. I have never regretted the choices made. By the way, I enjoy each morning cherishing the thought that I am going to a school where children may need my help. I believe that in ten years, I would be able to open my practice and provide people with credible help in different directions.

Post-Interview Impressions of a Counselor

After the interview, the first thing I did was search for books by Thompson and Davis. These authors speculate about the importance of school counseling from different perspectives and help potential counselors to understand their power. Counselors should be the experts in human behavior (Thompson, 2013). Human behavior has several forms, and it is impossible to learn all of them at once. Years may be required to succeed in counseling.

Human behavior, as well as their needs and expectations, depend not on age only but also gender and even nationality. People ask licensed counselors for professional help and suggestions. Still, even the best experts do not know what to expect from a young 15-year-old White girl or a 46-year-old African American man. They might be challenged with the same problem or have to deal with absolutely different concerns. The interview also helps me to comprehend that counselors support the idea of life-long learning. It is impossible to know everything and use the same knowledge during the whole line of work. New sources, theories, and examples could be used regularly.

Finally, this communication with a school counselor shows that successful counselors should love their work to become successful and satisfied. Though it is possible to chase the dream and search for some new opportunities, it seems to be reasonable to choose one direction and follow it taking the best things from every moment.

Conclusions

In general, the interview with a counselor is a useful tool in discussing the peculiarities of the chosen kind of work. School counseling is an integral part of the existing educational system. The role of these people is to support the appropriate emotional, social, and academic development of students. Counselors understand students’ needs and help them to combine their abilities with their demands. There is no need for students to succeed in their academic life at the expense of their relations. Counselors guide students and their families, and their success depends on the level of professionalism and dedication to their work.

References

Purushothaman. (2015). Children’s quotes. Kerala, India: Centre for Human Perfection.

Schweiger, W.K., Henderson, D.A., McCaslill, K., Clawson, T.W., & Collins, D.R. (2013). Counselor preparation: Programs, faculty, trends (13^th ed.). New York, NY: Routledge.

Scott, D.A., Royal, C.W., & Kissinger, D.B. (2014). Counselor as consultant. Thousand Oaks, CA: SAGE Publications.

Thompson, R.A. (2013). School counseling: Best practices for working in the schools. New York, NY: Routledge.

Consulting experience

In the course of our in-class consulting project, which was undertaken through groups comprised of a number of students, our team [Team 3] thought it was appropriate to seek consultation services from Team 2 on a number of issues.

Team 3 intended to gain knowledge on the strategies that it could adopt in order to promote collaboration amongst the team members. However, Team 2 kept pressurizing our team to sign a contract without outlining concrete things that it would do in order to assist Team 3 attain its goal. As a client, I felt that Team 2 was not keen on listening to what Team 3 intended to achieve. In order to improve the chances of success during the consultation process, it is imperative for the consultant to collaborate with the client in a number of areas as evaluated herein.

Joint problem definition

According to Jones and Brenda (2014), the successful consultation process is comprised of two main parties, viz. the client and the consultant. The two parties must establish a strong consultation relationship. However, the process of building the consultation relationship is complex due to the existence of diverse cultural and human factors. Despite this aspect, the consultant and the client must strive to establish and sustain the consultation relationship.

One of the issues that the consultant must focus on entails establishing a clear definition of expectations and roles. In a bid to achieve this goal, the client must inquire from the client regarding the desired expectations in order to eliminate misunderstandings. Therefore, the client and the consultant must collaborate in defining the problem. The consultant must provide the client with an opportunity to explain the prevailing issues that need to be resolved.

The definition of the clients’ needs should form the basis upon which the two parties refine the problem. Kubr (2007) collaborates that both the “client and the consultant should be prepared to make changes to their initial definition of the problem and agree to a joint definition” (p. 65). In this case, Team 2 [the consultant] was not concerned with understanding the client’s [Team 3] expectations. Subsequently, Team 2’s ability to define the prevailing problem comprehensively was limited, thus its inability to provide concrete issues that would be employed in order to resolve the problem at hand.

According to Cummings and Worley (2014), it is imperative for the consultant to consider developing a knowledge-based relationship, which can only be attained if the consultant appreciates two-dimensional communication, viz. from client to consultant and from consultant to the client. Jones and Brenda (2014) further affirm that two-dimensional communication should form the basis of entering into the consultation contract. During this scenario, Team 2 [the consultant] was only concerned with signing the consultation contract without receiving the client’s [Team 2] opinion.

Definition of results to be achieved

During the consultation process, the consultant and the client must work collaboratively in clarifying the desired results. In order to attain this goal, the consultant must clearly define the scope of the consultation process and the likelihood of exceeding the scope. One of the aspects that the consultant should consider in defining the scope entails the activities that will be undertaken in order to assist the client to solve the problem faced.

For example, it is imperative for the consultant to define his/her active involvement in the implementation of the proposed solutions. This aspect will play a vital role in eliminating implementation problems that the client might encounter. Moreover, the consultant must clearly define the metrics to be used in measuring the achievement attained. Kubr (2007) emphasizes that it is imperative for the consultant to define clearly his/her duty to the client.

Consultant and client’s role

A successful consultation process depends on the effort of the client and the consultant in executing their roles. One of the most important roles of the consultant entails the process role whereby the consultant acts as the change agent. The change agent should outline the intervention techniques to be adopted in solving the clients’ problem. Furthermore, Kubr (2007) argues that the consultant should not only be concerned with informing the client of the approach, but also defining the values and approach to be adopted.

In this scenario, Team 2 was charged with the responsibility of providing feasible solutions or an action plan to be adopted in dealing with the problem faced by Team 3. The action plan should have proposed different viable solutions that Team 3 would have integrated. Conversely, Team 3 was required to provide information on the prevailing situation within the team. Team 3 was willing to provide all the information that Team 2 might have requested in order to achieve its goal.

Cummings and Worley (2014) argue that diverse issues might be encountered during the consultation process. Despite this aspect, the consultant must outline his/her commitment to adopting emergent strategies in order to deal with such issues. This goal can only be attained if the consultant is flexible in dealing with issues uncovered. Additionally, the client must be informed in advance of such issues in order to assess their impacts on its performance.

Additionally, the provision of prior information is essential in developing mutual trust. During the in-class consultation process, Team 2 was not articulate in outlining how they would deal with emergent issues during the consultation process. Subsequently, this aspect led to the development of a perception that Team 2 would just impose solutions that might not be of help to Team 3.

Understanding the client system

Kubr (2007) asserts that many “consultants make the mistake of automatically considering and treating the most senior person as the main client” (p. 67). On the contrary, it is imperative for the consultant to integrate a high degree of equity in dealing with the client. Thus, all parties in the group must be considered important for they will be charged with the responsibility of implementing the proposed solutions. In a bid to be successful in implementing equity, it is essential for the consultant to consider exploring the client’s system. The exploration leads to an extensive understanding of the needs of the various internal stakeholders.

In its quest to provide consultancy services to Team 3, Team 2 was not concerned with exploring the client’s system, as evidenced by its failure to listen to Team 3 members. This aspect affected the trust between the client and the consultant. Kubr (2007) emphasizes that personal relationships, collaboration, and knowledge sharing during the consultation process are affected adversely by a lack of trust. Developing trust is also essential in improving the consultation relationship by making consultation less formal, thus the likelihood of gathering sufficient data to be used in resolving the problem faced.

In summary, Team 2 [consultant] did not appreciate the importance of collaboration during the consultation process. Furthermore, the consultant team did not have sufficient knowledge of its role during the process of providing consultancy services.

References

Cummings, T., & Worley, C. (2014). Organization development and change. Stanford, CT: Cengage Learning.

Jones, B., & Brazzel, M. (2014). The NTL handbook of organization development and change: Principles, practices and perspectives. San Francisco, CA: John Wiley & Sons.

Kubr, M. (2007). Management consulting: a guide to the profession. Geneva, Switzerland: International Labor Office.

Counseling is defined as providing professional guidance to an individual in dealing with his or her personal or psychological problems (Bishop, 2018). Values are the morals that an individual considers acceptable concerning what is right and wrong (Bishop, 2018). Thus, through a combined approach, counseling and values are the help a professional gives to an individual while taking into consideration what they term as morally acceptable in trying to solve their problems.

It is important to note that the professional help offered will vary from one individual to the other. Due to the distinct differences observed, counselors have to ensure they do not carry bias from one patient to another. This is often challenging in practice. The Counselling and Values Journal (CVJ) offers insights into the said challenge through a compilation of several research studies. These studies are published annually and are available on the Wiley & Sons Inc. publishers. This essay summarizes the identified article by Brittany Bishop titled “Advocating for Atheist Clients in the Counselling Profession.” The article was selected from the numerous studies published by CVJ.

According to Bishop (2018), counselors have mixed reactions when treating atheist clients. Atheists do not believe in God but instead, believe in the physical world. Atheists, thus, value guidance that they get from a scientific viewpoint as opposed to an emotional one. Bishop (2018) states that in the United States, atheists are considered a minority and marginalized group due to the prevalence of Christianity. The group has also been discriminated against due to their questioned morality. Bishop (2018) advises counselors dealing with atheists to follow the code of conduct set out in the Association for Spiritual, Ethical, and Religious Values in Counselling (ASERVIC).

ASERVIC is an association of counselors who believe that a person’s well-being is linked to spiritual, ethical, and religious values (Bishop, 2018). Thus, since atheists do not believe in religion, spirituality and ethical aspects can be used to treat them. To ensure they do not infringe on the rights of their patients, Bishop (2018) explains that counselors have to take a slower and open-minded approach in incorporating both spirituality and ethics in their sessions.

The reason behind this is the fact that both said elements are often used interchangeably with religion. Bishop (2018) suggests the use of meditation as a way of integrating both spirituality and ethics into their sessions with atheist clients.

Spiritually transformative experiences can profoundly affect how an individual views himself or herself and the world around him or her, including atheists (Bishop, 2018). These experiences involve mystical engagements with one’s soul, inspired genius, as well as personal energy, and ambition. It is important to note that the people who experience any spiritual transformation are not from a specific region but different cultures in the world.

Thus, it is beneficial to the counselor also to be knowledgeable about the client’s past and culture. In turn, he or she will be able to make the client understand himself or herself better as he or she will relate well to the analogies and treatment options suggested. Bishop (2018) also states that counselors should be advised to undertake multicultural training so that they too understand the impact of culture on personality.

Reference List

Bishop, B. (2018). Advocating for Atheist clients in the counselling profession. Counselling and Values, 63(1), 17-30. Web.

The field of counseling is growing at a steady rate, as seen by applying for the job in different environments, including educational institutions. Importantly, counseling entails the skillful and ethical use of relationships to foster an individual’s emotional acceptance, self-knowledge, and growth. In this respect, professional counselors encourage people to make proper use of their resources to bolster their development (Corey, 2015). Thus, the counseling profession seeks to unceasingly influence people to be resourceful to lead satisfying lives. The relationships involved in the counseling profession depend on the unique needs of the individual seeking intervention. The needs revolve around developmental problems, decision-making issues, coping with a crisis, managing emotions, developing knowledge and personal insights, and relationship issues. Thus, this cohesive essay discusses the various aspects of the counseling career.

Special education counseling specializes in the aspect of psychotherapy in the school setting with an emphasis on facilitating the prosperity of special needs students. The advice applied in the educational setting focuses on reinforcing the functionality of support and intervention systems that meet special needs students and their families (Corey, 2015). The support and response structures implemented by special needs counselors seek to enhance students’ achievement.

The mental health specialty of special needs counseling focuses on improving students’ well-being with mental disorders (Erford, 2014). Over the years, mental health counseling has received significant consideration in various education systems as more learning institutions integrate the national education standards, training, and clinical practices. Professionals in this field execute their functions from a wellness approach that underscores the essence of efficient performance of the body, mind, and spirit—experts in the specialty focus on combating suffering, dysfunction, and mental illness.

I chose the field of special education counseling owing to my interest in fostering the improvement of learning experiences among students from different backgrounds, especially those subjected to vulnerability. In this regard, my mental health specialty seeks to assist students with psychological issues in acquiring relevant skills that would improve the quality of life. As such, I find my profession as a good course to pursue.

The educational requirements for special needs counselors usually vary from the ones held by counselors outside the educational setting. In this regard, a bachelor’s degree in special education is critical for one to perform as a special needs counselor. A master’s in school counseling is considered a final qualification in special needs counseling, and thus practitioners should pursue it (Corey, 2015).

In the United States, special education counselors make an average annual salary of $45,975. General school counselors make an average of $56,040 annually. Experts specializing in mental health counseling can make an hourly average of $16.62 (Erford, 2014). The employer could give professional bonuses, among other incentives, to bolster motivation.

The roles of counselors depend on the environment in which they operate. The role of social and emotional counseling is to facilitate the academic success of students by providing necessary services and interventions. Assessment and the individual needs of students influence the therapy applied (personal communication, 2016). The counselor plays the role of assessing and validating the needs of the school team. Moreover, the counselor is expected to collaborate with other professionals outside their working environment and other agencies.

A counselor is usually beneficial to the client by devoting efforts towards improving their mental well-being. The mental health services and interventions bolster the customer’s performance with regard to their professional, educational, and daily life routines (personal communication, 2016). Thus, counselors promote the overall wellness of clients by improving their mental health. An exceptional counselor needs to possess excellent communication skills. A good counselor also needs to showcase empathy in their practice. Additionally, a good counselor should demonstrate outstanding interpersonal skills to streamline their relationship with clients. It is also important for a counselor to have excellent organizational skills.

The social and emotional counselor identifies the group modality of practice as his favorite. Serving clients with similar needs in a group situation is intriguing. The group pattern offers the instructors an opportunity to apply their leadership skills. According to the interviewee, sharing in a group setting bolsters the resilience of clients (personal communication, 2016). The interviewee’s theoretical orientation is the cognitive-behavioral theory (CBT). The approach helps clients to understand that all the behaviors that they portray are learned. Therefore, considering the actions that affect patients’ daily routines negatively streamlines the interventions and services applied. The interviewee has a professional background in the areas of children with developmental disabilities as well as mental illnesses. The interviewee likes the kids’ niche as he finds it easy to work with the population. The need to support of education influenced the interviewee to specialize in school counseling.

The interviewee enjoys his career. The resilience of clients contributing to their recovery makes the job enjoyable and satisfying. The interviewee advises one to pursue the counseling profession if they have a genuine interest in solving other people’s problems (personal communication, 2016). Moreover, patience and readiness to face daily challenges are key aspects that influence the counseling profession.

Effective counseling practice is crucial for promoting the professionalism of the field. As such, Borders et al. (2014) authored the article “Best practices in clinical supervision: Evolution of a counseling specialty” to demonstrate the counseling profession’s essential skills. Apart from identifying the necessary skills Bradshaw, Waasdorp, and Leaf (2012) provide an overview of the counseling profession in the educational setting through a journal article titled “School counseling outcome: A meta‐analytic examination of interventions.” The synthesis of the two articles to gain a comprehensive understanding of the counseling profession is relevant.

Borders et al. (2014) underline that teamwork between the counselor and the client is crucial owing to the relational approach embraced in counseling practice. Further, the instructor’s commitment and the resilience of the patient are critical in fostering the improvement of the latter’s thinking and behavioral patterns. Therefore, the counselors should apply the particular skills necessary for facilitating the efficiency of counseling practice.

Borders et al. (2014) argue that listening is a crucial skill that a counselor should possess. Effective listening facilitates the grasping of valuable information provided by the client. Further, Bradshaw et al. (2012) suggest that listening, as an aspect of communication, shows that the counselor is interested in learning about the client’s problems. Moreover, excellent listening skills streamline the assessment phase of therapy.

Besides having exceptional listening skills, a counselor needs to ask open questions (Bradshaw et al., 2012)). Open questions in the intervention process allow the client to clarify or explore thoughts affecting their wellness. Open-ended questions enable therapists to gather in-depth information regarding the factors that negatively influence the patient’s mental balance.

According to Borders et al. (2014), a counselor should also demonstrate empathy when dealing with a patient. The essence of empathy is that it shows a level of understanding regarding the issues affecting the client’s wellbeing. Additionally, empathy is a crucial skill since it ensures that both the expert and the client share their emotions regarding a problematic way of thinking or behavior. Apart from empathy, Bradshaw et al. (2012) emphasize that the counselor needs to display lots of genuineness. The feelings of the counselor regarding the issues undermining the wellbeing of the client should be authentic. Faking emotions shows that the instructor is not concerned about enhancing the health of the patient.

Counselor’s self-disclosure is also a fundamental skill that reinforces the relationship between the therapist and the client (Borders et al., 2014). The counselors need to provide information about themselves to the patient to create a good rapport with them. The approach improves the relationship as well as communication between the client and the psychotherapist. Counselors should also demonstrate the skill of unconditional positive regard when dealing with clients (Borders et al., 2014). Patient-centered therapy requires the expert to accept and support clients despite what they say or do. The skill is integral in fostering the effectiveness of a humanistic approach to intervention.

A demonstration of the identified skills contributes to job satisfaction among counselors in different specialties. Job satisfaction is one of the key elements that influence the productivity of a counselor or psychotherapist. In this respect, most counselors identify the ability to empower clients to develop skills necessary for their recovery as primary efforts that create job satisfaction (Bradshaw et al., 2012). The accomplishment realized after helping clients identify solutions and apply them to improve their well-being fulfills most professionals in different counseling areas.

In addition to empowering clients, the ability to influence the realization of a positive difference is among the outcomes that foster counselors’ satisfaction (Borders et al., 2014). For instance, experts in marriage and family therapy (MFT) identify the ability to repair broken relationships as one of the most satisfying outputs of their interventions and services. Further, social and emotional counselors pinpoint the capacity to help clients regain their self-esteem, manage their emotions, improve their relationships, and avoid committing suicide as satisfying.

Counseling practitioners also realize the satisfaction of working with particular client groups (Bradshaw et al., 2012). For instance, some counselors enjoy working with children, while others prefer dealing with adults. Bradshaw et al. (2012) allege that it is important to note that pursuing a specialty should be influenced by the preferences and interests of the expert to a considerable degree for the sake of bolstering satisfaction at work.

The therapeutic relationship between the counselor and the client creates a level of job satisfaction among therapists in various counseling specialties (Borders et al., 2014). Some experts view a broad engagement with customers who need their services as a meaningful interaction with another human being. The engagement leads to clients who have experienced adversities of vulnerability trust the counselors. The trust creates a sense of fulfillment among counselors (Bradshaw et al., 2012).

The counseling profession is exciting since it offers an opportunity for an expert to create a relationship with clients to help them overcome behaviors or thoughts that undermine their well-being (Malott, 2012). As such, the realization of the purpose of the counseling work requires the expert to set professional goals. The goals play an integral role in guiding the delivery of services and interventions to the client.

Promoting the health and wellbeing of clients is one of the primary goals of my profession. Importantly, improving students’ mental health in the educational setting is crucial for enabling such a client group to attain academic success (Gladding, 2012). The promotion of the clients’ health requires me to put in place measures that curb the educational setting’s distress. The measures include the implementation of appropriate services and interventions. The Myers-Briggs Type Indicator (MBTI) assessment reveals that one of my strengths is that I apply reasoning in my counseling processes. Engaging in innovative decision-making processes is an integral aspect of promoting the mental health of students.

The prevention of dysfunction and disorders is also one of my primary goals as a professional counselor. Notably, curbing the emergence of emotional, behavioral, and social dysfunctions and mental health illnesses is one of the primary objectives of my career. Prevention is one of the most important roles of mental health counselors (Gladding, 2012). The MBTI assessment unearthed that I have an attribute of using past experiences extensively to guide the present actions and future engagements. The skills are integral in supporting the prevention of dysfunction and disorders owing to the knowledge gained in the field. In this respect, the realization of the goals requires developing relationships with clients that influence them to apply skills necessary for improving their mental health.

Treating clients with dysfunctions and disorders is also my goal as a counselor. I aspire to treat the clients in a way that empowers them. I engage clients in identifying solutions that would work best towards the improvement of their well-being. Efficient assessment of clients’ problems before applying treatment is necessary for managing disorders and dysfunctions (Malott, 2012). The MBTI assessment suggests that I tend to use emotions in determining my decision-making approaches. Thus, I need to apply logical thinking to support the attainment of a consistent approach to assessing problems faced by clients.

I seek to execute my profession ethically. The ethical dilemmas that emerge in my work line require the use of ethical standards to make decisions. I would facilitate the realization of the goals by performing my moral duty and upholding clients’ rights and privileges. The MBTI suggests that I apply judgment actively compared to perception when in a dilemma. Therefore, the ability to consider ethical principles would foster the integration of moral decisions in my counseling practice.

The counseling career is right for me. The willingness to engage with patients to improve their well-being is meaningful to me as a prospective counselor. An assessment of my strengths and weaknesses through the MBTI platform shows that I have a personality geared towards making a positive change in the lives of people under crisis. Therefore, I believe the counseling career suits my interests.

References

Borders, L., Glosoff, H., Welfare, L., Hays, D., DeKruyf, L., Fernando, D., & Page, B. (2014). Best practices in clinical supervision: Evolution of a counseling specialty. The Clinical Supervisor, 33(1), 26-44.

Bradshaw, C., Waasdorp, T., & Leaf, P. (2012). Effects of school-wide positive behavioral interventions and supports on child behavior problems. Pediatrics, 130(5), 45-61.

Corey, G. (2015). Theory and practice of counseling and psychotherapy. London, UK: Cengage Learning.

Erford, B. (2014). Transforming the school counseling profession. New York, NY: Pearson Higher Education.

Gladding, S. (2012). Counseling: A comprehensive profession. New York, NY: Pearson Higher Education.

Malott, K. (2012). Multicultural counselor training in a single course: Review of research. Journal of Multicultural Counseling and Development, 38(1), 51-63.