Promoting the Community
Counseling Profession: What is Your Role and Responsibility?
Jill D. Duba
Kent
State University
I would like to take this
opportunity to share with you the thoughts, ideas, and concerns that
recently transpired at the last regional Community Counseling Network
Committee meeting. Although these issues may have been expressed somewhere
other than in the North Central region, they are undoubtedly relevant to the
entire ACES community. As you read the following ideas and thoughts that
sparked our brief meeting, I would encourage you, as Community Counselors,
Counselor Educators, and even School Counselors, to reflect and consider
what your role is and can be in strengthening and promoting the Community
Counseling profession.
There seem to be general
thoughts and concerns related to the Community Counseling profession, as
well as ideas on how to support and encourage the profession of Community
Counselors, thoughts related to promoting community and school counselor
collaboration within counselor training programs, and strategies of
advocating for community counselors. Unfortunately, some general thoughts
are not especially positive. There is a drive to promote and make a
difference in promoting the Community Counseling field, specifically in
increasing the professional identity of community counselors. Despite many
attempts of expressing these concerns to counseling organizations, what
remains is a feeling that “nothing is happening.” Concern about the pressure
and competition for Community Counselor jobs is also a concern. That is, the
competition of acquiring jobs is different from School Counselors looking
for jobs. School Counselors are typically trained to counsel in schools.
School Counseling positions are usually only suited for School Counselors
and other related professionals are not trained appropriately or suited for
theses positions. Community Counselors, on the other hand, share competition
with other mental health professionals such as LSWs, psychologists, and
others whom are trained to be employed in the same positions. Finally, a
desire for the field of counseling to be perceived holistically is apparent.
Essentially, this holistic vision could promote or follow movements towards
collaborating with School Counselors, as well as Career Counselors. In order
to make this happen, for example, Community Counselors could go into schools
and share their expertise about particular issues (e.g., sexual abuse,
physical abuse) with School Counselors, as well as with other school staff.
Community Counselors, however, must also take the opportunity of visiting
schools and meeting with School Counselors to increase their knowledge about
the school system (e.g., IEPs, paperwork), as well as school counseling
strategies. In addition, a part of this holistic vision, if you will, would
include both Community Counselors and School Counselors being employed and
involved in full service schools.
Counselors focusing on promoting the Community Counseling field
have also generated ways and ideas about supporting and encouraging the
Community Counseling profession. For example, efforts need to move towards
giving Professional Counselors and National Certified Counselors “better
clout,” greater professional identity, and increased recognition in the
mental health field. Ways of doing this might include working and supporting
the formation of a Community Counseling Association within ACA. Community
Counselors might also actively seek outside referrals from other professions
in their practice. In doing so, they would share themselves, as well as the
profession, with other professions. Another strategy might be working
towards a subdivision or network in ACA that is specifically designed for
the collaboration of School and Community Counselors. Finally, publications
about the roles, responsibilities, and accomplishments of Community
Counselors in journals or newsletters, such as Counseling Today, could raise
the awareness of other counselors about these concerns.
Much of the work in promoting the development of Community
Counselors and their position in the mental health field needs to begin
within the counseling training programs of future Professional Counselors.
Discussion mediums (list servs, scheduled meetings at conferences) with
persons whom are planning courses can be offered to provide a setting for
educators to generate ways in which to advocate for the profession within
the classroom while considering how to promote this enthusiasm among
students. Orientation courses provided for both school and community
counseling students could be provided that specifically address the roles,
responsibilities, expertise, as well as challenges of both Community and
School Counselors. In addition, ways of challenging turf issues among
specialties in the counseling field could be generated and consequently
taught to students. Class projects promoting community counseling identity
could include requiring students to focus on projects in different counselor
education training programs (school, marriage and family), as well as
requiring both a School and Community Counseling student to work on a mental
health project together. Finally, classrooms can provide an excellent
setting for open discussions among future counselors about the roles,
responsibilities, and expertise of various counseling professionals, as well
as ways of collaborating with other counselors.
In summary, what we as counseling professionals must do is begin
or continue to advocate for the Community Counseling profession (as well as
support other related counseling specialties). Advocates need to talk and
share their concerns with other community counselors in order to encourage
and motivate them to begin to the process of promoting themselves and their
profession. Particular strategies of doing this could include proposing and
presenting special segments on the role and responsibilities of Community
Counselors at Career and School Counseling Workshops. Secondly, advocates
can obtain his/her affiliated school’s list of references (that are provided
for parents for the full care of their children such as mental health,
dentists, health clinic references). Contacts should be made with these
persons in order to educate them about the role of Community Counselors in
the community and the schools, as well as asking them how he/she could
collaborate with their services. Finally, the words, “Community Counseling”
should be included more often in the titles of professional counseling
presentations and publications.
With all of this said, may I ask and encourage you to consider
what your role and responsibility is in promoting the field of professional
counseling, specifically the place that Community Counselors have in this
field.
A
special thanks to all that attended the last SACES Community Counseling
Network Committee meeting and for your wisdom in helping to provide the way
for this exciting and much needed venture!
Jill
D. Duba, M.A., PC, NCC, is a Doctoral Candidate at
Kent
State University. She may be contacted at
jduba@kent.edu