Foundations | CACREP Accreditation Self Study

A. A comprehensive mission statement has been developed that brings the counseling program into focus and concisely describes the program’s intent and purpose. The mission statement is publicly available and systematically reviewed.

The current mission statement of the Department of Counselor Education is as follows:

“The distinguished faculty of the Department of Counselor Education of The College of New Jersey takes pride in offering rigorous, high quality graduate degree programs in clinical mental health counseling, community counseling, school counseling, and marriage, couple, and family counseling and therapy, as well as a certificate program in substance awareness coordination in the schools. The mission of every program in the department is to create exemplary counseling professionals prepared to enrich the lives of the people of New Jersey and the nation through counseling and service and to provide a national model of the preparation of counselors. The department is committed to creating and supporting an inclusive learning community and to serving students from diverse backgrounds who seek initial and advanced degrees in counseling.

Guided by The Mission of the School of Education, which emphasizes the themes of demonstrating: subject matter expertise; excellence in planning and practice; a commitment to all learners; a strong, positive effect on student growth; and professionalism, advocacy, and leadership, and the Standards of the Council for Accreditation of Counseling and Related Educational Programs, which emphasize the traditions, values and objectives of professional counseling programs, the faculty of the Department of Counselor Education engage students from the greater New Jersey area in the developmental process of becoming professional counselors who will address the needs of the people they serve in an ethical and competent manner.”

This mission statement is publicly available on the homepage of the Counselor Education website and in the Counselor Education Student Manual (p. 13) (described in Section I.L.1. and I.L.2.a.), and is reviewed annually (please see the Qualtrics survey results from advisory panel members from the Spring of 2012 who reviewed the Mission Statement and offered feedback), and as part of the total program review processes related to the timeline for the CACREP Mid-Cycle and Full-Accreditation Self-Study Reports.

B. The program area objectives meet the following requirements:

1. Reflect current knowledge and projected needs concerning counseling practice in a multicultural and pluralistic society.

2. Reflect input from all persons involved in the conduct of the program, including program faculty, current and former students, and personnel in cooperating agencies.

3. Are directly related to program activities.

4. Are written so they can be evaluated.

A goal of the training provided in all of the counselor education programs at The College of New Jersey is that students will be able to work competently as professional counselors in a dynamic society. Thus, students are provided with knowledge and skills that they can use to address both the present and projected needs of a pluralistic society. This philosophy permeates the School of Education’s mission of Creating Agents of Change, and specifically the theme of Commitment to All Learners and Professionalism, Advocacy, and Leadership. These themes emphasize knowledge and respect for human commonalities and differences and promote individual development and social justice for all learners in the School of Education. And they underscore the dynamic process of becoming an exemplary professional. As constructors of knowledge, students not only learn about what works now but they learn how to develop best practices for the future. As advocates for social change, students are taught how to work within current systems of practice while striving to effect innovation and positive reform.

An emphasis on the dynamic challenges of the profession is also evident in the objectives of the programs that follow. For example, objectives “b” (below) of each program (CMHC, MCFCT, and SC) highlights our expectation that program students will be able to respond to the concerns of individuals within a multicultural, pluralistic society. Also, as is stated in each of the programs’ objectives “a” (below), students will be able to “demonstrate an understanding of the process and patterns of human learning and development across the life span within multicultural contexts.” By employing a life-span, developmental perspective counselors-in-training are prepared to understand the current, normal developmental stages and challenges of their students/clients that are likely to arise during the later periods of their development. Also, as is indicated in each of the programs’ objectives “d” (below), it is expected that students will be able “to examine critically the concepts and strategies of major counseling and consulting theories.” Since such theories are always evolving, students are challenged to assess the appropriateness of counseling and consulting theories for current populations of clients and new client populations that are likely to emerge as a function of changing demographics in New Jersey and society-at-large.

Clinical Mental Health Counseling Program Objectives

The objectives of the clinical mental health counseling program reflect the belief that a mental health counseling professional should understand the following:

both normal human development and abnormal behavior;
the array of concerns represented in a multicultural society;
societal systems;
counseling and consultation theories and processes;
group counseling theories and processes;
career development and counseling;
appraisal techniques and processes;
research design, implementation and evaluation;
self-awareness;
the roles and responsibilities of professional counselors;
advocacy counseling;
professional counseling organizations;
the preventative, remedial, consulting and systemic interventions that are appropriate for agency settings; and
the current roles of the clinical mental health counselor.

For our students to develop an understanding of these major areas of counseling, our core department faculty in consultation with adjunct faculty, current and former students, and personnel in cooperating agencies, developed the following clinical mental health counseling program objectives, which are presented with notations about which required courses reflect program activities related to specific objectives:

Program objectives:

a. To demonstrate an understanding of the process and patterns of human learning and development across the life span within multicultural contexts.

Met by: EPSY 520 Fundamentals of Human Growth and Development, COUN 530 Multicultural Counseling, COUN 545 Community Agency Counseling, COUN 600 Introduction to Marriage, Couple and Family Counseling and Therapy

b. To develop an understanding of the social institutions, human roles, sociological factors, and societal concerns which impact on individuals within a multicultural, pluralistic society.

Met by: COUN 501 Introduction to Counseling, COUN 530 Multicultural Counseling, COUN 600 Introduction to Marriage, Couple and Family Counseling and Therapy, COUN 545 Community Agency Counseling, COUN 690 Practicum Seminar, and COUN 693 Internship (one term) or COUN 694/695 Internship (two terms)

c. To demonstrate a range of basic counseling and consulting skills and techniques for counseling practice within clinical mental health settings.

Met by: COUN 501 Introduction to Counseling, COUN 530 Multicultural Counseling, COUN 600 Introduction to Marriage, Couple and Family Counseling and Therapy, COUN 545 Community Agency Counseling, COUN 670 Counseling Theory and Techniques, COUN 690 Practicum Seminar, COUN 693 Internship (one term) or COUN 694/695 Internship (two terms)

d. To examine critically the concepts and strategies of major counseling and consulting theories pertaining to clinical mental health counseling settings.

Met by: COUN 530 Multicultural Counseling, COUN 600 Introduction to Marriage, Couple and Family Counseling and Therapy, COUN 545 Community Agency Counseling, COUN 670 Counseling Theory and Techniques, and COUN 675 Group Counseling

e. To demonstrate an understanding of group development, group dynamics, and group counseling theories, as well as appropriate leadership styles, counseling methods and skills in groups.

Met by: COUN 675 Group Counseling, COUN 690 Practicum Seminar, COUN 693 Internship (one term) or COUN 694/695 Internship (two terms)

f. To demonstrate knowledge of career development and lifestyle theories, to identify occupational and educational resources and information as well as assessment tools, and to demonstrate skills in life-style and career development program planning.

Met by: COUN 535 Career Counseling and Placement, and with appropriate clinical placement in COUN 690 Practicum Seminar, COUN 693 Internship (one term) or COUN 694/695 Internship (two terms)

g. To understand psychometric theories and approaches to counseling appraisal techniques and to develop the ability to select and use standardized tests and to interpret and evaluate test results.

Met by: EPSY 643 Measurement and Evaluation

h. To demonstrate knowledge of basic statistics and types of research and to be able to apply this knowledge in preparing research proposals, program evaluations and needs assessments.

Met by: COUN 515 Statistics and Research in Counseling

i. To develop personal and professional awareness and identify their own basic values, attitudes, and interactive styles in counseling settings.

Met by: COUN 501 Introduction to Counseling, COUN 530 Multicultural Counseling, COUN 600 Introduction to Marriage, Couple and Family Counseling and Therapy, COUN 670 Counseling Theory and Techniques, COUN 675 Group Counseling, COUN 690 Practicum Seminar, and COUN 693 Internship (one term) or COUN 694/695 Internship (two terms)

j. To understand the professional roles and functions of counselors, and the legal and ethical standards and issues pertinent to the professional practice of counseling.

Met by: COUN 501 Introduction to Counseling, COUN 600 Introduction to Marriage, Couple and Family Counseling and Therapy, COUN 605 Ethical, Legal and Professional Issues in Counseling and Marriage and Family Therapy, COUN 670 Counseling Theory and Techniques, and COUN 675 Group Counseling, COUN 690 Practicum Seminar, and COUN 693 Internship (one term) or COUN 694/695 Internship (two terms)

k. To develop an awareness of the importance of active participation in professional organizations and associations, continuing education, and leadership and advocacy in the counseling profession.

l. To demonstrate the ability to design, implement and evaluate appropriate preventive and remedial counseling, consulting, and systemic interventions and programs for clients in clinical mental health settings.

Met by: COUN 600 Introduction to Marriage, Couple and Family Counseling and Therapy, COUN 515 Statistics and Research in Counseling, COUN 545 Community Agency Counseling, COUN 555 Differential Diagnosis and Treatment Planning, COUN 690 Practicum Seminar, and COUN 693 Internship (one term) or COUN 694/695 Internship (two terms)

m. To develop an understanding of the roles of the counselor in a clinical mental health settings, including consultation, diagnosis, appraisal, treatment planning, record keeping, and advocacy for a diverse population of clients.

Met by: COUN 501 Introduction to Counseling, COUN 600 Introduction to Marriage, Couple and Family Counseling and Therapy, COUN 545 Community Agency Counseling, COUN 555 Differential Diagnosis and Treatment Planning, COUN 690 Practicum Seminar, and COUN 693 Internship (one term) or COUN 694/695 Internship (two terms)

Each of the above objectives is written in a way that can be evaluated on an annual basis. For example, the following hyperlinks provide evidence of where similar program objectives have been assessed using overall program evaluations completed by program graduates: (Please see Part II of the Community Counseling program evaluations for 2011 and Part II of the School Counseling program evaluations for 2011; the above Clinical Mental Health program objectives will be evaluated by the first class of CMHC graduates in May 2013). Additionally, the program objectives are discussed on an annual basis and revised (as deemed necessary) by the department’s full-time faculty at specially designated departmental meetings (please see Faculty Meeting Agenda from May 8^th, 2012). Input from current and former students, program faculty, and professional counselors in cooperating schools and agencies (please see the Qualtrics survey results from advisory panel members from the Spring of 2012), as well as national counselor associations, and institutionally-based curriculum transformations, is incorporated into these annual reviews and revisions of the clinical mental health counseling program objectives.

Marriage, Couple and Family Counseling and Therapy Program Objectives

The objectives of the marriage, couple, and family counseling and therapy program reflect the belief that a counseling professional should understand the following:

both normal human development and abnormal behavior;
the array of concerns represented in a multicultural society;
societal systems;
counseling and consultation theories and processes;
group counseling theories and processes;
career development and counseling;
appraisal techniques and processes;
research design, implementation and evaluation;
self-awareness;
the roles and responsibilities of professional counselors;
advocacy counseling;
professional counseling organizations;
the preventative, remedial, consulting and systemic interventions that are appropriate for agency settings; and
the current roles of the marriage, couple and family counselor.

For our students to develop an understanding of these major areas of counseling, our core department faculty in consultation with adjunct faculty, current and former students, and personnel in cooperating agencies, developed the following marriage, couple and family counseling program objectives, which are presented with notations about which required courses reflect program activities related to specific objectives:

Program objectives:

a. To demonstrate an understanding of the process and patterns of human learning and development across the life span within multicultural contexts.

Met by: EPSY 520 Fundamentals of Human Growth and Development, COUN 600 Introduction to Marriage, Couple and Family Counseling and Therapy, COUN 530 Multicultural Counseling, COUN 545 Community Agency Counseling

b. To develop an understanding of the social institutions, human roles, sociological factors, and societal concerns which impact on individuals, couples and families within a multicultural, pluralistic society.

c. To demonstrate a range of basic counseling and consulting skills and techniques for counseling practice within marriage, couple and family counseling and therapy settings.

Met by: COUN 501 Introduction to Counseling, COUN 530 Multicultural Counseling, COUN 600 Introduction to Marriage, Couple and Family Counseling and Therapy, COUN 545 Community Agency Counseling, COUN 670 Counseling Theory and Techniques, COUN 690 Practicum Seminar, COUN 693 Internship (one term) or COUN 694/695 Internship (two terms)

d. To examine critically the concepts and strategies of major counseling and consulting theories from a systems perspective, specifically pertaining to developing an understanding of family and other systems theories and major models of family and related interventions.

e. To demonstrate an understanding of group development, group dynamics, and group counseling theories, as well as appropriate leadership styles, counseling methods and skills in groups.

Met by: COUN 675 Group Counseling, COUN 690 Practicum Seminar, COUN 693 Internship (one term) or COUN 694/695 Internship (two terms)

Met by: COUN 535 Career Counseling and Placement

g. To understand psychometric theories and approaches to counseling appraisal techniques and to develop the ability to select and use standardized tests and to interpret and evaluate test results.

Met by: EPSY 643 Measurement and Evaluation and COUN 602 Assessment and Intervention in Marriage, Couple and Family Counseling and Therapy

h. To demonstrate knowledge of basic statistics and types of research and to be able to apply this knowledge in preparing research proposals, program evaluations and needs assessments.

Met by: COUN 515 Statistics and Research in Counseling

i. To develop personal and professional awareness and identify their own basic values, attitudes, and interactive styles in counseling settings.

Met by: COUN 501 Introduction to Counseling, COUN 530 Multicultural Counseling, COUN 600 Introduction to Marriage, Couple and Family Counseling and Therapy, COUN 601 Theory and Development of Family Systems, COUN 670 Counseling Theory and Techniques, COUN 690 Practicum Seminar, and COUN 693 Internship (one term) or COUN 694/695 Internship (two terms)

j. To understand the professional roles and functions of counselors, and the legal and ethical standards and issues pertinent to the professional practice of counseling.

k. To develop an awareness of the importance of active participation in professional organizations and associations, continuing education, and leadership and advocacy in the counseling profession.

Met by: COUN 501 Introduction to Counseling, COUN 530 Multicultural Counseling, COUN 545 Community Agency Counseling, COUN 600 Introduction to Marriage, Couple and Family Counseling and Therapy, COUN 605 Ethical, Legal and Professional Issues in Counseling and Marriage and Family Therapy, COUN 690 Practicum Seminar, and COUN 693 Internship (one term) or COUN 694/695 Internship (two terms).

l. To demonstrate the ability to design, implement and evaluate appropriate preventive and remedial counseling, consulting, and systemic interventions and programs for individuals, couples and families in agency settings.

Met by: COUN 600 Introduction to Marriage, Couple and Family Counseling and Therapy, COUN 603 Laboratory in Marriage, Couple and Family Counseling and Therapy, COUN 515 Statistics and Research in Counseling, COUN 545 Community Agency Counseling, COUN 690 Practicum Seminar, and COUN 693 Internship (one term) or COUN 694/695 Internship (two terms)

m. To develop an understanding of the roles of the marriage and family counselor in a community setting, including consultation, diagnosis, appraisal, treatment planning, record keeping, and advocacy for a diverse population of clients.

Met by: COUN 501 Introduction to Counseling, COUN 545 Community Agency Counseling, COUN 600 Introduction to Marriage, Couple and Family Counseling and Therapy, COUN 603 Laboratory in Marriage, Couple and Family Counseling and Therapy, COUN 690 Practicum Seminar, and COUN 693 Internship (one term) or COUN 694/695 Internship (two terms)

Each of the above objectives is written in a way that can be evaluated on an annual basis. For example, the following hyperlinks provide evidence of where similar program objectives have been assessed using overall program evaluations completed by program graduates: (Please see Part II of the Community Counseling program evaluations for 2011 and Part II of the School Counseling program evaluations for 2011; the above Marriage, Couple and Family Counseling and Therapy program objectives will be evaluated by the first class of MCFCT graduates in May 2013). Additionally, the program objectives are discussed on an annual basis and revised (as deemed necessary) by the department’s full-time faculty at specially designated departmental meetings (please see Faculty Meeting Agenda from May 8^th, 2012). Input from current and former students, program faculty, and professional counselors in cooperating schools and agencies (please see the Qualtrics survey results from advisory panel members from the Spring of 2012), as well as national counselor associations, and institutionally-based curriculum transformations, is incorporated into these annual reviews and revisions of the marriage, couple and family counseling program objectives.

School Counseling Program Objectives

The objectives of the school counseling program reflect the belief that a counseling professional should understand the following:

both normal human development and abnormal behavior;
the array of concerns represented in a multicultural society;
societal systems;
counseling and consultation theories and processes;
group counseling theories and processes;
career development and counseling;
appraisal techniques and processes;
research design, implementation and evaluation;
self-awareness;
the roles and responsibilities of professional counselors;
advocacy counseling;
professional counseling organizations;
the preventative, remedial, consulting and systemic interventions that are appropriate for agency settings; and
the current roles of the school counselor.

For our students to develop an understanding of these major areas of counseling, our core department faculty in consultation with adjunct faculty, current and former students, and personnel in cooperating agencies, developed the following school counseling program objectives, which are presented with notations about which required courses reflect program activities related to specific objectives:

Program objectives:

a. To demonstrate an understanding of the process and patterns of human learning and development across the life span within multicultural contexts.

Met by: EPSY 520 Fundamentals of Human Growth and Development, COUN 530 Multicultural Counseling, EPSY 661 Counseling Exceptional and At-Risk Children and Adolescents

b. To develop an understanding of the social institutions, human roles, sociological factors, and societal concerns which impact on individuals within a multicultural, pluralistic society.

Met by: COUN 501 Introduction to Counseling, COUN 530 Multicultural Counseling, COUN 545 Community Agency Counseling, COUN 660 Organization, Administration, and Supervision of School Counseling, COUN 690 Practicum Seminar, and COUN 693 Internship (one term) or COUN 694/695 Internship (two terms)

c. To demonstrate a range of basic counseling and consulting skills and techniques for counseling practice within school counseling settings.

Met by: COUN 501 Introduction to Counseling, COUN 530 Multicultural Counseling, COUN 545 Community Agency Counseling, COUN 660 Organization, Administration, and Supervision of School Counseling, COUN 670 Counseling Theory and Techniques, COUN 690 Practicum Seminar, COUN 693 Internship (one term) or COUN 694/695 Internship (two terms)

d. To examine critically the concepts and strategies of major counseling and consulting theories pertaining to school counseling services.

Met by: COUN 530 Multicultural Counseling, COUN 545 Community Agency Counseling, COUN 660 Organization, Administration, and Supervision of School Counseling, COUN 670 Counseling Theory and Techniques, and COUN 675 Group Counseling, EPSY 661 Counseling Exceptional and At-Risk Children and Adolescents

e. To demonstrate an understanding of group development, group dynamics, and group counseling theories, as well as appropriate leadership styles, counseling methods and skills in groups.

Met by: COUN 675 Group Counseling, COUN 690 Practicum Seminar, COUN 693 Internship (one term) or COUN 694/695 Internship (two terms)

Met by: COUN 535 Career Counseling and Placement, COUN 660 Organization, Administration, and Supervision of School Counseling, COUN 690 Practicum Seminar, COUN 693 Internship (one term) or COUN 694/695 Internship (two terms)

g. To understand psychometric theories and approaches to counseling appraisal techniques and to develop the ability to select and use standardized tests and to interpret and evaluate test results.

Met by: EPSY 643 Measurement and Evaluation, COUN 660 Organization, Administration, and Supervision of School Counseling

h. To demonstrate knowledge of basic statistics and types of research and to be able to apply this knowledge in preparing research proposals, program evaluations and needs assessments.

Met by: COUN 515 Statistics and Research in Counseling

i. To develop personal and professional awareness and identify their own basic values, attitudes, and interactive styles in school counseling settings.

Met by: COUN 501 Introduction to Counseling, COUN 530 Multicultural Counseling, COUN 660 Organization, Administration, and Supervision of School Counseling, COUN 670 Counseling Theory and Techniques, COUN 675 Group Counseling, COUN 690 Practicum Seminar, and COUN 693 Internship (one term) or COUN 694/695 Internship (two terms)

j. To understand the professional roles and functions of school counselors, and the legal and ethical standards and issues pertinent to the professional practice of school counseling.

Met by: COUN 501 Introduction to Counseling, COUN 660 Organization, Administration, and Supervision of School Counseling, COUN 670 Counseling Theory and Techniques, and COUN 675 Group Counseling, EPSY 661 Counseling Exceptional and At-Risk Children and Adolescents, COUN 690 Practicum Seminar, and COUN 693 Internship (one term) or COUN 694/695 Internship (two terms)

k. To develop an awareness of the importance of active participation in professional organizations and associations, continuing education, and leadership and advocacy in the counseling profession.

l. To demonstrate the ability to design, implement and evaluate appropriate preventive and remedial counseling, consulting, and systemic interventions and programs for clients in school settings.

Met by: COUN 515 Statistics and Research in Counseling, COUN 545 Community Agency Counseling, COUN 660 Organization, Administration, and Supervision of School Counseling, EPSY 661 Counseling Exceptional and At-Risk Children and Adolescents, COUN 690 Practicum Seminar, and COUN 693 Internship (one term) or COUN 694/695 Internship (two terms)

m. To understand the role of the school counselor in the total school environment with particular emphasis on the specialized functions of counseling, appraisal, educational and career planning, consulting and program planning and related technologies.

Met by: COUN 501 Introduction to Counseling, COUN 535 Career Counseling and Placement, COUN 660 Organization, Administration, and Supervision of School Counseling, EPSY 643 Measurement and Evaluation, EPSY 661 Counseling Exceptional and At-Risk Children and Adolescents, COUN 690 Practicum Seminar, and COUN 693 Internship (one term) or COUN 694/695 Internship (two terms)

Each of the above objectives is written in a way that can be evaluated on an annual basis. For example, the following hyperlinks provide evidence of where similar program objectives have been assessed using overall program evaluations completed by program graduates: (Please see Part II of the Community Counseling program evaluations for 2011 and Part II of the School Counseling program evaluations for 2011; the above revised School Counseling program objectives will be evaluated by SC graduates in May 2013). Additionally, the program objectives are discussed on an annual basis and revised (as deemed necessary) by the department’s full-time faculty at specially designated departmental meetings (please see Faculty Meeting Agenda from May 8^th, 2012). Input from current and former students, program faculty, and professional counselors in cooperating schools and agencies (please see the Qualtrics survey results from advisory panel members from the Spring of 2012), as well as national counselor associations, and institutionally-based curriculum transformations, is incorporated into these annual reviews and revisions of the school counseling program objectives.

C. Students actively identify with the counseling profession by participating in professional organizations and by participating in seminars, workshops, or other activities that contribute to personal and professional growth.

Information about professional organizations and activities appropriate to students in the program is presented in three separate sections of the Counselor Education Student Manual. In Section A of the Manual, students are informed of the purpose, activities, and eligibility requirements for Chi Sigma Iota, the Counseling Academic and Professional Honor Society International. State certification requirements are described in Section B of the Manual. State and national professional organizations, issues of professional liability insurance, and general and specialty certifications available through the National Board for Certified Counselors are discussed in Section D of the Manual.

Importantly, program faculty actively promote and mentor the involvement of program students in both the state and national levels of professional associations such as the American Counseling Association (ACA), the American School Counselors’ Association (ASCA), the Association for Specialists in Group Work (ASGW), the American Mental Health Counselors Association (AMHCA), the Association for Counselor Education and Supervision (ACES), the Association for Multicultural Counseling and Development (AMCD), International Association of Marriage and Family Counseling (IAMFC), International Association of Addiction and Offender Counselors (IAAOC), and the American Association of Marriage and Family Therapy (AAMFT). For example, professional development conference and training announcements pertaining to counseling are regularly shared with all program students and many students attend professional conferences and workshops conducted by ACA, ASCA, NJCA, NJSCA, NJASGW, NJAMHCA, NJAAMFT, AAMFT, IAMFC, and the New Jersey Bar Association. Furthermore, throughout the program and especially in COUN 501 Introduction to Counseling, the department clinical orientation program, and the culminating clinical experience (Practicum COUN 690 and Internship COUN 693; 694/695), students are strongly encouraged to become student members of both local and national level professional counselor organizations, including ASCA, ACA, and other ACA divisions appropriate to their areas of specialization and interest. Additionally, students are told that they can acquire their liability insurance at a reduced cost by joining a professional organization. Importantly, liability insurance is required of all students entering their clinical sequence.

In addition to their professional membership and attendance involvements, current students and alumni have made individual presentations and served as co-presenters with department faculty at professional events, such as the New Jersey Counseling Association Annual Conference, the American Counseling Association’s Regional Annual Conference, and the Association for Counselor Education and Supervision’s Regional Conference. Department faculty have also advanced student’s scholarly involvement in professional counselor journals through a number of co-authored, professionally refereed manuscripts, as well as opportunities to write chapters for edited books. Following is a sample list of some recent conference presentations and publications involving students in the programs (TCNJ students appear in bold; TCNJ Counselor Education faculty appear in bold/italics):

Sample Professional Publications:

Camposano, L. “Silent Suffering: Children with Selective Mutism.” The Professional Counselor: Research and Practice, January 2011, Volume1, Issue 1

Freeman, C. T. & Woodford, M.S. (2011). Educating Addiction Counselors-in-Training About Suicide Risk in Addiction Treatment. Rehabilitation Counselors and Educators Journal, Vol 4 (2), pp 52-63.

Pauley, B., & Seto, A. (2010). “Counseling Latino adolescents in schools.” New York State School Counseling Journal, 7, 38-45.

Seto, A., Narang, N., & Becker, K. W. (2009). Working with Asian American fathers. In C. Oren & D. Chase (Eds.), Counseling fathers: Applying theory and research to practice (pp.101-120). New York: Routledge.

Woodford, M., Buser, J. K., Riccobono, L., & Bartuska, R. A. (2011). Collegiate Children of Alcoholics/Addicts Psychoeducational Group (6 Groups). Group Work and Outreach Plans for College Counselors. Alexandria, VA: American Counseling Association.

Sample Professional Presentations:

Camposano, L. “The Status of Women and Girls in Mercer County and Available Community Resources,” New Jersey Association for Multicultural Counseling and New Jersey Association for Specialists in Group Work, Annual Conference, October 2011

Camposano, L. & Gibson, S. “Shaping the Future of Women and Girls in Central New Jersey”, Princeton Area Community Foundation, June 2012

Kass, J. & Cavallaro, M. (2010, Sept 24). “Outside the Box: Career Development and Counseling for Gifted and Talented Students.” North Atlantic Association for Counselor Education and Supervision. New Brunswick, NJ.

Seto, A., & Maiorano, G. (September, 2010). “Creating meanings through photography.” North Atlantic Regional Association for Counselor Education and Supervision Conference, New Brunswick, NJ.

Shor, I. & Digiacomo, P.J. (2009, April 28). “Growing up Gay: The Role School Counselors Can Play in the Lives of Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual, and Transgendered Youth.” New Jersey Counseling Association Conference, Somerset, New Jersey.

Shor, I., DiGiacomo, P.J., Kennedy, J. & Ramsey, M.L. (2010, September 25). “Coming Out & Promoting GLBT Equity & Social Justice: A Multilevel Challenge in Counselor Education and Supervision.” North Atlantic Region Association for Counselor Education and Supervision Annual Conference, New Brunswick, New Jersey.

Sutton, S., Woodford, M. & Seto, A. (March 2009). “Rebuilding Life After War: Counseling Combat Veterans.” American Counseling Association 2009 Annual Conference, Charlotte, NC.

Woodford, M, Cavallaro, M. & Molenda-Kostanski, Z. (2010, April 10) “Motivational Interviewing: Principles and Practices for Working with Challenging Career Counseling Issues.” New Jersey Counseling Association Annual Conference, Tinton Falls, NJ.

The following TCNJ student poster sessions were presented at the New Jersey Counseling Association’s Annual Conference from 2010-2012:

New Jersey Counseling Association’s Annual Conference, April 9-11, 2010, Brookdale Community College, Lincroft, New Jersey

Lisa Camposa, “Counseling Children with Selective Mutism”
Marisa Heinold, “Counseling Military Families”
Una Hong, “Counseling North Korea Refugees and Defectors”
Carole Goldstein, “Obesity in Children and Adolescents”

New Jersey Counseling Association’s Annual Conference, April 1-3, 2011, Brookdale Community College, Lincroft, New Jersey

Elizabeth Seavy, “Counseling Individuals Who are Blind
Lisa Guerreiro & Renee Sakos, “Counseling Children with Autism”
Emily Koper, “Counseling Foster Care Children”

New Jersey Counseling Association’s Annual Conference, April 28, 2012, Brookdale Community College, Lincroft, New Jersey

Lisa Camposano, “The Status of Women and Girls in Mercer County and Available Community Resources”
Megan Coburn, “Drug Court: Collaborating Substance Abuse Treatment with the Judiciary System”
Jaclyn Coppola, “Dating Violence Among Adolescents”
Elizabeth Cronin, “Technology and the School Counselor”
Alexander Emr & Kiera McKee, “Bereavement and Subsequent Substance Abuse in Adolescents”
Elizabeth Seavy, “Psychotropic Medication and Anxiety: What Counselors Should Know”
Caitlin Summers, “Military Families and Couples: A Call for More Research”

At the close of their degree program, students are also encouraged to take the National Counselor’s Exam (NCE), which is coordinated by the department and administered within two weeks of the departmental comprehensive exam. To support and assist students in their preparations for this examination, the department informs students about the availability (through the TCNJ Library Media Center) of several sets of nationally recognized NCE study guides and tapes. It should be noted that the NCE is the examination of record for counselor licensure in both New Jersey and Pennsylvania, and historically not only have most of our graduating students taken this exam, but the percentage who have passed is consistently high. For example, the NCE results of our students who took the examination over the past 5 years show a 98% pass rate during this time period.

To augment these professional organizational opportunities, there are a number of professional development activities available to students throughout the campus and within the department, which are designed to enhance the personal and professional development of students. Some examples of these activities include the following:

Career Services provides a wide range of developmental career and placement services. For example, each year Career Services in conjunction with the Department of Counselor Education offers training workshops on resume writing, job-search strategies and interviewing skills for program students in COUN 535 Career Counseling and Placement. Career Services also operates a comprehensive, internet-based career services program known as “Lion’s Pro” through which students are informed about employment opportunities, career preparation workshops, and on-campus recruitment activities. Students are further encouraged to submit copies of their resumes to the Career Services Office where they will be maintained and/or forwarded to prospective employers who wish to contact students either on campus or on location for employment interviews in school as well as other related counseling settings.
During their degree program and as part of their coursework in COUN 501 Introduction to Counseling, COUN 530 Multicultural Counseling, and COUN 675 Group Counseling, students are provided the opportunity to participate in planned and supervised small group activities, which are designed to promote their self-understanding, interpersonal and counseling skills. In addition, faculty advisors provide interested students with guidance about applying for doctoral programs in counseling.
At the end of each academic year, the department honors outstanding student performance through the presentation of the Outstanding Counseling Student of the Year Award, the Social Justice and Advocacy Award, Student Scholar of the Year Award, the Douglas Burroughs Professional Commitment Award, and the Erika Pluta Diamond Award, which recognizes an outstanding advocate for women’s issues and concerns in counseling. These awards, descriptions of which can be seen through clicking on the award names, are designed to promote and recognize the professional accomplishments of program students.