Photo 715

https://research.library.kutztown.edu/sikaiana_photo_album_1/1713/thumbnail.jp

Counseling Program Advisory Committees: A Structural Recommendation

The 2024 CACREP accreditation standards now require counseling programs to assemble a program advisory committee to solicit feedback from stakeholders. While many programs have opted to establish advisory committees despite the lack of a requirement in the past, the inclusion of this new standard challenges programs to become more intentional and structured. The history and purpose of advisory committees will be reviewed, and a proposed structure is offered as a recommendation for programs

The Missing Middle

Part of the Session titled, Writing Your Place: Navigating College, Community and Self

Becoming Comfortable with Myself

Part of the panel on Telling Untold Storie

Princess

Part of the Session titled Twine and Our Virtual Home

Integrating Artificial Intelligence in a University Counseling Clinic

Artificial intelligence (AI) is increasingly used in mental health care, yet counseling students receive little training in digital tool integration. This program evaluation describes the use of an ambient AI platform in a university telemental health clinic to support clinical training. The AI system tracked interventions, themes, talk ratios, and symptom changes across 175 sessions by 13 trainees with 93 clients. Most frequent interventions included validation (97.6%), CBT skills (52.1%), and action planning (63.1%). Counselor talk time averaged 43% of the session, with themes such as relationships and school being predominant in client talk time.. By session 7, clients showed a 15% reduction in depression and 7% in anxiety. Findings suggest AI supports measurement-based care and enhances skill development in novice counseling students

Academic Persistence and Rural Social Work Students: An Analysis of Factors Impacting Decisions to Persist

Academic persistence of rural students in higher education remains a growing concern as institutions across the United States seek to address changing patterns and trends in enrollment and graduation rates, particularly in the aftermath of the COVID-19 pandemic. National trends show a relatively small increase in rural student enrollment. However, significant disparities in persistence and degree completion continue to exist between rural student populations and their urban and suburban counterparts. This study examines the factors that influence persistence among undergraduate social work students, specifically focusing on students from public, mid-sized universities in West Texas. Using a quantitative approach, the study explores the relationship between student persistence and variables such as perceived stress, rural versus non-rural designation, race, gender, socioeconomic status, interpersonal support, and access to technology. The findings from this study contribute to a deeper understanding of factors influencing undergraduate students\u27 decisions to persist to the next academic semester within their social work programs. This study aims to inform how to increase degree attainment and enhance support services for social work students, focusing on rural populations. Given the growing demand for social work practitioners, understanding their educational decisions in their journey toward degree completion is essential for advancing professional practice and addressing service shortages in rural communities

Building Community in Counselor Education Doctoral Programs: A Grounded Theory

The researchers utilized a grounded theory methodology to study the process of community building in counselor education doctoral programs. Researchers found, throughout their program, students have a series of catalytic experiences during which they either experience program supports or barriers, leading to outcomes which influence student sense of community, wellness, and retention

Trying New Things

Part of the session titled Coming to Kutztown, Thinking of Home