Aiding Counseling Services to Increase Cultural Knowledge about Black and LGBTQ+ Populations

Abstract

OBJECTIVES: The capstone project I would like to undertake is the creation of a quality improvement plan for the counseling and social work department of The Children’s Home to help them expand to reach vulnerable populations. A quality improvement plan, along with graphics reflecting the current data about mental health, will be delivered to The Children’s Home which they will be able to use in future projects and grant applications. METHODS: The methods and research will be based on the 2024 Community Health Needs Assessment (CHNA) and Community Counseling Needs Assessment conducted by The Children’s Home in August 2024 to learn about the mental health and counseling services needs of the Pittsburgh community. In addition, I shall review literature to look for evidence-based solutions related to expanding counseling services and for general background research about mental health in Pittsburgh and surrounding communities. RESULTS: At the conclusion of this project, a clear and well-researched plan for how to best proceed with expanding the counseling services to reach vulnerable populations will be given to The Children’s Home. PUBLIC HEALTH IMPLICATIONS: This project would be an integral building block for The Children’s Home to continue their efforts to reach the populations that need counseling services but do not have access to them because of barriers