Mental Health Counselors’ Perceptions of Professional Identity as Correctional Counselors in an Integrated Behavioral Health Care Setting

This study explores the professional identity of clinical mental health counselors employed as correctional counselors in an integrated behavioral health (IBH) setting. Previous research has documented the attitudes, perceptions, and experiences of mental health counselors working in IBH as well as their experiences engaging in interprofessional collaboration. However, researchers have yet to explore how clinical mental health counselors in correctional settings perceive their professional identity and what aspects of their professional roles impact their identity development. This study utilized an interpretive phenomenological approach (IPA) to describe, understand, and interpret the meaning of four correctional counselors’ perceptions of their professional identities while operating in a Southeastern County jail. The researcher utilized individual interviews and audio/video logs to collect data on participants’ experiences. Data was analyzed using Smith and colleagues’ (2009) six step process of IPA data analysis. Key findings indicated that correctional counselors’ unique work environment, collaborative work relationships, and multiple foci of their mental health role contributed to professional growth and identity development. Additionally, participants experienced a transitional process where they adapted their counseling styles to the needs of the setting and population as well as integrated their experiences as correctional counselors into their pre-existing professional identities

Preparing Counselors in Training to Work within Interdisciplinary Settings: What Are Supervisee’s Needs from Supervision

Counselors are increasingly required to work in diverse and multicultural settings and within interprofessional and multi-professional teams (Schmit et al., 2018). For counselors to work effectively with professionals from other disciplines, they need training in collaborative competencies that include knowledge of each professions’ roles, responsibilities, and expertise (Arthur & Russell-Mayhew, 2010). Arthur and Russell-Mayhew identified supervision as possible leverage to support counselors in acquiring competencies to learn with and from other disciplines. However, there is limited research on how supervision supports health professionals, particularly counselors, in an interdisciplinary team (Owens et al., 1999). Therefore, the purpose of this study is to explore the perceived supervision needs of counselors in training (CITs) working in interprofessional settings to contribute to the gap in the literature.https://digitalcommons.odu.edu/gradposters2021_education/1000/thumbnail.jp

Counselors\u27 Perceptions of Their Preparedness for Telemental Health Services: A Phenomenological Examination

Background: To examine counselors\u27 perceptions of their formal preparation for engaging in telemental health (TMH) counseling with the intent of gaining an understanding of their lived experiences. Materials and Methods: Semistructured interviews were conducted with seven seasoned counselors who regularly engage in technology-mediated distance counseling. Results: The results highlighted themes within two emerging categories: the counselor and training/education. Themes related to motivation and specific counselor attributes emerged from the first category and themes of availability, inadequacy, and modality emerged from the second category. Discussion: The implications from this study suggest a lack of availability and standardization of effective training on TMH delivery. Conclusion: This study identifies areas of potential future research related to counselors\u27 preparation experiences as well specific areas of need for TMH training in counseling graduate programs and other natural opportunities