How Teaching Online Impacts Safety and Comfort: Experiences of Students and Instructors in the Context of Learning Counseling Skills Online

The COVID-19 pandemic led to the necessity for many services to transition from in-person to online, including teaching in higher education and continuing education venues. This shift raised important pedagogical questions that have not yet been explored in the scholarship of teaching and learning literature. This study explored the experiences of students and instructors participating in a synchronous online four-day training workshop on counseling skills relating to supporting individuals who experience life stress and trauma. While many of the findings were consistent with what is already in the e-learning literature, new insights about safety and comfort emerged that have important implications for online delivery when teaching counseling skills and other topics involving potentially complex and emotional content. Recommendations for online teaching and future research are made

Youth with learning disabilities in the juvenile justice system: A training needs assessment of detention and court services personnel

This study examines the training needs of juvenile justice personnel regarding their work with youth who have disabilities, particularly learning disabilities. Proportionate stratified cluster sampling was used to survey juvenile detention and court services personnel statewide about previous training and confidence of knowledge in these areas. Findings indicate that less than two-thirds (62%) of respondents had received training about persons with disabilities and less than half (47%) had received training about persons with learning disabilities. Some myths about learning disabilities continue to persist more than others. Knowledge about learning disabilities is considered to be important and training is desired. Suggestions for planning future training events are offered

Integrating Research Proposals Into a Field Seminar: Feedback From Students

Teaching research to social work students continues to be the topic of an ongoing dialog within the profession. The literature suggests that some form of a “real-world” or “hands-on” learning opportunity has many benefits for teaching a subject that students often are reluctant to engage in. Using online survey methods, researchers gathered feedback from graduate students and their field supervisors about their experience of completing a field seminar that integrated an agency-based research proposal as part of the course requirement. Although there were limitations to this approach, many of the same benefits of actually implementing research were reported by students who completed only a proposal

Assessing capacity for statewide implementation of Positive Behavior Supports: A needs assessment strategy

This article describes an assessment process of the statewide capacity for integrating positive behavior supports (PBS) into the policies and practices of service delivery systems that provide support for individuals with developmental disabilities who present challenging behaviors. A multicomponent needs assessment process was conducted to determine the capacity of systems in the Commonwealth of Virginia that provide services to individuals who present challenging behaviors. The process was designed to use a seven-step procedure incorporating qualitative and quantitative data collection strategies. Three interrelated studies were conducted to assess the use of PBS and PBS-related training needs across Virginia\u27s service delivery systems (i.e., early intervention, school, and adult). Results of these studies indicate a need for comprehensive training, refresher training, and improved collaboration among providers across Virginia\u27s service delivery systems