Multicultural Curriculum Designs in Counselor Education Programs: Enhancing Counselors-in-Training Openness to Diversity

Multicultural competencies are critical elements in both counselor preparation and practice. In accordance with the standards of the Council of Accredited Counseling and Related Educational Programs (CACREP), counselor education programs must implement multicultural competencies as one of core curriculum areas. Although research evidences the positive impact of multicultural training, it remains a challenge to establish which curriculum designs and pedagogical approaches are most effective. This study compares self-reported openness and comfort in interactions with diverse populations of 87 counselors-in-training across two distinct multicultural curriculum designs (i.e., single multicultural course vs. infusion through the curriculum) in a CACREP accredited counselor education program in the Midwest. Implications for counselor education programs and counselors in the field are provided

Intensive Faculty-led International Multicultural Courses: Understanding the Perceptions from Students and Improving the Quality of Course Delivery by Faculty

Graduate programs in counselor education have historically offered the on campus multicultural course to increase students’ diversity knowledge, skills, and cultural self-awareness in order to satisfy state, national and international accreditation mandates. This article analyzes the self-reported perceptions and experiences of 21 master’s level counselor education students who participated in an intensive faculty-led international course (IFLIC) as an alternative format to the traditional on campus multicultural course. The pedagogy and curriculum of the IFLIC format is cemented on current multicultural international methodologies of instruction. Subsequently, it presents an in-depth analysis of students’ perceptions of their acquisition of multicultural concepts and skills, as well the role of the course’s curricular and instructional components in their multicultural learning outcomes. It offers a set of recommendations based on the research findings for academic/educational/faculty developers in higher education with the ultimate goal of improving the quality of international higher education. And, it provides delivery strategies for international programs seeking effective implementation of short-term faculty-led international courses (IFLIC)

The Bilingual Counselor\u27s Guide to Spanish: Basic Vocabulary and Interventions for the Non-Spanish Speaker

Designed specifically with mental health professionals in mind, The Bilingual Counselor’s Guide to Spanish is perfect for counselors interested in expanding their client base and language skill set. Featuring terminology and cultural phrases specific to the mental health profession, this text offers an easy introduction to both the Spanish language and interfacing with Spanish-speaking clients in a counseling setting. Sections of useful and practical vocabulary are followed by ¡Practique! sections, which enable to reader to put his or her developing skills to use. These sections are augmented by case studies in English and Spanish, as well as brief overviews of Latino history, customs, and social manners that will greatly enhance any counselor’s depth of interaction with Spanish-speaking clients. For counselors who want to communicate with the large and rapidly expanding population of Spanish speakers in the United States, or for those who are simply interested in developing or improving their Spanish-language skills, The Bilingual Counselor’s Guide to Spanish is the place to start. -- Provided by publisherhttps://scholarworks.uni.edu/facbook/1450/thumbnail.jp

Multilingualism in Counselor Education and Human Services Professionals: Implications for a New Training Paradigm

This study analyzes the relationships among the three distinct levels of language and cultural-linguistic professional competences. A total of 483 participants from three U.S. and one Central American university representing the fields of counseling, social work, family services, and psychology were surveyed. The results suggest that there is a large multilingual training deficit among human service providers in the U.S. Training programs need to make curricular revisions to include bi/multilingual training consistent with multilingual clientele. Recommendations for culturally-embedded and non-native language use are provided to increase cultural-linguistic competences among counselor education trainees