Issues and Trends in Community Counseling – EDCO 705

CG • Section 8WK • 11/08/2019 to 04/16/2020 • Modified 09/05/2023

Course Description

An overview of key areas of community counseling including rehabilitation counseling, career counseling, school counseling, community advocacy, and counseling in diverse settings such as mental health agencies, employment agencies, and population-specific programs.

For information regarding prerequisites for this course, please refer to the Academic Course Catalog.

Rationale

This course provides an overview of the community mental health system; the theories, principles, and practices of counseling in human services agencies and other community settings; and the process of promoting community awareness, resilience, and change. Emphasis is placed on community outreach, interventions among vulnerable populations, client advocacy, and multicultural competence.

Course Assignment

Textbook readings and lecture presentations

Course Requirements Checklist

After reading the Course Syllabus and Student Expectations, the student will complete the related checklist found in the Course Overview.

Quiz: Self-Report: QAC Subscription

One student self-report is required: 1) subscription to Question & Answer Center.

Discussions (4)

Discussions are collaborative learning experiences. Therefore, the student will participate in 4 Discussions throughout the course. The thread must be between 400–450 words, articulate course-related knowledge, demonstrate critical reflection, and draw upon multiple scholarly sources. The student will respond to at least 2 classmates’ threads, each with a 250–300-word reply. (CLO: A, D)

Discussions: Subject Matter Conversations (2)

Subject Matter Conversations (SMC) are synchronous, discussion-based, collaborative learning experiences. The student will participate in 2 SMCs throughout the course. If the student is unable to attend the synchronous session, the student will listen to the recording of the session and review the associated material. All students will provide a response to a reflection thread after completing the SMC. (CLO: A, D)

Community Case Study, Part 1 Assignment

The student will submit a template as a first step in writing their Community Case Study. This template will need to be developed in the current APA format and should include the following: Title Page, Abstract, Body of paper headings (as noted in the instructions), and Reference page. (CLO: A, B, C)

Community Case Study, Part 2 Assignment

The student will submit 10 references (review instructions for the Community Case Study so that you have appropriate direction in finding these resources), in the same draft format as previously submitted, for their papers from peer reviewed, scholarly journal (adding to the textbook references). The student will also practice citation format for both in-text and parenthetical citations. The student will also practice citing with direct quotes and integrating/synthesizing material with citations. (CLO: A, B, C)

Community Case Study, Part 3 Assignment

Utilizing the previously graded submission, the student will write a paper developing either a Coalition or a Program that responds to a population in the community. This coalition or program needs to focus specifically on one population for which there is a gap in services, an unmet need, or lack of organization/collaboration for existing services. Using the headings included in the Module 2 Community Case Study Part 1 submission, students will provide a well-supported (i.e., cited with those identified references submitted in Module 4 Community Case Study Part 2), thoroughly explored, effectively written response to those headings.

  • Description of the Population (what are the national statistics for this population as well as the community statistics? What does the literature tell you about the population in general? What are the diversity considerations you need to address?)
  • Identification of Need (what is the gap, need, or coalition need? What statistics can you find for who is receiving/not receiving the services in the community?)
  • Intervention Strategies (what does the literature tell you about evidenced-based treatments for this population/clinical need?)
  • Resiliency Factors (what does the literature tell you about strengths and resiliency factors for this population? what helps promote change?)

(CLO: B, C, D)

Community Case Study, Part 4 Assignment

Utilizing the previously graded submission, the student will add the following headings and include the necessary discussion with citations from previously identified references:

  • Program or Coalition (Name your program or Coalition. Describe services/staff/operations [program]/who is involved, who are stakeholders, when/where/how often meet, what will focus be [coalition])
  • Advocacy Program (Identify ways in which your program and coalition can increase community awareness, participate in advocacy efforts [locally, state-wide, nationally])
  • Challenges and Barriers to Services (what does the literature tell you about barriers and challenges, how will the program or coalition address those?)

(CLO: A, B, C, D)