Department of Counselor Education

The debate on the quality of services has continued since the establishment of related legislation, and more recently, the implementation of the Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act (WIOA; Sect. 412, 2014). Prior studies revealed that rehabilitation counselors with a master’s degrees achieve significantly better outcomes than their counterparts with bachelor’s degrees and unrelated master’s degrees (Sherman, Eischens, Leierer, Meola, & Scroggs, 2017; Szymanski, 1991; Szymanski & Parker, 1989) and tend to have higher competitive closure rates for severe disabled consumers (Cook & Bolton, 1992; Szymanski & Danek, 1992; Van Houtte, 2013). Additionally, knowledge domains central to effective rehabilitation practices of professionals in state Division of Vocational Rehabilitation (DVR) agencies and cluster of Vocational Rehabilitation (VR) programs (Chan et al., 2003; Saunders & Leahy, 2010) continue to be of interest. Empirical studies recognized the importance of data-driven research in all states and have suggested that future research in this area should include participants from each state VR (Beveridge, Leconte, Shain, Del Toro & Penrod, 2015; Froehlich & Linkowski, 2002). Therefore, the purpose of this study was to examine the relationship between successful employment outcomes for Florida (a) significantly, (b) severe, and (c) non-severe disabled consumers. Furthermore, the rehabilitation counselors’ (VRC) perceived importance of rehabilitation knowledge as measured by the Knowledge Validation Inventory-Revised (KVI-R; CRCC, 2016), and the VRC’s educational level. Fifty-eight (N = 58) rehabilitation counselors employed within Florida DVR agencies volunteered to participate in this study. The diverse participants reported having earned a bachelor’s (n = 12, 20.7%), master’s (n = 44, 75.9%), and doctoral (n = 2, 3.4%) degrees. The majority of the counselors obtained their degree in rehabilitation counseling (n = 22, 37.9%), followed by degrees in psychology or other fields (n = 13, 22.4% each), social work (n = 5, 8.6%), education (n = 3, 5.2%), and sociology (n = 2, 3.4%). This was the first study in the state of Florida to explore the correlation between the VRC education and employment outcomes in DVR. Non-statistically significant correlations resulted between the criterion and predictor variables. The relationship between the VRCs education, client outcomes, and perceived importance of rehabilitation knowledge was measured using bivariate regression analysis. The implications of the findings, study limitations, and recommendations for future research are discussed.

Females diagnosed with a substance use disorder (SUD) may experience more
stigmatization and need more social support than males. Traditional therapeutic services
provide interventions and treatment that is uniform for males and females. The available
research on female substance users does not address meaningful connections and
relationships with others, and its effect on overall wellness. The objective of this study
was to address the importance of social support, stigmatization, and wellness. A sample
of 232 females diagnosed with SUD, at least 18 years of age, responded to three
instruments and a demographic form.
The results of this study indicate that income and age are predictors of overall
wellness and explained 12% of the variance in wellness, when using a multiple regression
analysis, (adjusted R^2 = .119, p = .000). Relationship status and relationship length
demonstrated significance as predictors of social support, explaining 5.6% of the variance
in social support, using a multiple regression analysis, (adjusted R^2 = .056, p = .001). Number of children, age, and relationship length demonstrated significance as predictors
of stigmatization, accounting for 9.4% of the variance in stigmatization, (adjusted R^2 =
.094, p = .000). Social support accounted for 4.1% of the variance in stigmatization using
a multiple regression analysis, (adjusted R^2 = .041, p = .001). Social support explained
39% of the variance in wellness, (adjusted R^2 = .394, p = .000). Using a hierarchical
regression analysis to control for stigmatization, social support explained 44% of the
variance in wellness, (adjusted R^2 = .438, p = .000). Finally, social support mediates the
relationship between stigmatization and wellness, when using path analysis.
This study provided support for specific treatment for females in substance abuse
treatment; particularly concerning social support, stigmatization, and wellness. These
females with SUD reported that social support increased wellness, correlating with
decreased stigmatization. Conversely, females who experienced increased stigmatization
and decreased social support also experienced decreased wellness. Social support
mediated the impact of stigmatization and wellness.

The purpose of this research study was to determine the effects of Fostering
Resilience™ (FR), a new integrative relapse prevention group protocol for improving
relapse risk, internalized shame, and psychological well-being in adults with substance
use disorders (SUD). This study also sought to identify any relationship among relapse
risk, internalized shame, and psychological well-being. It is the first study to investigate
the new FR manualized program model compared to treatment as usual (TAU). The FR
model was created based upon direct client experience, the supposition of the intrinsic
role shame plays in SUD, and the corresponding belief in the essential value of
implementing shame reduction techniques for improving treatment outcomes.
Participants were 43 adults with SUD (19 FR and 24 TAU) seeking outpatient treatment.
All participants received the 8-week intensive outpatient (IOP) treatment, with the FR
group receiving 16 sessions of the manualized FR relapse prevention group protocol in lieu of other TAU group options. Assessments were administered pre and postintervention.
Results indicated that the FR treatment group produced a significant reduction in
relapse risk (p = .002, ES = .825), shame (p = .004, ES = .763), and psychological wellbeing
(p = .008, ES = .679) from baseline to post-intervention, while the TAU
comparison group produced a non-significant improvement in relapse risk (p = .209, ES =
.264), shame (p = 055, ES = .409) and psychological well-being (p = .088, ES = .456).
Correlation results indicated highly significant correlations between all the dependent
variables. All correlations dropped post-intervention, although remained significant. The
strongest relationship was found between shame and relapse risk at baseline: ALL (n =
43, r = .880), FR (n = 19, r = .869), TAU (n = 24, r = .908). This preliminary study
establishes support for the new FR model as a beneficial treatment for significantly
improving relapse risk, internalized shame, and psychological well-being in adults with
SUD. It also provides important knowledge and insight regarding the critical nature of
shame and its role relative to relapse risk and psychological well-being in those with
SUD.

This meta-analysis investigated the practical significance of school counselor-led
social emotional learning (SEL) interventions on outcomes for students in Grades 6–12.
The sample includes 28 studies involving 3,794 middle and high school students. The
treatment group was comprised of a total of 2,032 students, who received interventions
led by a certified school counselor. The control/comparison groups were derived from a
sample of 1,762 middle and high school students who did not receive the school
counselor-led intervention. The meta-analysis included a diverse sample of students,
with ethnicity reported as 589 (15.52%) African American, 52 (1.37%) Asian, 1,162
(30.63%) Hispanic, 1,267 (33.39%) Caucasian, 11 (0.28%) Native American, 21 (0.55%)
Pacific Islander, and 177 (4.66%) Multi-racial/Other. Of the studies included in the
meta-analysis, the ethnicities of 412 (18.86%) students were not reported. A total of 12
studies were conducted at the middle school level, 10 at the high school level, and 6
studies reported a mixed setting of Grades 6–12. The sample included almost equal
representation of 1,883 (49.63%) males and 1,847 (48.68%) females, and the genders of
69 (1.82%) students were not reported.
The overall unweighted Cohen’s d effect size (ES) of the school counselor-led
interventions was .312 (95% CI [.173, .452]). The ES for overall cognitive outcomes (d
= 0.380) was slightly larger than for overall effective role functions outcomes (d =0.377)
and affective outcomes (d = 0.356). The smallest ES reported for overall variables was
for behavioral outcomes (d = 0.228). The largest ES for a specific student outcome measure was found for standardized achievement test scores (d = 0.612) (Vernez &
Zimmer, 2007). Moderator analyses were conducted and are explored in the results and
discussion. The results address the current gap in school counseling outcome research by
broadening future research directions for comprehensive school counseling programs
(CSCP) to incorporate SEL initiatives aimed for middle and high school students.

The purpose of the current outcome study was to determine the effects of the
Ready for Success (RFS) classroom guidance program (Brigman & Webb, 2012) on the
social-emotional skills and competence, reading proficiency, and promotion between
third-grade students who received the RFS intervention (treatment group; n = 104), and
third-grade students who did not receive the intervention (comparison group; n=91).
Following training in the manualized RFS curriculum, certified school counselors in the
treatment group implemented five, weekly, 30-minute lessons followed by three monthly
booster lessons. This study followed a quasi-experimental, non-equivalent group design.
The study employed a teacher report measure of social-emotional skills and competence
(i.e., Devereux Student Strengths Assessment) and a standardized formative assessment
of reading proficiency (i.e., Reading Running Record). Furthermore, retention data was
provided by the participating school district’s data source. Statistical significance between the groups was measured by a series of
MANCOVA analyses and a Pearson’s chi-square analysis. A partial eta-squared
ηp2 effect size was reported for each dependent variable. The data supported the RFS
classroom guidance program as an effective Social-Emotional Learning (SEL)
intervention for promoting student social-emotional skill development (i.e. selfawareness,
self-management, social awareness, relationship skills, and responsible
decision making) and overall social-emotional competence (SEC). This study provided
support for the use of school counselor-led SEL classroom programs to promote the
social-emotional development of students in the school setting. Furthermore, the study
further supports the value of school counseling interventions for students in the domain
of social-emotional development. Finally, the findings of this study provided empirical
support for the RFS classroom guidance program as an effective SEL intervention.

A quasi-experimental, between groups design was used to evaluate differences in
emotional behavior, as measured by the Specific Affect Coding System (SPAFF),
between professional therapists and their clients and a master therapist and his client.
This coding system also was used to determine how emotional behavior shown by a
master therapist changes over the course of six psychotherapy sessions. The research
team recorded counseling sessions at a university counseling center in the southeastern
United States and coded this video data using SPAFF in real time. Data were analyzed
quantitatively to determine whether significant differences in SPAFF codes exist between
the master therapist, professional therapists at the university counseling center, and their
respective clients. Results indicated that the master therapist showed significantly more
neutral and less negative affect than his counterparts at the university in both sessions one
and four. The master therapist’s client showed significantly more neutral affect and less negative in session one and significantly more positive affect and less negative affect in
session four.

The purpose of the current study was to investigate the difference in pro-social
behavior, self-regulation, overall reading performance, Lexile levels, and teachers’
perception of classroom climate of kindergarten students who received the Ready to
Learn (RTL; Brigman, Lane, & Lane, 2008) classroom guidance program (treatment
group: n = 173) and kindergarten students who did not receive the intervention
(comparison group: n = 124). The study followed a quasi-experimental, comparison
group design in which teachers completed the Child Behavior Rating Scale (CBRS) and
Teacher My Class Inventory-Short Form (TMCI-SF) measures as well as collected
reading data from individual students. Descriptive statistics for each of the measures, the
findings from the analysis of covariance (ANCOVA) on the CBRS and TMCI-SF data,
along with the multivariate analysis of covariance (MANCOVA) using the i-Ready data,
and partial eta squared (ηp2) effect sizes were calculated. The ANCOVA was conducted to determine if differences existed on the
participants’ pro-social behavior and self-regulation by condition. The findings revealed
a statistically significant difference on the pro-social skills but did not show a statistically
significant difference in self-regulation. The MANCOVA revealed statistically
significant differences in overall reading performance between the treatment and
comparison group; however, did not reveal statistically significant differences on the
Lexile levels for the students who participated in the intervention. Finally, the ANCOVA
reported a statistically significant difference in the perceived impact of the school
counselor by the treatment group kindergarten as compared to the teachers in the
comparison group; however, no other differences were found on the TMCI-SF scales.
With these results, there is a need for further empirical research to determine the impact
of the RTL program on students’ academic and SEL development.

The purpose of this study was to assess the impact of motivational interviewing
(MI) counselor training in a public vocational rehabilitation (VR) setting. Data were
collected from a total of 347 participants (67 counselors and 280 clients) in the
experimental and comparison groups, during the pre-and-posttests. The counselors in the
experimental group received a 4-hour standardized MI training and a 4-week follow up
coaching sessions. Results of this study indicated that counselors in the experimental
group demonstrated significant gains in their MI competence scores compared to the
comparison group. The clients of the experimental group’s counselors significantly
improved their engagement in VR services and working alliance with their counselors.
Also, counselors’ education level and CRC status showed strong correlation with the
posttest MI competence total scores. Finally, working alliance was found to be a
significant predictor of client engagement. This study established the preparatory knowledge for the relationship between MI
counselor training, client engagement, and counselor-client working alliance in a public
rehabilitation setting. The results of this study contribute to the rehabilitation literature by
providing evidence-based knowledge and tools designed to improve the quality of VR
service outcomes, such as employment, for people with disabilities. With the findings of
this research, there is evidence available to provide rehabilitation administrators to justify
investing time and other resources into training rehabilitation counselors on the use of MI
intervention.

The present study investigates the affectual interaction of three highly competent
therapists using different theoretical approaches with a shared male client and female
client in a professionally recorded video series. The interactions of clients and therapists
in a total sample of six psychotherapy sessions were coded using the twenty code version
of Gottman, Woodin, and Coan’s (1998) Specific Affect Coding System. Coded data
were analyzed using Kruskal-Wallis tests which found no significant differences between
the mean ranks of therapists’ codes between therapists. Significant effects among some
affective behaviors were noted in therapists’ codes when compared by client. Coded data
were also used to create mathematical models using ordinary differential equations for
each of the six sessions. Kruskal-Wallis tests did not reveal significant effects in the
mean ranks of the parameters of the mathematical models, and visual similarities and
differences of these models were discussed. Additional analyses were conducted to examine clients’ affective behaviors as well and significant effects were revealed in the
Kruskal-Wallis tests amongst many coded behaviors. The results support the presence of
common factors and similarities in the therapeutic relationship among different
theoretical approaches. The findings also add to the growing body of literature dedicated
to the use of observational coding and dynamic nonlinear modeling in psychotherapy
research. The implications for psychotherapy practice, education, and research are
discussed.

The purpose of this study was to evaluate the effect of a school counselor led classroom intervention, Student Success Skills (SSS) program (Brigman & Webb, 2010), on Grade 5 Hispanic student’s self-regulation, school attendance, and test anxiety. The study used non identifying archival data from a random controlled trial (RCT) collected at 30 elementary schools in one school district during the school year 2012-2013. Attendance was collected at the end of the school year when students completed Grades 4, 5, and 6. Data were collected at three points: pretest, posttest1, and posttest 2. A series of multivariate analysis of covariance (MANCOVA) tests and univariate analyses were conducted to determine statistical significance between the treatment group and comparison group in self- regulation, school attendance, and test anxiety. Effect sizes using a partial eta square were calculated for each dependent variable. The results support the Student Success Skills (SSS) classroom program (Brigman & Webb, 2010) implemented by certified school counselors was documented.