Wednesday, June 9, 2010
My Final Post! For this class, anyways!
I can't believe how fast the 4 weeks have flown by. I have really enjoyed this class! It's been very intense, and I've had no life on the weekends, but its been worth it. I have learned so much about counseling. I tell people its like scuba diving into counseling, doing it in this short period of time. I learned a lot about myself. I realized I am actually pretty good at the basics of counseling. The ethical dilemma on the syllabus intimidated me when I first saw it. When I found out that would be our final I was a bit shocked. I remember the professor saying at the end of class we would know how to respond to it, and I was not convinced. Well, last night I wrote my final and it wasn't anywhere as bad as I thought it would be 4 weeks ago. I've learned that I enjoy an ethical dilemma, breaking it down, seeing possible solutions. I also have had a lot in my private life become fodder for me to think about ethically. Sounds strange, but I think about different counselors I've worked with, and how they measure up to the standards I now know. I've learned that everything is not as black and white as I thought, in relation to counseling. I know that in the past I've gone to therapists who tell me what I should do, rather than letting me come to my own decision. As a counselor, I will help people make their own decisions, and not influence them in any way with my own thoughts and feelings. I am looking forward to applying what I've learned to my future career as a counselor. I'm also really excited about taking more counseling classes. This class definitely taught me that I've made the right decision for my masters studies.
Where I'd like to do my internship
I've been doing some thought about where I'd like to do my internship at the end of my masters program. Ideally, I want to intern at a hospital with an inpatient detox program for drugs and alcohol. Hunterdon Medical Center in Flemington, and St. Clare's in Denville are two options I am considering applying to. The reason I want to intern at an inpatient facility at a hospital is I think I'll see a broader spectrum of clients. There are many private detox centers, I actually had a hard time when I was googling for an inpatient hospital program. The private detox centers I found sounded interesting, but some left me feeling a little cold. Many sounded like businesses who happen to help people. The hospital setting seems more natural to me because they don't offer VIP packages like some of the private places. The hospital gets down to the nitty gritty of getting a patient sober. I'm sure the private centers do as well, but I feel I'll get a more rounded clinical experience starting at a hospital.
There is one private facility I've heard a lot of good things about. Daytop Village, which is located in Mendham, although they have multiple locations in NJ/NY. They treat all ages, not just adults. They are an inpatient facility as well. If I am unable to locate an internship in a hospital, I will probably apply there. Their website was very informative, and came across much more professionally than some of the other private centers. I like that they treat all ages, which would be great experience for me.
Wherever I chose to intern, I want to come out with a solid foundation for addiction counseling. I want to have a broad clinical experience, so I am not lopsided in my competence. I also want to come out with a good idea what type of population I want to work with. I know, right now, I want to work with adults. However, I want to make sure I work with adolescents so I can make an informed decision.
Here are some links to the programs I looked at:
Hunterdon Medical Center http://www.hunterdonhealthcare.org/services/mental_health/behavioral_health.asp
Daytop Village http://www.daytop.org/index.html
Sunrise Village..which I wont be applying to because I have a problem with their VIP package
http://www.sunrisedetox.com/ Honestly, rehab isn't about staying at a bed and breakfast.
Sunday, June 6, 2010
Credentials
When I am done with my MA, I want to become a Certified Alcohol and Drug Counselor (CADC). MSU offers a curriculum to meet the course requirements for CADC. Here is a rundown of the requirements, courtesy of webpage at MSU http://www.montclair.edu/graduate/programs/certificate/cadc.php:
Students who successfully complete the Master's in Counseling program with a CADC focus will fulfill the total educational clock hours (270) required by the APCBNJ. After completing the coursework at MSU for a Master's degree, full certification or licensure would include these additional requirements:
- 3000 hours of supervised work experience, including at least 300 hours of supervised practical training in all core course areas;
- Participation in at least 30 alcohol and drug abuse self-help meetings;
- Successful completion of an oral and written examination
An oral exam sounds a bit scary, frankly! I know I can do it, it can't be any worse than defending a thesis, which I did successfully. (Not trying to brag, just trying to talk myself down!)
I'm guessing it will take about 2 years to meet the required hours. I'm looking forward to the experience I'll gain doing this. I also know this certification will open up more job opportunities for me, and room for professional growth.
Future Musings
One of the assignments for this blog is to discuss where I'd like to see myself professionally 1,3, 5, and 10 years after I complete my masters. I've never been one to plot out my life like that, because I learned a long time ago that plans for life generally don't work out! Not in a negative manner, but just that it is impossible to predict how things will work out. 7 years ago in May I graduated with my B.A in anthropology with a concentration in archaeology. If you had asked me then where I'd be today, I would have said working on my PhD. at Brown, in Old World Archaeology. Instead I got married, and had a baby within a 2 years of graduating. I also live in New Jersey, which frankly I thought hell would freeze over before I lived here ever again. And here I am going for my MA in addiction counseling, again 7 yrs ago I would have been flabbergasted with that future endeavor. With all that being said, I'll give this a shot.
1 year after- I would like to be working at an inpatient detox program in a hospital. I'll be under the supervision of a more experienced counselor. Working at a hospital appeals to me because I think the clients will have a more varied background then working in a private detox center.
3 years after- I would hopefully have completed my requirements to become a Certified Alcohol and Drug Counselor. I imagine I will still be in a hospital setting, hopefully still enjoying it.
5 years after- At this point, if not before, I think I will be on the road to my doctorate. I enjoy learning, and the idea of potentially teaching one day is appealing. I do not know if I will still be in the hospital setting, I imagine there could be a danger of burnout. I might be working at a private addiction counseling clinic.
10 years after- Ideally I will have my PhD. I would like to be running a program somewhere, either in a hospital or private setting.
Those are my predictions. I feel they're a bit skimpy because honestly, I'm still learning a LOT about counseling and my options. A few years from now I'll enjoy reading this and see how close I was to the real thing.
Thursday, June 3, 2010
My Definition of Counseling
As one of my final blog posts for class, I felt it would be appropriate to write what I feel is the definition of counseling. From all I have observed, listened to, and read, I feel counseling is the process of helping a person achieve mental well being. The path that counseling takes depends on the client, but it is my duty to help the client come to their own understanding of what makes them healthy. It is an empowering process that gives clients tools to live their lives with critical thinking and thoughtful action.
Shadowing a Counselor
Yesterday morning I shadowed an elementary school counselor in my town. I arrived at 8am to find her setting up the MAPS testing for the fifth graders. I found out that it is her job to administer all the standardized testing for the school. Once she was done setting up the computers, I was able to start talking with her.
The counselor, Ms. P, has been working at that school for 11 years, and has been a professional counselor for 15 years. She graduated with her Masters in Social Work in 1995. I asked her what certifications or licensure she had to have in order to become a school counselor. She told me she has her LCSW (Licensed Clinical Social Worker) because she is on the child study team. She first received her LSW (Licensed Social Worker) which required a certain number of hours (she couldn't remember how many at the time) and then once she passed the state board test she was eligible for clinical hours. To get her LCSW she had to get 1000 hrs of supervised work and direct patient contact. Once she was finished, she had to prove to the state that she had the hrs and licensed, paid $50 dollars and was given the certification for school counseling.
After we discussed her background, I asked her to describe a typical day. She said the majority of her day is spent corresponding with parents through email and some phone calls. Of course, ACA ethical code A.12.g. Technology and Informed Consent popped into my head. Since she was being kind enough to let me shadow her, I figured I wouldn't bring it up! She also said as the school Social Worker she is responsible for social histories and observations. She counsels both typical and special needs children at the school. She does a lot of crisis management. For example, while I was observing her she pulled a child out of class to let them know that a bullying problem had been taken care of.
She works with specific children who are assigned to her, twice a day. They're typically children with severe anxiety, or an autism spectrum disorder. She said she often refers out children who are having problems at home. She feels its unethical to counsel about topics unrelated to school. She said she often works with the outside therapist, although some don't request information from her.
Because she is on the child study team she has additional duties. This time of year is busy due to annual reviews of Individualized Education Plan's (IEP) for children with special needs. An interesting thing she brought up is she does a lot of teacher support. She does education on social skills and bullying. However, because of the added responsibilities of being on the child study team, shes not able to do as much teacher support as she feels is necessary.
She brought up that one of her duties is to calm down kids who are having meltdowns in class. I asked if that was normal, because shouldn't the teachers or aides be able to handle such an issue? She stated that there isn't enough training for the teachers or aides in how to deal with special needs kids and their behaviors. She told me the least favorite part of her job had to do with this. She feels there's a lack of focus in what is in the best interest of the children. Schools have become businesses, there is no leadership. She has to advocate for children in order to get what they need, and often gets in trouble for going against the administration. As a parent of a special needs child in that school system, I was very troubled to hear this. I'm glad that shes there to do the right thing. I asked her then what her favorite part of the job was. She stated that she loves being a daily part of the kids lives. She gets to watch them grow up, and see their successes. She had once done private practice counseling and found it limiting because she could only follow her clients so far in their growth. The school setting she finds much more satisfying.
I asked her what advice she would give to a newly graduated counselor. She said it is vital to get as much clinical experience as possible. She feels all school counselors need clinical experience, because they need to be able to recognize disorders . She also said to get a very good supervisor who is competent, clinically savvy, and able to be honest with you about your faults as a counselor. She said you have to be able to look in the mirror and be self aware of your faults, and work to address them. She cautioned against using clients to work through your own issues, and that shes seen many counselors who are burnt out and do just that. She also recommended getting therapy to avoid just that. I thought her advice was great and very helpful.
11 o'clock came very quickly, and I can honestly say I had a great time shadowing Ms. P. Even though the majority of the time was spent watching her administer tests, I feel I learned a lot. She was very open and honest about her job, and the satisfaction and dissatisfaction she felt. She had told me how when she first started counseling she in no way wanted to counsel children. By chance during her internship she would get children in her caseload and discovered she really enjoyed it. I was surprised that she was in charge of administering the testing. She said that it takes up a lot of her time, and that for the last 2 weeks all she had been doing was the MAPS testing with kids. I would have enjoyed seeing her interact with more children, but I still feel she gave me a clear idea of the typical day of a school counselor.
The counselor, Ms. P, has been working at that school for 11 years, and has been a professional counselor for 15 years. She graduated with her Masters in Social Work in 1995. I asked her what certifications or licensure she had to have in order to become a school counselor. She told me she has her LCSW (Licensed Clinical Social Worker) because she is on the child study team. She first received her LSW (Licensed Social Worker) which required a certain number of hours (she couldn't remember how many at the time) and then once she passed the state board test she was eligible for clinical hours. To get her LCSW she had to get 1000 hrs of supervised work and direct patient contact. Once she was finished, she had to prove to the state that she had the hrs and licensed, paid $50 dollars and was given the certification for school counseling.
After we discussed her background, I asked her to describe a typical day. She said the majority of her day is spent corresponding with parents through email and some phone calls. Of course, ACA ethical code A.12.g. Technology and Informed Consent popped into my head. Since she was being kind enough to let me shadow her, I figured I wouldn't bring it up! She also said as the school Social Worker she is responsible for social histories and observations. She counsels both typical and special needs children at the school. She does a lot of crisis management. For example, while I was observing her she pulled a child out of class to let them know that a bullying problem had been taken care of.
She works with specific children who are assigned to her, twice a day. They're typically children with severe anxiety, or an autism spectrum disorder. She said she often refers out children who are having problems at home. She feels its unethical to counsel about topics unrelated to school. She said she often works with the outside therapist, although some don't request information from her.
Because she is on the child study team she has additional duties. This time of year is busy due to annual reviews of Individualized Education Plan's (IEP) for children with special needs. An interesting thing she brought up is she does a lot of teacher support. She does education on social skills and bullying. However, because of the added responsibilities of being on the child study team, shes not able to do as much teacher support as she feels is necessary.
She brought up that one of her duties is to calm down kids who are having meltdowns in class. I asked if that was normal, because shouldn't the teachers or aides be able to handle such an issue? She stated that there isn't enough training for the teachers or aides in how to deal with special needs kids and their behaviors. She told me the least favorite part of her job had to do with this. She feels there's a lack of focus in what is in the best interest of the children. Schools have become businesses, there is no leadership. She has to advocate for children in order to get what they need, and often gets in trouble for going against the administration. As a parent of a special needs child in that school system, I was very troubled to hear this. I'm glad that shes there to do the right thing. I asked her then what her favorite part of the job was. She stated that she loves being a daily part of the kids lives. She gets to watch them grow up, and see their successes. She had once done private practice counseling and found it limiting because she could only follow her clients so far in their growth. The school setting she finds much more satisfying.
I asked her what advice she would give to a newly graduated counselor. She said it is vital to get as much clinical experience as possible. She feels all school counselors need clinical experience, because they need to be able to recognize disorders . She also said to get a very good supervisor who is competent, clinically savvy, and able to be honest with you about your faults as a counselor. She said you have to be able to look in the mirror and be self aware of your faults, and work to address them. She cautioned against using clients to work through your own issues, and that shes seen many counselors who are burnt out and do just that. She also recommended getting therapy to avoid just that. I thought her advice was great and very helpful.
11 o'clock came very quickly, and I can honestly say I had a great time shadowing Ms. P. Even though the majority of the time was spent watching her administer tests, I feel I learned a lot. She was very open and honest about her job, and the satisfaction and dissatisfaction she felt. She had told me how when she first started counseling she in no way wanted to counsel children. By chance during her internship she would get children in her caseload and discovered she really enjoyed it. I was surprised that she was in charge of administering the testing. She said that it takes up a lot of her time, and that for the last 2 weeks all she had been doing was the MAPS testing with kids. I would have enjoyed seeing her interact with more children, but I still feel she gave me a clear idea of the typical day of a school counselor.
Post edit: I forgot to mention that I asked her what professional organizations she belonged to. She said she used to belong to the National Association of Social Workers (NASW) and NJ Association of School Counselors (NJASC). However, she did not renew her memberships because she felt, in her words, "It was a lot of money for nothing. A couple of journals with pathetic articles." I found this interesting and surprising. I told her I was a member of ACA and that so far I was pleased with it. Hopefully 15 years from now I'll still be happy!
Tuesday, June 1, 2010
Another Update about the Listservs
Well, COUNSGRAD works just fine, and I'm getting several emails a day with it. The DIVERSEGRAD-L is giving me trouble. I corrected the spelling (which made me feel like a fool!) and submitted my request again. It told me I was submitting an invalid comment to the listserv and to try again. I pretty much threw up my hands at that point and am calling it a wash.
Shadowing a Counselor
Tomorrow morning, from 8-11am I'm going to be shadowing a school counselor at one of my town's elementary schools. I'm really looking forward to it because its something I know almost nothing about, save what this class has taught me and my own experiences as a child. The school houses children grades 2-5. I'm expecting to get a lot of detailed info about what a day is like for a school counselor. I know that she is a counselor who wears many hats. She's also a social worker and case manager. I think that will give me a unique perspective on her daily duties.
I'm also really hopeful that the school is air conditioned! Sounds silly, but my son's school (which is next door, where they house pre-k to 1st grade) is not, and his room is like an oven by the time I pick him up at 12:30. I don't know how the staff make it through an entire day!
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
