PCC Newsletter-February 2016

Neumann University

February, 2016

PCC Newsletter Inside this issue: Graduate Sets Sights on Seminary

2

Franciscan Women, Past and Future, Highlighted

3

Conferences — Near and Nearer To Take Place Soon

4

Faculty Feats for Spring Semester

45

Alpha Omega Nu Joins Service to Advocacy

6

Career Counseling Goes Fully Online

7

AONu Outreach Offers Help 8 to Homeless

ACA National Essay Contest

Three M.S. Students Offer Winning Response Each year the American Counseling Association, the largest professional counseling organization in the world, conducts a contest open to all graduate counseling students to respond to an ethical dilemma with a decision making process that leads to a professional outcome in keeping with standards, codes and laws. ACA describes its purpose in holding the contest as “The purpose of the competition is to educate members of the association regarding ethical issues and to engage graduate students (masters and doctoral level) in critically analyzing a potential ethical case and creating an appropriate ethical decision making plan to respond to the ethical situation” (from website). Teams of three or four members, using appropriate steps toward an outcome, move to a resolution to the situation devised by ACA. This year three members of the department’s Ethics and Professional Issues class took up the challenge and applying a model learned in class developed strategies and procedures for working with the constituents involved in the dilemma to come to the most sound decision. Elizabeth Barr, Stephanie Fortunato and Laura Strubeck were looking on the ACA Website on January 31 with the knowledge that winners were due to be posted . The announcement had come through to acclaim that the three placed third among teams from 70+ top colleges and universities who entered.

The ethical dilemma presented contained multiple challenges ranging from issues of overlapping relationships, power differential concerns, cultural considerations and codes of conduct. In order to manage all Continued on page 7

Page 2

Latifah Griffin, PCC, 12:

Past Influences Morph into Present Aspirations In December, 2012, Latifah Griffin was moving toward finishing her master’s degree in PCC. She had already made a mark on the program, students and faculty, demonstrating leadership and a sense of purpose as the first president of the newly formed honor society. In the four years since, Latifah has explored some new paths and met persons with great needs. All this has brought her to an awareness of who she is and what she is called to do.

My journey post-graduation from NU has been interesting. By choice, I am not working full-time as a counselor as I have discovered I need to serve in other ways, but I utilize my therapeutic skills every moment of everyday.

So, here is my journey: A week or so prior to completing my degree in the fall of 2012, I met with Sr. Suzanne and Sr. Lynn Lavin as my two consultants on my seminar paper. They asked me what my immediate plans were and I answered I hoped to apply to the Ph.D. program that was slated to begin in the fall. Almost in unison they said, “I don’t think that is the way for you to go.” Sr. Suzanne added, "We recommend that you go to seminary." Immediately I thought to myself, “No way am I going to get another Master’s degree!”

Fast forward several months: Repeatedly, I kept thinking,“I cannot possibly fathom the idea of another master’s program.” So, I decided that since I was undecided the best thing for me to do was to take a break. As fate would have it, I then lost everything in a fire in the spring of 2013. The experience of such tremendous loss made me re-evaluate my life and my decisions. Still unconvinced by Sr. Suzanne’s recommendation, I proceeded with life, but with a renewed spirit of giving. I offered free self-help classes and spearheaded a Community Supported Agriculture (CSA) initiative at my church, and I began doing community work in Chester, Pa. My efforts in Chester turned into a job offer within the local government.

In my day to day job as a public servant, I found myself able to reach all types of people and for that I am grateful.

And now to the present: In 2015 I attended a spiritual retreat that involved much prayer, meditation, and reflection. During my experience in the silence, I heard the call to ministry so clearly that it scared me, so much so that I ended up taking a four month break from all things “religious” to evaluate my spirituality truly and discover where it was leading me. I continued to pray, meditate and reflect and I probably spent more time in the woods than a brown bear. But through it all, the call was clear and the recommendation I had received three years ago was accurate. I am now choosing to answer the call by applying to seminary. I guess I’ll be getting another Master’s degree after all.

Barbara Price Martin will offer her class on the NCE on two Saturday mornings March 12 and March 19 from 9 am to 1:30 pm in the RAB . Her last series of classes saw 100% pass rate. The classes will include short breaks, so attendees should plan to bring lunch or snacks for each session.

The fee for the study group is $150 and includes all study materials.

Please register with the department secretary, Janice Merrill-Rossi, by Tuesday, March 8, at merrillj@neumann.edu or 610-558-5572 on Tuesdays, Wednesdays or Thursday mornings.

Page 3

Franciscan Women: Medieval and Beyond Four members of Neumann University’s Pastoral & Theological Studies department will present at an international conference on Franciscan Women: Medieval and Beyond, to be held at St. Bonaventure University from July 1215. Faculty members Suzanne Mayer, ihm, Beth Toler, Diane Tomkinson, osf, and doctoral candidate Linda Branco will present at a joint session exploring Franciscan women such as Clare of Assisi, Mother Marianne of Molokai and Angela of Foligno through the interdisciplinary perspectives of psychology, spirituality and theology as integrated in the field of Pastoral Clinical Mental Health Counseling.

This, the first major conference on Women and the Franciscan Tradition sponsored by the Franciscan Institute at St. Bonaventure University has as its goal to bring scholars doing new research on Franciscan women into enriching conversations with women and men who continue to live out the Franciscan tradition in various ways. These include members and associates of the three Franciscan orders and co-workers in Franciscan-sponsored institutions. In the three keynote speeches by Dr. Marco Bartoli, Dr. Amy Koehlinger, and Sr. Florence Deacon, OSF and in multiple break-out sessions — all will explore diverse women in the Franciscan tradition from the middle ages to the contemporary world. Sr. Diane is a member of the organizing committee for the conference, along with Dr. Lezlie Knox of Marquette University, Dr. Timothy Johnson of Flagler College, and Brother David Couturier, OFM Cap, the Director of the Franciscan Institute at St. Bonaventure University.

Additional details and registration information are available at http://www.sbut.edu/academics/schools/

Two must attend offerings will take place as part of the PCMHC ongoing effort to provide information on topics requested by Some Meetings Close to Home students: A HISTORY OF RACISM IN THE U.S: IMPLICATIONS FOR ANTI-RACIST MULTICULTURAL COUNSELING. What does it mean to practice antiracist, multicultural pastoral counseling and why should it matter? What is the intersection of theology and spirituality in this practice? On Wednesday, March 30 from 5-9 p.m. in RAB 335, Martha Brown, Ph.D., D.Min., the chairperson of the Atlantic Region of the American Association of Pastoral Counselors, will provide a inter-active, clinical practice centered workshop on anti-racist pastoral counseling which will include a contextual overview of the unique history of racism in the United States and offer a framework for understanding its impact and influence on our profession and the spiritual and psychological lives of the people we serve. This event is free and open to all students in the PCC program.

INSIGHT INTO COUNSELING CAREERS will be held Monday, April 18 beginning at 5:30 p.m. PCMHC welcomes Mary McCaffrey, Director of Career Development, who as facilitated by Dr. Sophia Park, will explore areas of employment and means and methods to expedite this.

Meanwhile, two other offerings in the Lecture Series are still on the calendar: March 18 and 19, Friday (5:00 to 8:00) and Saturday, (9:00 to 4:00), Georgette Hall-Peterson, Beth Toler and Sophia Park — all with expertise and experience as marriage and family counselors will engage students in “Clinical Approaches to Marriage and Family.” The program can be taken as a workshop, for 1.5 credits or eight NBCC contact hours.

On Saturday, April 2 (8:00 to 4:00) Stephen Manning who combines his M.D. with his M.Div will draw on his practice with adolescents at Mayo Clinic and the University of Minnesota to provide an overview of basic clinical issues relating to both normal development and psychological issues found when working with pediatric and adolescent patients. His presentation entitled “The Drug Culture as it Impacts Counselors” can be taken as a workshop, for 1 credit or eight NBCC contact hours.

Page 4

For counseling’s future and yours —

Two area conferences hold promise Want to know what’s going on in the counseling field? Want to network locally with other counselors or counselors-in-training? There will be three opportunities that are happening locally, the first one at our own Neumann University. You are all invited and please plan to join us.

March 12, 2016: Greater Philadelphia Area Counseling Association (GPACA) will be holding its initial meeting from 9am to 12 noon here at Neumann University in the Mirenda Center. PCA (Philadelphia Counseling Association) President Elect, Charles Jacob, Ph.D., LPC., LMFT, will be the keynote speaker on “The Future of Counseling: Where we were and where we are going: History, Advocacy and Ethics.” Breakout sessions on Advocacy and Peer Supervision will follow. There is no charge for this special event but registration is required. However, please RSVP to Dr. Minna Davis at MinnaDavis1@gmail.com or through S. Suzanne Mayer. Volunteers for helping at the meeting will soon be recruited. Those interested can contact S. Suzanne.

April 23, 2016: Chi Sigma Iota, the national chapter of Alpha Omega Nu, will host the Sixth Annual Pennsylvania State-wide Conference at Marywood University, 2300 Adams Avenue in Scranton. ACA’s past president, Dr. Bradly Erford, will be the keynote speaker on “Identity and Advocacy: Promoting a Vision for the Future of Counseling” followed by breakout sessions consisting of educational presentations, round-table discussions, and poster-board sessions of various topics related to counseling. Cost is low to allow both students and faculty to attend.

Early Registration February 1 – April 1, 2016 $25.00

Advance Registration April 2 – April 22, 2016 $29.99

Onsite Registration April 23, 2016 Not posted

Georgette Hall Peterson, adjunct for PCMHC and counselor at the Neumann Wellness Center, will be co-facilitating with Angela Brooks, PC 11, a women's retreat for the women of St. Daniel’s United Methodist church in Chester in May. Her practice Strength for the Journey will be holding the seventh marriage conference in June on the theme of “BAE: Before Anyone Else (Accept God)” in addition to Georgette’s husband, Robert Peterson, and joined

by Angela Brooks and her husband Raynard in Willow Valley Resort, Lancaster, PA. In June Georgette will be presenting a workshop at the Northeast Jurisdiction United Methodist Women's Conference in Syracuse, NY. “On Balance: Having It All.” Lastly, Strength for the Journey will be holding its third Women's Retreat in August with the theme, “Just As I Am” at Camp Pecometh in Centerville, Md.

Page 5

Continued from previous page

Congratulations to Dr. Jim Houck who has met all the requirements for his faculty promotion to Full Professor, which becomes effective August 2016. By achieving this rank, Dr. Houck joins 14 faculty members who also teach at Neumann University in various divisions and were raised the next higher rank this January.

Jim looks forward to the end of April, when he will be in County Galway, Ireland to conduct action research on how intergenerational trauma effects the soul of an individual, as well as the soul of a community. Intergenerational trauma occurs when the first generation of trauma survivors transmit their symptoms of complex PTSD to the second, third, and following generations. Dr. Houck presently works with Native American communities to heal from emotional, psychological and spiritual trauma passed onto them from ancestors, many of whom suffered traumatic experiences in the government-run Indian boarding schools Throughout Ireland, similar phenomena is being cited as a result of generations struggling with their own trauma from ecclesiastically sanctioned homes for unwed mothers and babies.

Dr. Houck hopes to include this research in his next book Speaking of travels abroad, Suzanne Mayer, ihm, will be journeying to Lourdes, France and the shrine of Our Lady as part of a Knights of Malta pilgrimage at the end of April. With 48 severely ill persons, their companions and teams of clergy and medical health workers, she will be serving as the “team chaplain” to those assisting the sick. On January 30 Sister joined one of the assessment teams meeting with the applicants for the pilgrimage and determining who are most able to travel.

Over the holidays, S Suzanne, as part of the Promotion Committee reviewed and evaluated 15 portfolios of faculty applying for increases in rank. She also saw the completion of the initial document sent into CACREP offices in Alexandria, VA as the PCMHC program enters into the process for re-accreditation with this organization.

Dr. Sophia Park presented at the 14th Annual Cross-Cultural Counseling and Education Conference for Research, Action, and Change on February 27 in Savannah, GA. Her presentation was titled “The “1.5 Generation”: Who are they and what can they teach counselors?” She also edited three Resource Guides for Congregational Preparedness and Response (General Ministry Leadership, Youth Ministry, Spiritual Directors), a practical guide to walk the congregation through in the event of various trauma (natural disaster, mass shooting, suicide…), published

by ICTG (Institute for Congregational Trauma and Growth).

Finally and with great future promise, Dr. Park was selected as one of the recipients to participate in 2016-17 Teaching and Learning Workshop for Early Career Theological School Faculty, funded by The Wabash Center. The workshop is designed to address Twenty-first century challenges of theological education and to explore innovative teaching practices.

A busy spring and summer lie in wait for Dr. Beth Toler. In addition to wrapping up her year long Advanced Certificate in Supervision through Smith College School of Social Work, she has been accepted to present papers at the Mid-Atlantic Region of the American Academy of Religion, the Association of Franciscan Colleges and Universities Symposium to be held at Marian University in Indianaopolis, IN, and the Franciscan Institute of Saint Bonaventure University. Her scholarly work at these conferences centers on proposing new, integrated methodological frameworks for engaging a relational God in the clinical counseling context.

Page 6

Partnering with Area Homeless Shelters

Alpha Omega Nu kicks off Advocacy Week Each year, CACREP, the accrediting agency for Neumann’s master’s in counseling, PCMHC, opens a week promoting advocacy within and for the profession. This year, February 22 until 26 coincides with the start-up of the local chapter, Alpha Omega Nu’s, outreach and service campaign. The CACREP central office describes the purpose of the week as “ . . . a time set aside for counseling program faculty, students, and graduates to make their voices heard through engaging in advocacy efforts on behalf of their counseling programs and profession.”

PMCHC’s planning actually began in the Fall semester when the officers, Susan Kogon, Stephanie Fortunato and Liz Barr, determined to extend help to two area homeless shelters, Sunday Breakfast Mission and Ministry of Caring, both in Wilmington-based and both community partners of the University. After hearing from representatives of each group at the Meet and Greet event in the Fall semester, the officers researched how best to aid the two centers. What developed was a three tiered project directed to each. In the plan, students, graduates and faculty and staff are invited to contribute to the ministry and work of the centers in the following ways: 1) monetary offerings, 2) donations in kind that can be best used to support the residents and attendees; and 3) hands-on service.

The major project for the Breakfast Mission is what the center calls the Hope Tote (pictured on last page). Not only will volunteers have the opportunity to fill the tote bags or drop off items that can be used, but on Easter Sunday, members of PCMHC will share in the packing and distribution of the “totes.”

As part of the Community Learning Experience (CLE), to be held on April 13 from 5:30 to 8:30 in the Franciscan Spiritual Center, inductees of the local chapter will receive their ceremonial pins and pledge to commitment as a member of Chi Sigma Iota.

For more information see page 8

Groups of Alpha Omega Nu members gather for the “Meet and Greet” portion of the Honor Society’s initial meeting at which time all were able to come to know background of services and needs on the community partners to receive service. From left to right: Beth Bonanni shares with Father Tony Isaac, TOSF. In second photo: three colleagues (Marcia McIntosh, Kirsten Hilferty and Kirsten Fenton) exchange updates. Next, Dr. Beth Toler joins recent graduate, Margalita Poletunow. Finally, S.Kathy Flood, osf, is joined by Michelle Engle.

Page 7

PCMHC To Go Online —

Career Counseling First Fully Online Course With the move to 60 credits and the increase of former “elective” courses to three credits, this summer seemed the perfect time to initiate a plan that the faculty of PCMHC had discussed for a number of semesters; namely, putting some of the more theoretically based classes fully online. The move comes with the appearance of PCC 781: Career Counseling as a three credit, fully cyber-based class. The course will be taught by Madelyn Mickle, a Human Resource specialist both in training and in her work history. Along with a master’s degree in Business Administration with a concentration in Human Resource Management, Madelyn is a certified online adjunct teacher who both works as a HR manager and teaches in the social work department.

Speaking of the career course going online first, S. Suzanne noted that “It makes all the sense in the world to us on the PCMHC faculty. First of all, so many of the resources used in the direction of individuals in job, ministry and career searches are provided any more in this technological age in online formats. Also, with many states endeavoring to make alterations in license requirements to reach parity in the near future, the once two-credit requirement for some “lesser” courses seems to be a product of the past. Anymore, most seeking to meet NBCC and local and state requisites find a three credit criteria across the board. Once the states set standards that are more alike than different, reciprocity and interaction between and among clients in different states will be more possible.”

Having worked out the details for successful online teaching and learning, Madelyn will have students up and running when the summer session opens, right after graduation. She has prepared an orientation for students new to fully online learning. Madelyn has also constructed her syllabus to meet all the 2016 standards for CACREP including the area of multicultural awareness.

ACA Ethics Essay Winners — Continued from first page the competing constituencies and concerns in the dilemma presented, the trio chose a model of decision making both hermeneutical and holistic to examine the process. They clarify their choice n the essay stating that “The concept of hermeneutics in a modern sense is based upon the idea that one cannot understand a person isolated from society and personal history. This model provides a circular means of thinking which honors the convergence and divergence of the worlds of counselor and client and allows for intuition and reflection to enter into an otherwise linear approach to decision making .”

Expanding on the writing process, Stephanie Fortunato (PCC, 18) noted that “"We broke the paper into sections based on our strengths and interests." After collaborating for two months, the trio produced a 15-page APA formatted paper that addressed managing multiple relationships, maintaining appropriate boundaries, addressing privacy concerns, and recognizing power differentials. To collaborate in the most efficient way, the group used Google Docs to work on the same draft in real time.

Noting the importance of this award, S. Suzanne, the faculty advisor, who teaches the ethics course, stated "The area of ethics is, naturally, of great consequence to those in counselor education programs. The ACA promotes not only standards of best practice but the critical thinking necessary to apply them. I am so proud of these three excellent students."

Winners will be recognized in the ACA journal, Counseling Today, and the papers will be submitted for consideration of publication to the online journal, VISTAS. While the winners have been invited to attend the ACA Annual Conference and Expo, scheduled this year for March 31 through April 3 in Montreal, the young women will forego the trip due to their ongoing studies. Their names, however, will be applauded at the conference.

We’re on the Web — www.neumann.edu

Department of Pastoral Care and Counseling One Neumann Drive

Alpha Omega Nu Service Opportunities Choose a level of service that works for you!

Sunday Breakfast Mission 110 N. Poplar Street ● Wilmington, DE ● 19801 www.sundaybreakfastmission.org

Ways You Can Help Monetary Donations (see website to donate) Donation of Goods Hope Tote Campaign Request a tote from Sunday Breakfast Mission (SMB) or fill your own bag Drop off items at Sunday Breakfast Mission or in Pastoral Counseling area: Rm 328 Hands-on Help: To volunteer, please express your interest and availability to a AONu Officer (contacts below) Hope Tote Distribution - Easter Sunday, March 27 (If needed, transportation will be provided from Neumann) Serve dinner to residents on another day of choice.

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Ministry of Caring 506 N. Church Street ● Wilmington, DE ● www.ministryofcaring.org Ways You Can Help

19801

Monetary Donations (see website to donate) Donation of Goods New and lightly used clothing, games (like dominos, etc.), new toiletries (men and women), art supplies for kids, small items for “prizes” for bingo, winter hats/gloves (men, women, children) Bring to Ministry of Caring or drop off in Pastoral Counseling offices am offices: Rm 328 For questions, please reach out to any of the Alpha Omega Nu Officers: Elizabeth Barr – elizabeth.a.barr@gmail.com  Susan Kogon – cooninkogon@aol.com  Stephanie Fortunato – s.e.fortunato@gmail.com