Georgia Tech Counseling Center Annual Report 2009-2010

Georgia Tech Counseling Center 2009-2010 Annual Report

Services accredited by the International Association of Counseling Services (IACS)

Executive Summary Counseling Center Annual Report 2009-2010 The Georgia Tech Counseling Center is a unit of the Division of Student Affairs. The Center is dedicated to enhancing the academic experience and success of all students by providing a variety of counseling and psychological services to individuals and the campus community. We provide shortterm counseling services to address a wide range of personal and career concerns. Our services are available at no charge to currently enrolled students. The Counseling Center is accredited by the International Association of Counseling Services (IACS).

The Counseling Center supports the personal and professional development of Georgia Tech students, the educational mission of the Institute and the Division of Student Affairs by providing shortterm counseling, psychotherapy, and assessment to students, and outreach and consultative services to the Georgia Tech community. These services are offered with respect for others, appreciation of individual differences, and compassion. To provide quality clinical services, the Center's staff engages in ongoing professional development.

In addition, the Counseling Center is also a training site for graduate practicum students and pre-doctoral interns. The practicum training program offers supervised training experiences in providing direct psychological services to students and the campus community. The pre-doctoral internship training program is the capstone training experience for doctoral students in applied psychology. The internship training program offers training to those who are interested in gaining additional experience in working in a counseling center setting. The internship program attracts applicants from across the country who are placed at the Counseling Center through the National Matching Service. The pre-doctoral internship training program is a member of the Association of Psychology Postdoctoral and Internship Centers (APPIC).

Summary of Counseling Services Total Number of Counseling Appointments

5972

Total Number of Counseling Hours Provided

6152.83

Average Number of Sessions per Client

5.78

Most Frequently Assessed Client Concerns

• • • • •

Total Number of Client Hospitalizations

5

Depression (35%) Anxiety (33%) Alcohol/Drug (19%) ADHD ( 9%) Bipolar ( 4%)

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Group Counseling Summary Total Number of Groups Offered per Semester Total Number of Clients Total Number of Contact Hours

Outreach & Consultation Summary Total Number of Programs Offered Total Number of Contact Hours

12 115 1697

290 263.92

Client Demographics – Student Status Student Status: Percent: st 14% • 1 year 15% • 2nd year 15% • 3rd year th 17% • 4 year th 6% • 5 year th 3% • > 5 year 70% • Undergraduate 30% • Graduate

Client Demographics – Gender, Race/Ethnicity Gender: Percent: 58.9 • Male 40.0 • Female Race/Ethnicity: Percent: 5.3 • African American/Black 18.9 • Asian American/Asian 59.8 • European American/White 4.4 • Hispanic/Latino(a) 1.3 • Multiracial 13.6 • International

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Counseling Center Annual Report 2009-2010 Table of Contents

Executive Summary.......................................................................................................................... i Introduction .................................................................................................................................... 1 Staff.............................................................................................................................................. 2 Overview of Counseling Services................................................................................................. 3 Counseling Services......................................................................................................................... 4 Client Characteristics................................................................................................................... 5 Client Outcome Data ................................................................................................................... 8 Group Counseling ......................................................................................................................... 10 Outreach & Consultation .............................................................................................................. 12 Internship & Practicum Training................................................................................................... 15 Professional Development............................................................................................................ 20 Service to the Division and Institute............................................................................................. 23

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Introduction The Georgia Tech Counseling Center is a unit of the Division of Student Affairs. The mission of the Georgia Tech Counseling Center is the dedication of its services to enhance the academic experience and success of all students by providing a variety of counseling and psychological services to students and the greater campus community. The Counseling Center accomplishes its mission by offering services to students that facilitate personal development, assist in the alleviation, remediation, and prevention of distress, and educate students in ways that develop self-awareness, self-reliance, and self-confidence.

The services at the Counseling Center are accredited by the International Association of Counseling Services (IACS). The Center is dedicated to enhancing the academic experience and success of all students by providing a variety of counseling and psychological services to individuals and the campus community. The Center is staffed by licensed mental health professionals and counselors-intraining. We provide short-term counseling services to address personal and career concerns. Our services are available at no charge to currently enrolled students. These services include: • Individual & Couples Counseling • Group Counseling • Outreach & Consultation • • • •

Emergency & Crisis Services Referral Services Testing and Assessment After-hours On-call Services

The Counseling Center also serves as a training site for graduate practicum students and pre-doctoral interns. The practicum training program offers supervised training experiences in providing direct psychological services to students and the campus community. The pre-doctoral internship training program is the capstone training experience for doctoral students in applied psychology. The internship training program offers training to those who are interested in gaining additional experience in working in a counseling center setting and attracts applicants from across the country who are placed at the Counseling Center through the National Matching Service. The pre-doctoral internship training program is a member of the Association of Psychology Postdoctoral and Internship Centers (APPIC).

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Staff The Counseling Center has 10 (9.5 FTE) counseling staff (inclusive of the director). The Director, and Associate Directors comprise the administrative group of the Counseling Center responsible for overall administration of the agency as well as overseeing and coordinating policies and procedures for the Center. The following is a listing of the counseling staff at the Counseling Center for 2009-2010: Vacant Nelson Binggeli, PhD Mack S. Bowers, PhD Irene Dalton, PhD Mahlet Endale, PhD Kenneth C. Frontman, PhD Rome Lester, LMFT

• • • • • • •

Zach Ward, PhD Vacant Ruperto M. Perez, PhD

• • •

Associate Director/Clinical Director, Licensed Psychologist Licensed Psychologist, Testing & Assessment Coordinator Associate Director/Training Director, Licensed Psychologist Licensed Psychologist Licensed Psychologist, Outreach Coordinator Licensed Psychologist Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist, Group Program Coordinator Staff Psychologist Licensed Psychologist Director, Licensed Psychologist

In September 2009, Zach Ward, PhD joined the Counseling Center staff, filling a newly created position. In February 2009, a search for the vacant staff psychologist position was initiated but was then halted due to budget restrictions. Approval to proceed with a search for the vacant position was extended in May 2009. In addition, Jill Lee-Barber, PhD (Associate Director/Clinical Services Director) resigned her position in August 2009 after 7 years of service to assume the role of Director at the Georgia State Counseling and Testing Center. A national search was conducted to fill both the vacant staff psychologist position and the vacant Associate Director/Clinical Services Director position. Kimber Shelton, PhD accepted an offer for the staff psychologist position and Michelle Lyn, PhD accepted an offer for the Associate Director/Clinical Services Director position. Both are anticipated to begin at the Center after July 1. During the 2009-2010 year, Tiffiny Hughes-Troutman, PhD served as a TechTemp to provide counseling services to students at the Center.

The Center also has 3 (2.5 FTE) administrative support positions (administrative assistant II, secretary/receptionist, administrative clerk). In July 2009, Sherry Johnson resigned her position as administrative clerk and in September 2009, and Tamika Love resigned her position as Administrative Assistant II to take another position at Loyola University (Chicago, IL). Searches were conducted to fill both positions. Dania Roker was hired in November 2009 as Administrative Clerk and Joni Gober was hired in January 2010 as Administrative Assistant II. The following is a listing of the administrative support staff at the Counseling Center for 2009-2010: Joni Gober Nadine Robinson Dania Roker

• Administrative Assistant II • Secretary/Receptionist • Administrative Clerk

Two pre-doctoral positions were again selected via the 2009 APPIC (Association of Psychology Postdoctoral and Internship Centers) Match process. Two candidates were matched with the Counseling Center from a national applicant pool to become the Center’s second internship class.

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Anthony Pollard, M.A. (Argosy University-Atlanta), and Michael Rothman, M.A. (Emory University) joined the Center in August 2009 and both will complete their internship in August 2010.

In addition, the Counseling Center sponsors training for practicum students each year from graduate counseling or psychology programs. In 2009-2010, the Counseling Center accepted the following into the practicum training program: Philip Gnilka Carla Moore Laura Obert Katie Tart Jenny Wu

• • • • •

Georgia State University University of Georgia Auburn University Argosy University University of Georgia

Overview of Counseling Services Individual & Couples Counseling. The Center offers individual counseling for students who present with a wide variety of psychological, vocational, and academic concerns. The most frequently assessed concerns are depression, anxiety, and relationship issues. In addition, the Center provides couples counseling to currently enrolled students and their partners/spouses. To be eligible for couples counseling, one member of the couple must be a currently enrolled student. The Counseling Center uses a short-term model of counseling to assist them in addressing their concerns.

Group Counseling. The Center offers several groups each semester. These include support group, therapy groups, and educational groups.

Outreach & Consultation. The Counseling Center offers campus consultation to various campus groups and a number of educational programs and workshops as well. These workshops are open to all Georgia Tech students, faculty, and staff. Some of the workshops that are offered are on topics such as stress management, managing anxiety, relationships, and study skills.

Emergency & Crisis Services. The counseling staff provides crisis and emergency services during regular office hours as well as after-hours and during the weekend. Emergency walk-in times are available during the week for students experiencing a personal crisis. In addition, after-hours consultation and crisis service is available through the counselor-on-duty. The counseling staff is also available to provide emergency response to campus incidents and events.

Referral Services. Psychiatric referrals for medication evaluation and treatment are available through the psychiatrist at the Student Health Center. The Counseling Center works closely with the psychiatrist to facilitate referrals for psychiatric evaluations and follow-up as needed. In addition, a comprehensive listing is maintained by the Counseling Center for students who are in need of extended services or whose presenting concerns are beyond the scope of service at the Center.

Testing & Assessment. A variety of psychological, intellectual, and personality tests are available from licensed psychologists for clients. These include screenings for ADHD, personality assessment, and interest inventories. Mandatory assessments (e.g., drug and alcohol, stress, anger, psychological) were also provided via referrals from the Office of Student Integrity.

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Counseling Services The Counseling Center continued to provide quality services through 2009-2010 and continued to meet the needs of students and the campus by providing a range of counseling and outreach/consultation services. The demand for initial counseling services remained high, particularly during the early part of Fall and Spring semesters.

Counseling Center Annual Data 2009-2010 Total Initial Consultations 160 140

# consultations

120 100 80 60 40 20 0 May-08 Jun-08 Jul-08 Aug-08 Sep-08 Oct-08 Nov-08 Dec-08 Jan-09 Feb-09 Mar-09 Apr-09 May-09

Revision of Counseling Services: Stepped Care Model During 2009-2010, the Center implemented a revised counseling services model based on the previous year’s examination of the usage trends for counseling services in comparison to existing resources. The resulting model is a stepped care model of counseling services based on philosophy of providing the least resource-intensive service to yield the most effective therapeutic gain for the client.

The stepped care model creates several options to counseling for students seeking services to optimize current available resources. Counseling services that are the least resource intensive and which are likely to provide a significant gain are offered first. Clients are monitored and offered additional services as needed to provide therapeutic gain.

Initial evaluation data of the new model indicates that: a. The wait time for initial counseling session has significantly decreased. Clients are now seen the same day for an initial session (compared to previous 2-3 week max. wait time); b. The wait list for individual counseling has decreased. Clients are now seen no later than 2 weeks of initial session; c. There is no significant difference in the satisfaction level of clients receiving on-going individual counseling and clients receiving follow-up consultation (p < .05).

A program of the Centerâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s revised model was presented at the 2010 ACPA annual convention.

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Counseling Services Data 2009-2010 was the Counseling Centerâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s second busiest year in the last 3 years with a 7% increase in the number of new students compared to 2007-2008. During 2009-2010, a total of 976 students were seen at the Center for initial consultation (individual, couples, group, crisis/emergency/urgent). The Center provided a total of 5,972 client appointments with a total of 6,152.83 client hours. Counseling staff also provided a total of 46.87 hours of emergency after hours on-call services, which represents a 50% increase from last year. Additionally, counseling staff were involved in 5 client hospitalizations during 2009-2010.

Students presented to the Counseling Center with a variety of concerns. Of the concerns presented by students, the most frequently assessed client concerns were: depression (35%), anxiety (33%), alcohol/drug (19%), ADHD (9%), and bipolar (4%). The average number of sessions provided to students was 5.78 sessions. 6% of new students seeking extensive counseling were offered a referral to agencies/practitioners in the community.

Counseling Center Annual Data 2009-2010 Clients by Assessed Concern (Top 5) ADHD 9%

bipolar 4%

depression 35% alcohol/drug 19%

Counseling Center Annual Data 2009-2010 (Total % Ethnic/Racial Minority Students) anxiety 33%

100 90 80

Client Characteristics The Counseling Center continued to serve a number of diverse students during 2009-2010.

Almost half of the clients seen were racial/ethnic minority students and international students (45%).

Of the students of color seen at the Counseling Center, 18.9% were Asian/Asian-American, 5.3% were Black/African-American, 4.4% were Hispanic/Latina(o), 1.3% were multiracial, and .7% were Native American. Additionally, international students comprised 13.6% of the clients seen at the Center, representing a 30% increase from last year.

70

percent

60 50 40 30 20 10 0 Counseling Center

GT Population

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Counseling Center Annual Data 2009-2010 (% ethnic/racial minority clients) 100 90 80

percent

70 60 50 40 30 20 10

O th er

na l na t io In te r

W hi

N

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te /C

Am

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as

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ia n

an

ia l ac ul t ir M

isp H

Bl

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/A

fri c

an

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/L a

Am

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As

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0

Other client characteristics are presented in Tables 1-3 below: Table 1

Gender: Male Female Transgender Sexual Orientation (self-identified): Heterosexual Gay Lesbian Bisexual Academic Status: 1st year 2nd year 3rd year 4th year 5th year Graduate Relationship Status: Dating Regularly Married/Partnered Single

% Counseling Center Clients

% GT Campus

59 40 .20

72 28 -

82 2.2 .20 3.6

-

14 15 15 17 6 30

16 14 15 20 33

35 10 65

-

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Table 2

College: Architecture Computing Engineering Ivan Allen Management Sciences GPA: < 0.0 > 1.0 and less than 2.0 ≥ 2.0 and less than 2.5 ≥ 2.5 and less than 3.0 ≥ 3.0 and less than 3.5 ≥ 3.5 and less than 4.0 Equal to 4.0

% Counseling Center Clients

% GT Campus

6 7 47 7 7 12

6 8 57 6 10 10 1 6 12 16 29 26 7

Table 3 % Counseling Center Clients Residence: Fraternity/Sorority Off Campus Parents/Family Residence Hall

5 49 1 45

Referral Source: ADAPTS Career Services Dean of Students Faculty/Staff Family Friend Health Center Housing OMED Other Self

3 .7 13 5 8 13 19 4 .2 20 18

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Client Outcome Data Client Satisfaction Survey. The Counseling Center engages in ongoing assessment of client experiences at the Center. Each year, the Center surveys its clients to assess the degree of their satisfaction with the Counseling Center, the degree of satisfaction of their progress during counseling, and the degree to which counseling has been helpful to them in their academic success. The survey is based on a 5-point Likert-scale rating from 1 (not at all satisfied) to 5 (very satisfied). In sum, clients indicated that they were satisfied with their overall counseling experience and that counseling was helpful in improving or maintaining their academic performance. Results from other items are listed in Table 4.

Table 4

How satisfied are you with the services you have received at the Counseling Center?

How satisfied were you with you initial screening appointment?

How satisfied are you on your progress with the concerns that brought you to counseling?

How satisfied have you been with your counselor?

How satisfied are you that your counselor understands the nature of your concerns?

How satisfied are you with the assistance of the Front Desk staff?

How helpful has counseling been to you in improving or maintaining your academic progress?

How likely would you be to recommend our services to a friend?

Avg. Rating 4.4 4.4 4.0 4.5 4.5 4.7 3.8

4.6

Client Experience of Counseling. In addition, clients were also asked to provide open feedback and comments as to there experience at the Counseling Center. The range of responses generally fell into 2 areas: 1) overall client experience of counseling, and 2) experience with counselor. Below is a sample of the comments in each area: Overall Experience: •

“I walked into the Counseling Center this past summer when a family disaster broke out in my life. I didn't know what to expect, but I was pleasantly surprised at the helpful staff and their dedication to help. The Counseling Center is wonderful.”

•

“I have recommended you guys to friends for problems they have been having. Thanks for all your help!”

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•

“Coming to counseling has been a great experience, and it has really helped to shed perspective on my life's occurrences.”

•

“I am glad by coming over here and getting my concerns addressed by the experts. They have helped me understand why things are happening with me and learning from them. Thank you.”

•

“I have sought independent counseling for myself I have been so grateful for what is available here at GT. It has been a stabilizing factor for me and gives me hope.”

•

“The services here are extremely useful outside of that academic area as well. Sadly, I don't think one hour is enough time for all my concerns.”

•

“My counseling sessions provided me with invaluable insight into how to identify the negative thought patterns in my head (catastrophizing, setting unrealistic expectations, expecting the worst, not putting events into a grand perspective of your life, etc.) and defeat them with positive thinking and an in-depth analysis of their origins. The ease of attending the sessions on campus and the friendliness of all the staff was extremely helpful. Overall, a fantastic semester experience!”

•

“Counseling has been very helpful, especially since I've never been to counseling before. Would most definitely recommend the Counseling Center (and have already recommended it). Very low pressure, which is good/comforting.”

Experience with Counselor: •

“I've enjoyed meeting with my counselor. But I'm uncertain if it has really helped me in the long term. Still, each time I come I do feel better at least for that day.”

•

“I've had to switch counselors, and while my first counseling experience was not as helpful as my current counselor, I think I am finally obtaining help from an excellent counselor… who is cognizant of my needs. I have a lot more ground to cover as far as my progress is concerned, but I think I'm on the right track.”

•

“My counselor has been extremely easy to talk to about my various concerns and problems. It's been a huge help.”

•

“Dr. ( ) has really helped me turn things around. I am finally making real progress, and I cannot be happier about this.”

•

“( ) has been a huge help to me this year. I feel a lot better after seeing her and I feel almost like myself again.”

•

“( ) has been a wonderful counselor-both my wife and I feel comfortable with him and feel he is insightful and helpful.”

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CCAPS. As a regular part of the initial screening paperwork, the Counseling Center adapted the Counseling Center Assessment of Psychological Symptoms (CCAPS; Soet & Sevig, 2006) in place of the OQ-45. The CCAPS was developed at the University of Michigan Counseling and Psychological Services Center. The CCAPS is a 70-item instrument that focuses on the unique presenting issues of college students. The CCAPS includes 9 subscales: depression, eating issues, substance use, general anxiety, hostility, social role anxiety, family of origin issues, academic stress, and spirituality. There are 5 additional scales included for clinical utility: dissociative symptoms, cultural/ethnic identity, violent thoughts, and history of abuse. The CCAPS has demonstrated strong convergent and divergent validity and has demonstrated strong reliability (α=.93). The CCAPS also is integrated within the Titanium scheduler and database which allows for automated scoring and report generation. The Center began using the CCAPS at the beginning of the 2009-2010 academic year and, after a year of piloting the CCAPS, the Center is reviewing other assessment options for initial screening purposes.

Group Counseling Group counseling continued to be offered by the Counseling Center. For 2009-2010, the Center was successful in offering a total of 12 groups during Fall and Spring semesters. The groups program resulted in a total of 1697 client hours. Senior staff facilitated a number of groups throughout the year. Groups were also facilitated/co-facilitated by interns and practicum students. This past year, the Center offered a men’s group which proved successful. A limited number of groups were also offered during the Summer semester based on student demand. The following is a listing of groups offered by the Counseling Center during 2009-2010: Counseling Center Groups 2009-2010 CHANGES A group that provides support for undergraduate and graduate students who seek to make changes in their lives, yet find themselves stifled. The group provides a functional environment and process such that one can identify achievable goals and manage the issues that get in the way of reaching personal goals.

CONNECTIONS This group provides a safe and affirming place for GLBT students to share experiences and connect with others.

DOCTORAL THESIS SUPPORT GROUP The group provides a supportive environment for doctoral students to address academic, professional, and personal challenges involved in completing a doctoral thesis. Common topics include: maintaining motivation in the face of obstacles, setting achievable goals, and working effectively with one’s advisor.

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Counseling Center Groups 2009-2010 (cont.)

GRADUATE WOMEN’S GROUP A group that allows GT graduate student women to connect with others around personal, academic, and relationship issues.

INTERNATIONAL CONNECTION This group provides a forum for GA Tech international students to explore the process of cultural adjustment and relating across cultures. Students will be able to explore their adjustments to American classrooms. This will be a safe environment for students to discuss different experiences of stress, emotions, and relationships with peers and family.

INTERNATIONAL SPOUSE/PARTNER GROUP A support group for the spouses/partners of international students. It will allow international spouses to connect with one another and to provide support as they navigate living in the US. INTERPERSONAL GROUP A mixed gender group where students can come together to discuss issues and concerns in their lives.

SISTER TIME This group provides the opportunity for Black women to come together to gain support in balancing the multiple roles within their lives. The group focuses on working through academic challenges, enhancing one’s sense of self, overcoming obstacles, understanding personal and professional relationships, gaining support and strategies to improve overall wellness.

MEN’S & WOMEN’S INTERPERSONAL THERAPY GROUP This mixed gender group will provide an opportunity for students to meet weekly to discuss issues and concerns that create stumbling blocks to success. Some of the issues discussed are communication styles, stress management and general life concerns.

MEN’S FORUM This group provides the opportunity for men to discuss a range of issues in their lives. The group will meet weekly and will address issues pertinent to male student on campus: romantic relationship concerns, academic struggles, concerns about one’s professional future, questions about how to improve oneself in relationships and in one’s community, etc.

TECH TOUCH POINTS Tech Touch Points is a weekly therapy group designed to provide students with valuable skills needed for personal and interpersonal development and growth. Topics will include enhancing skills for academic and career success, learning coping and stress management skills, dealing with emotions, handling family issues, and choosing healthy relationships.

STRESS BUSTERS A group that will teach techniques and coping skills that will reduce stress in an academically challenging environment.

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Outreach & Consultation The Counseling Center continued its service in the area of outreach and consultation, providing a wide variety of programs and workshops to students and the campus community. Outreach programs were offered from a core set of offerings each year in addition to responding to individual outreach requests from consultation contacts, student groups, organizations, and departments.

Overall, the Counseling Center was very successful in its efforts to provide quality outreach and consultation to the campus community. A total of 290 educational workshops and outreach programs were presented to the campus community and a total of 263.92 contact hours, The Counseling Center continued to partner with Housing to offer programs to residents and training programs for housing staff. In addition, the Counseling Center continued its partnership with the Library to offer outreach programming. The outreach and consultation programs offered by the Counseling Center during 2009-2010 are listed below: Counseling Center Outreach & Consultation 2009-2010 Workshop Topics Stress Management 101 Transitioning to College Mind Matters Being a Minority on a Majority Campus: Identifying Stressors and Overcoming Challenges Donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t Believe everything you think: Using logic to overcome stress Stress Management for Women Making Your Personality Work For You Stress Management Relaxation Techniques All your drama is not on cable? Relationship stress addressed!

Overcoming the Stressors of Perfectionism & Procrastination Stress Management for International Students An Act of Respect Stress Management for Ethnic Minorities Counseling Center General Information Sessions Understanding the Wisdom of Your Dreams Writing Your Dissertation Overcoming Public Speaking Anxiety

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Counseling Center Outreach & Consultation 2009-2010 (cont.)

Campus Events/Trainings/Panels Take Back the Night When the Whistle Blows Training for Housing Student Staff (Listening Skills, Recognizing and Referring a Student in Distress) Weekly Support and Educational Group for International Spouses in Housing FASET and transfer FASET Guest lectures in GT1000 classes Diversity Training for Housing Additionally, the Counseling Center provided programs for faculty and staff on assisting distressed students as part of the Mental Health Task Force initiative.

Counseling Center Annual Data 2009-2010 Outreach Evaluations

Engagement of Audience Preparation Knowledge of Presenter Effectiveness of Presentation Personal/Pactical Relevance Breadth of Coverage

0

1

2

3

4

5

Evaluations were conducted for outreach programs provided to students and the campus.

Ratings are based on a 5-point Likert scale. Overall, this yearâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s evaluation results point to the general effectiveness of outreach programs for the campus. These results indicate the ongoing and increased efforts of our outreach program to intentionally target students and campus needs and the Centerâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s efforts in effectively meeting those needs (Table 5).

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Table 5 Avg. Rating (1-5 scale) Workshop Evaluation • Breadth of Coverage • Personal/Practical Relevance • Effectiveness of Presentation Presenter • Knowledge • Preparation • Engagement of Audience Goal Accomplishment Arrangements • Convenience • Notification of Event • Location/Room Environment • Format/Multimedia Use

4.03 4.11 4.03 4.36 4.25 4.10 3.61 3.92 3.71 3.94 3.75

Emergency & Crisis Services Emergency and crisis services continued to be provided by the Counseling Center during 2009-2010. The Counseling Center offers a number of walk-in emergency times during regular office hours for students. During these times, students may meet with the counselor-on-duty to discuss their concern.

Appointments for additional intake or recommendations for counseling at the Center may be made during this time. In addition, for students whose presenting concerns require more on-going counseling than can be provided at the Center, counseling staff work with students to provide community referral options.

During 2009-2010, a total of 149 clients were seen by counseling staff for urgent/emergency screenings and crisis interventions. Counseling staff also provided a total of 46.87 hours of emergency after hours on-call services. Additionally, counseling staff were involved in 5 client hospitalizations during 2009-2010.

The Counseling Center refers students in need of hospitalization to various area facilities. This past year, the Center worked with Ridgeview Institute to streamline referrals of students to their facility and arrangements were also made by Ridgeview Institute to provide transportation services for students as needed.

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Internship & Practicum Training During 2009-2010, the Counseling Center’s training program continued its pre-doctoral training program in psychology. In addition, the Counseling Center also accepted a number of graduate students in counseling and psychology from area institutions for its practicum training program. The Training Committee is responsible for the review and selection of applicants as trainees at the Center.

Internship Two pre-doctoral positions were again selected via the 2009 APPIC Match process. Two candidates were matched with the Counseling Center from a national applicant pool to become the Center’s third internship class. Anthony Pollard, M.A. (Argosy University-Atlanta), and Michael Rothman, M.A. (Emory University) joined the Center in August 2009 and both will complete their internship in August 2010. Training seminars offered as part of the internship training program are listed below: Internship Training Seminar – Fall, 2009 All seminars are conducted in the small group room from 10:00 to 12:00PM August 14 August 21 August 27

Emergency Response Training – Mack Bowers Orientation with Practicum Students Book Review/Discussion (College Mental Health Practice) – Mack Bowers

September 3 September 10 September 17 September 24

Time-limited Dynamic Therapy – Ken Frontman Time-limited Dynamic Therapy – Ken Frontman Time-limited Dynamic Therapy – Ken Frontman Multicultural Seminar – Mack Bowers

October 1 October 8 October 15 October 22 October 29

Cognitive Behavioral Therapy – Nelson Binggeli Cognitive Behavioral Therapy – Nelson Binggeli Cognitive Behavioral Therapy – Nelson Binggeli Multicultural Seminar – Mack Bowers Interpersonal Counseling – Mack Bowers

November 5 November 12 November 19 November 26

Interpersonal Counseling – Mack Bowers Supervision – Irene Dalton Supervision – Irene Dalton Thanksgiving Holiday

December 5 December 10

Supervision – Irene Dalton Professional Transitions (licensure and job search) – Nelson Binggeli

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Internship Training Seminar (Spring, 2010) All seminars are conducted in the small group room from 10:00 to 12:00PM January 14 January 21 January 28

GLBT Issues – Toti Perez GLBT Issues – Toti Perez GLBT Issues – Toti Perez

February 4 February 11 February 18 February 25

Couples Counseling – Tiffiny Hughes-Troutman Couples Counseling – Tiffiny Hughes-Troutman Couples Counseling – Tiffiny Hughes-Troutman Group Counseling – Rome Lester

March 4 March 11 March 18 March 25

Group Counseling – Rome Lester Group Counseling – Rome Lester Spring Break Multicultural Seminar – Mack Bowers

April 1 April 8 April 15 April 22 April 29

Trauma – Mahlet Endale Trauma – Mahlet Endale Trauma – Mahlet Endale Special Topics – Cinema Therapy Career Counseling (Overview) – Ken Frontman

May 6 May 13 May 20 May 27

Career Counseling (Strong Interest Inventory) – Mack Bowers Career Counseling (Myers-Briggs) – Ken Frontman Spirituality – Zach Ward Spirituality – Zach Ward

June 3 June 10 June 17 June 24

Substance Abuse – Ken Frontman Substance Abuse – Ken Frontman Special Topics – Cinema Therapy Special Topics – Ordinary People

July 1 July 8 July 15 July 24

Transference/Countertransference - Anger Transference/Countertransference - Attraction To be announced Terminations and Farewell

APA Accreditation: In 2005, the Counseling Center established and executed a 5-year plan for pursuing accreditation of the internship training program by the American Psychological Association (APA). The psychology pre-doctoral internship, similar to medical school residency, is regarded as the capstone training experience for psychology doctoral candidates and is crucial in their preparation as practicing psychologists. Establishing an internship training program has a number of benefits to Georgia Tech, including, (1) increased service resources for Georgia Tech students, (2) increased service resources for the Georgia Tech campus community, (3) increased state and national visibility for the Division of Student Affairs and the Institute, and (4) professional contribution to the field of psychology.

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Establishing an APA-accredited internship at the Counseling Center would put the Counseling Center on par with other counseling centers at our peer and aspirational institutions, provide services to the campus community, and raise the visibility of the Counseling Center at a national level. In addition, an APA-accredited internship site is highly valued among counseling center staff who provide training and supervision to interns as well as those persons who wish to be a part of a nationally-accredited training program.

A majority of internship training programs are housed in college or university counseling centers, many located at flagship state institutions across the country. At present, 61% of Georgia Techâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s peer and aspirational institutions have an APA-accredited counseling center internship program and 55% of ACC institutions have an APA-accredited counseling center internship program. The state of Georgia currently has only one APA-accredited counseling center internship program in the University System of Georgia (USG), located at Georgia State University. As an outside USG institution, Emory University is the only other university counseling center internship that is APA-accredited. An APA accredited internship at Georgia Tech would be only the second APA-accredited counseling center internship in the State of Georgia University system and the 3rd APA-accredited counseling center internship in the state of Georgia.

Since 2005, the Counseling Center has worked to pursue accreditation of the internship program by recruiting interns beginning in 2007 and by developing the requisite self-study of the program for submission to APA. The Center completed its written self-study of the internship in December in preparation for a consultation site visit and prior to formal application for accreditation.

The purpose of the consultation site visit was to determine the readiness of the internship program to apply for APA accreditation. In March 2010, Louise Douce, PhD (The Ohio State University) was invited as a consultant to conduct the consultation site visit. Based on her comments and feedback, it was determined that the internship program was ready to move forward with its application for APA accreditation. In April 2010, the Counseling Center submitted its formal application to the APA Office of Program Consultation and Accreditation and is presently awaiting approval from APA Office of Program Consultation and Accreditation for a formal site visit.

The current projected timeline, including the major objectives and goals is illustrated below.

The remaining objectives and goals are highlighted in Table 6:

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Table 6 Counseling Center Internship Program Timeline to APA Accreditation 2005

2006

2007

2008

2009

2010

2011

assess current budget and training program (COMPLETE)

develop/propose plan for transition (post-doc to pre-doc) (COMPLETE)

implement plan for transition (COMPLETE)

est. 1st intern class APPIC* membership APPIC Match (COMPLETE)

dev. self-study dev. intern/prac manuals (COMPLETE)

mock site-visit revise self-study prepare for site visit (COMPLETE)

application to APA (COMPLETE) APA site visit

* Association of Psychology Postdoctoral and Internship Centers

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Practicum Training: In addition to the internship program, the Center continues to sponsor a practicum training program for graduate students in counseling and psychology, accepting 5-6 graduate students each year. During 2009-2010, 5 graduate students were accepted as practicum trainees: Philip Gnilka Carla Moore Laura Obert Katie Tart Jenny Wu

• • • • •

Georgia State University University of Georgia Auburn University Argosy University University of Georgia

During their time at the Center, practicum students take part in conducting individual and group counseling under the supervision of senior counseling staff or postdoctoral resident. In addition, practicum students may become involved in outreach opportunities presented to the Center. As part of the training experience, senior staff provides weekly orientation and training seminars for intern and practicum students.

Other Services In March 2010, the Counseling Center launched its Twitter page as a means of informing students and the Georgia Tech community of upcoming programs and services.

The Twitter site has also been a useful means to provide various tips to students, such as managing stress and how to manage anxiety.

The Counseling Center Twitter page can be accessed on the Georgia Tech website (“Tweets @ Tech”) or may also be found at twitter.com/GTCounseling.

.

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Professional Development The counseling staff are required to obtain continuing education in order to maintain their professional license and to provide services through the Counseling Center. Continuing education may be obtained through attendance at workshops, seminars, or professional conferences/conventions. The counseling staff continued their individual professional development through attendance at a number of various workshops and programs. In addition, counseling staff attended and/or presented at various professional meetings, and were involved in research and publication throughout the year as listed below: Nelson Binggeli Meetings/Conferences Attended: American Psychological Association (Toronto, Ontario, Canada) American College Personnel Association convention (Boston, MA) Continuing Education: Ethical Decision Making & Risk Management in Clinical Practice Introduction to Motivational Interviewing Initial Interview - Essential Principles and Techniques With Diverse Clients Psychologists Making a Difference on Campus - Underserved Populations Symposium: Modifying EBP to Increase Cultural Competence Diagnoses, Dimensions, DSM-V Strategies for Successful Practices Research-Supported Psychological Treatments Psychotherapy Relationships That Work Evidence-Based Practice With Ethnic Minority Populations Culturally Informed Interventions with Ethnically Diverse Populations Research Publications/Conference Presentations: Binggeli, N. (2010, March). A stepped care model for counseling centers. In R.M. Perez, (Chair), Innovating counseling services through a stepped-care model. Symposium presented at the annual meeting of the American College Personnel Association, Boston, MA. Invited Presentations: Endale, M., & Binggeli, N. J. (2010, March). Innovations in College Counseling-Psychoeducational seminars: A little knowledge can go a long way. Program presented at the annual meeting of the American College Personnel Association, Boston, MA. Mack S. Bowers Meetings/Conferences Attended: Association of Counseling Center Training Agencies (Austin, TX)

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Irene Dalton Continuing Education: Audio Conference on Disability Anger and Verbal Abuse in Couples Addiction as an Attachment Disorder Other workshops at GPA Meetings/Conferences Attended: GPA Annual Conference 2010 Mahlet Endale Meetings/Conferences Attended: American College Personnel Association convention (Boston, MA) rd 3 Annual Public Health Approach to Preventing Suicide at Colleges and Universities in Georgia Conference (Athens, GA) Research Publications/Conference Presentations: Endale, M. (2010, March). Implementation of a stepped care model for Georgia Tech. In R.M. Perez, (Chair), Innovating counseling services through a stepped-care model. Symposium presented at the annual meeting of the American College Personnel Association, Boston, MA. Invited Presentations: Endale, M., & Binggeli, N. J. (2010, March). Innovations in College Counseling-Psychoeducational seminars: A little knowledge can go a long way. Program presented at the annual meeting of the American College Personnel Association, Boston, MA. Endale, M. (2010, April). Outreach to vulnerable populations: International students. Presented at the rd 3 annual Public Health Approach to Preventing Suicide at Colleges and Universities in Georgia Conference, Athens, GA. Kenneth C. Frontman Continuing Education: Emerging trends in the treatment of bipolar disorder.

Group treatment for addictive disorders Meetings/Conferences Attended: Systems Centered Training & Research Institute Annual Conference (Philadelphia, PA) Research Publications/Conference Presentations: Frontman, K.C. & Silverstein, M. (2010, April). A Systemâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Centered Perspective on 12-Step Recovery Process & Relapse Prevention, The Systemâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Centered Training & Research Institute International Conference, Philadelphia, PA. Rome Lester Continuing Education: Professional Ethics (AVITA)

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Ruperto M. Perez Continuing Education: Online Video Supervision: A Case Study Ethical Issues in the Practice of Sexual Orientation Conversion Therapy Power to Prescribe: The Debate Over the Prescription Privilege for Psychologists and the Legal Issues Implicated Management of Pain with Psychotropics: A Brief Introduction Preventing Medical Errors in Behavioral Health Ethics and Law in Psychology Innovations in College Counseling Meetings/Conferences Attended: American Psychological Association convention (Toronto, Ontario, Canada) Association of University and College Counseling Center Directors conference (Asheville, NC) American College Personnel Association convention (Boston, MA) APA Commission on Accreditation (Washington, DC) Southeast Conference of Counseling Center Personnel (Athens, GA) 3rd Annual Public Health Approach to Preventing Suicide at Colleges and Universities in Georgia Conference (Athens, GA) Research Publications/Conference Presentations: Chung, Y.B., Israel, T.A., Mobley, M., & Perez, R.M. (2009, August). Rainbow action against racism (S. Hamilton, Chair). Symposium presented at the 116th annual meeting of the American Psychological Association, Toronto, Ontario, Canada.

McLeod, M., & Perez, R.M. (2009, October). Using videos to educate faculty as gatekeepers for th identifying students at risk. Program presented at the 60 annual meeting of the Association of College Counseling Center Directors, Asheville, NC. Perez, R.M., (2010, March). Innovating counseling services through a stepped-care model. Symposium (Chair) presented at the annual meeting of the American College Personnel Association, Boston, MA. Invited Presentations: Perez, R.M. (2009, October). Intersecting identities among LGBT people: Awareness, knowledge, and affirmation. Workshop presented at the annual SCCCP Conference, Athens, GA Perez, R.M. (2010, April). Phase II of coalition building: Implementing a suicide prevention plan.

Presented at the 3rd annual Public Health Approach to Preventing Suicide at Colleges and Universities in Georgia Conference, Athens, GA.

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Nadine Robinson Research Publications/Conference Presentations: Robinson, N. (2010, March). Benefits of a stepped care model for the Georgia Tech Counseling Center.

In R.M. Perez, (Chair), Innovating counseling services through a stepped-care model. Symposium presented at the annual meeting of the American College Personnel Association, Boston, MA. Zach Ward Research Publications/Conference Presentations: Ward, A. Z., & Cook, S. W. (In Press). The complex associations between conforming to masculine norms and religiousness in men. Journal of Men and Masculinity.

Service to the Division and Institute During 2009-2010, the Counseling Center staff has been active in their work as a part of the various committees within the Center. These committees serve to coordinate the functional areas of the Center and serve to coordinate services to students and the campus. In addition, staff have also participated in service to the Division and/or Institute through their involvement in a number of committees and task forces.

Their involvement is listed below:

Mack S. Bowers Counseling Center Committees: Chair, Training Committee Member, Staff Psychologist Selection Committee Member, Associate Director/Clinical Director Selection Committee Service to the Division/Institute: Member, Division of Student Affairs Technology committee Member, Go T.E.C.H. Coalition (Teams Encouraging Campus Health) - Programming Committee Member, Search Committee for Director for Roe Stamps Health Center Nelson Binggeli Counseling Center Committees: Clinical Services Task Force Stepped-Care Working Group Seminars/Groups/Outreach Working Group Service to the Division/Institute: ADAPTS Advisory Board

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Irene Dalton Counseling Center Committees: Member, Staff Psychologist Selection Committee Service to the Division/Institute: Member, Staff Psychologist Selection Committee Member, Alcohol Task Force- Implementation Committee Authored 2 articles for “ParentNews” newsletter Awards received: Certificate for 10 years of service at GT Mahlet Endale Counseling Center Committees: Member, Associate Director/Clinical Director Selection Committee Service to the Division/Institute: Member, Body Image Awareness Committee (Women’s Resource Center) Kenneth C. Frontman Counseling Center Committees: Member, Associate Director/Clinical Director Search Committee Rome Lester Counseling Center Committees: Member, Associate Director/Clinical Director Selection Committee Member, Training Committee Service to the Division/Institute: Student Affairs Strategic Planning Committee Sexual Violence Task Force Advisory Board/Women's Resource Center Ruperto M. Perez Service to the Division/Institute: Co-Chair, Student Affairs Diversity Committee Chair, Mental Health Task Force Implementation Group Member, Selection Committee for Vice President of Institute Diversity Advisor, Active Minds at Georgia Tech Zach Ward Counseling Center Committees: Member, Staff Psychologist Selection Committee

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Professional Membership & Leadership Various staff are members of a number of state, regional and/or national professional organizations. In addition, some counseling staff are actively involved within their professional organizations and/or involved in areas of leadership within their professional organizations as listed below: Nelson Binggeli Member, American College Personnel Association Member, American Psychological Association (APA) • Member, Society of Counseling Psychology, Division 17 o Member, Section on College and University Counseling Centers, Division 17 Mack S. Bowers Member, Georgia Psychological Association Member, American Psychological Association Irene Dalton Member, American College Personnel Association Member, Southeastern Psychological Association Member, Georgia College Counseling Association Mahlet Endale Member, American College Personnel Association Member, Georgia Psychological Association Kenneth C. Frontman Member, American Association of Marriage and Family Therapists Member, American Group Psychotherapy Association Member, American Psychological Association Member, Georgia Psychological Association Member, National Register of Health Service Providers in Psychology Member, Systems Centered Training & Research Institute Member, Atlanta Group Psychotherapy Society Rome Lester Member, American Association of Marriage and Family Therapists Member, Georgia Association of Marriage & Family Therapists Member, American Group Psychotherapy Association Ruperto M. Perez Member, American Psychological Association (APA) • Fellow, Division 17 (Counseling Psychology) o Member, Section on Ethnic and Racial Diversity o Member, Section for Lesbian, Gay, and Bisexual Awareness • Fellow, Division 44 (Society for the Psychological Study of Lesbian, Gay, and Bisexual Issues)

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• •

Member, Division 51 (Society for the Psychological Study of Men and Masculinity) Member, APA Commission on Accreditation

Member, American College Personnel Association • Member, Commission for Counseling and Psychological Services (CCAPS) th o Member, CCAPS 50 Anniversary Program Committee Member, Georgia Psychological Association

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