The Counselor's Role in Mental Health: An Evaluation

This study was a follow-up investigation on the counselor's role in community mental health. We surveyed 170 multiservice mental health agencies to evaluate counselor job performance. We received 150 responses. In general, we noted that master's degree level counselors delivered direct care services in a competent manner. The findings also indicated that counselor education departments should consider strengthening student knowledge of psychotropic medication, psychopathology, individual assessment, and use of the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM-III) (Williams, 1980). Finally, analysis of the data suggested that counselor educators should encourage students to pursue continuing education in program evaluation and budget planning.     

Knowledge Adequacies and Training Needs of Rehabilitation Educators

This article describes results of a national survey of rehabilitation educators concerning their perceptions of their knowledge adequacies and training needs. Twelve vital instructional areas were identified and respondents were asked to rate each area for their adequacy of knowledge, need for inservice training, and willingness to attend inservice training. Findings showed that educators rated their knowledge adequacy high and their need for inservice training low. Although there was a significant inverse relationship between knowledge adequacy and need for inservice training, there was no significant relationship between willingness to attend inservice training and knowledge adequacy, or between willingness to attend inservice training and need for inservice training.     

Relationships Between Dimensions of Supervisors' Influence and Counselor Trainees' Performance

Practicum supervisors' expertness, attractiveness, and trustworthiness were related to supervision outcome measures. Trustworthiness proved to have the strongest associations.     

THE EFFECT OF A SPECIAL CURRICULUM FOR DISADVANTAGED CHILDREN ON TEST-RETEST RELIABILITIES OF THREE STANDARDIZED INSTRUMENTS1

Test-retest (stability) reliability coefficients are, by their nature, affected by what has happened to the tested subjects during the period between testings. Similarly, changes in subjects' mean performance will reflect what happened to them in the interim period. In this regard, the relative values of stability coefficients for experimental and control groups are indicative of the relative degree to which an experimental program is able to change the rankings of the students on criteria measures at pre- and posttreatment times. Changes in students' rankings however do not necessarily affect the level of the group's average performance. This study examines the stability reliabilities of three standardized testing instruments used in the evaluation of a special (enriched) curriculum for young disadvantaged children and the changes in their average performance over a 2-year period. Magnitudes in test-retest reliability differences between treatment groups seem to parallel differences in mean scores. Using the stability reliability coefficients as indices, the program discussed in this report seemed to be most effective in producing change in the skills measured by the Peabody Picture Vocabulary Test. However, significant differences in mean performance between the treatment groups indicates the effectiveness of the program not only in the skills measured by the PPVT but also in those areas measured by the Stanford Binet and the Columbia Mental Maturity Test.     

Disruptive Behaviour in Non-Referred Mainstream School Children,Aged Seven to Nine: A psychophysiological contribution

Data are summarised relating resting heart/pulse rate to teachers' ratings of disruptive behaviour in a sample of 206 non-referred children, aged 7-9 years, attending mainstream schools and not subject to specialist attention. Low base heart rate (BHR) was found to be associated with teachers' ratings of disruptive behaviour, confirming similar earlier research based on children aged 11-16 years. The findings are discussed in relation to psychophysiology and child development and with reference to several theoretical frameworks, identifying the need for further research.     

Current Use of the DSM-III-R in Counselor Education

A survey of 146 counselor education programs revealed that most teach the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (3rd edition, revised) as part of practicum or internship; few offer a separate course.     

Counseling Effectiveness and Trainee Helping Qualities: Another View

This study addresses the importance of client satisfaction as an index of counseling effectiveness and also examines the relationship between trainee personality characteristics and supervisor ratings of trainee performance. Results indicated that a significant inverse relationship existed between trainee levels of self-acceptance and client's ratings of counseling satisfaction. Supervisor's ratings of the trainee's performance and progress in supervision were also inversely related to trainee levels of self-acceptance. Agreement was found between supervisor's ratings of trainee performance and client satisfaction with counseling. Implications of these results are discussed in terms of counselor training programs and future research designs.