Amy Milsom

Preparing School Counselors for Group Work

The American School Counselor Association has endorsed group work as an important component of school counseling programs, and research has demonstrated the effectiveness of group work in schools. Yet there is still considerable variation in practice of group work in schools. The type of group training preservice school counselors receive is an important factor. School counselor educators should maximize the one group course format by integrating and sequencing content most appropriate for school counseling, linking and infusing group principles in all coursework, especially practicum and internship classes, and consider group leadership skills and competencies in admission and programmatic decisions. This manuscript presents a one-course infusion model for preparing school counselors for group work.

A Psychoeducational Group Approach to Postsecondary Transition Planning for Students with Learning Disabilities.

Group work has been identified as an important intervention to prepare children and adolescents for a variety of transitions. Students with disabilities can benefit from participation in psychoeducational groups as they prepare for their transition to postsecondary school. This article describes a psychoeducational group model designed to increase disability self-awareness, increase postsecondary education knowledge, and promote self-advocacy skills for students with learning disabilities.

Partner-Related Rehabilitation Experiences of Lesbians with Physical Disabilities A Qualitative Study

The authors interviewed 25 lesbians with physical disabilities about their perspectives on their partner-related experiences. Using phenomenological inquiry, they identified two themes: one, how the disability affected the partnership and, two, treatment as a lesbian couple by rehabilitation professionals. The themes and subthemes are described in detail, and implications for rehabilitation counselors are presented.

Suicide Prevention in Schools: Court Cases and Implications for Principals

This article discusses the role of educators in suicide prevention. First, the incidence of adolescent suicide in the United States is discussed. Next, case laws related to suicide in educational settings are reviewed. Court rulings indicate that educators can be found negligent in cases involving suicide only if the court finds that they owed a duty to the victim. Finally, suggestions for school principals related to implementing suicide prevention programs in school settings are presented.

Evaluating an Accountability Mentoring Approach for School Counselors

School counselors are encouraged to use accountability in order to advocate for their programs and students, but many school counselors lack confidence to work with data. This project examined the effectiveness of an individualized mentoring intervention targeting data attitudes, self-efficacy, and behaviors. After participating in the intervention, four school counselors experienced more positive attitudes about accountability as well as increased self-efficacy and plans to engage in accountability activities. This article discusses implications for professional development.

Experiences of Students with Disabilities Transitioning from 2-Year to 4-Year Institutions

ABSTRACT Individuals with disabilities are attending postsecondary institutions and successfully completing both 2-year and 4-year degrees. Although current literature identifies numerous factors associated with success for 2-year college transfer students in general, given the unique needs of individuals with disabilities, it is possible that other factors play important roles in their postsecondary experience. Through phenomenological research, we explored the experiences of a diverse group of 10 academically successful students with disabilities who transferred from 2-year to 4-year postsecondary institutions. Our findings reveal that although their experiences in many ways paralleled those of students without disabilities, our participants identified positive and negative experiences specifically related to their disabilities. We offer recommendations for 2-year college programming and support services.