Jolie Ziomek-Daigle

Schools, Families, and Communities Affecting the Dropout Rate: Implications and Strategies for Family Counselors.

Serious social and economic consequences affect the local and national levels when students drop out of school. Research has shown that collaboration among schools, families, and communities in the academic progression of students can decrease their drop out probability. The author presents findings related to a qualitative study conducted in which interventions were used, which increased parental and family involvement. A specific school/family/community strategy, also known as a graduation team, involved families and communities as an integral component in encouraging and facilitating school completion. Implications for counselors who work with children, families, and the schools will be made as well as recommendations for future research.

The Use of Expressive Arts as Experienced by High School Counselor Trainees.

This article presents findings of a qualitative study that explored the process of using expressive arts counseling techniques as experienced by high school counselor trainees. The researcher identified themes that were developed from using grounded theory methods. The three-stage theory, as experienced by high school counseling trainees, included school counselor trainee experiences of apprehension, comfort, and endorsement. Discussion of findings, study implications, and suggestions for future research is included.

Using Reflective Writing Practices to Articulate Student Learning in Counselor Education

ABSTRACT One of our goals as counselor educators is to develop students who are reflective learners to then become reflective practitioners. Many of our accreditation standards and program mission statements discuss reflective practice, but very few teaching activities on developing reflective practices are included in counseling literature. How do we train students to become reflective practitioners? This article presents a creative teaching practice that counselor educators can apply to coursework. The author discusses the use of reflective writing practices to help students expand their learning, find meaning in their learning experiences, and articulate learning outcomes tied to course objectives and program standards. The article includes the description of one particular model, the DEAL Model for Critical Reflection, and a process of how to apply the model in counselor education. In addition, an explanation of learning categories and examples of associated question prompts are included.

Shaping Youth and Families Through Positive Behavior Support: A Call for Counselors

This article describes positive behavior support (PBS) as an evidence-based practice that is used effectively in schools and in the home. Counselors working with children and families are uniquely situated to understand the approach and provide consultation and trainings for parents and teachers to manage challenging child behavior. Using PBS in the home includes a five-step process grounded in observations, data collection, and collaboration and will be discussed. Additionally, the use of functional behavioral assessment will be presented as a means to develop and conceptualize individualized interventions. A case study focusing on an elementary-aged student follows.

Adlerian-Based Interventions to Reduce Bullying and Interpersonal Violence in School Settings

ABSTRACT This article discusses bullying as a form of interpersonal violence and the outcomes for those who have been bullied or those in bystander positions in school settings. In addition, the authors use theoretical concepts of interpersonal psychology or Adlerian psychology to present examples of bullying prevention interventions and activities that counselors can utilize in the schools and deliver school-wide, through classroom guidance programming, small groups, or individually with students.