Helping the Environment Help the Client: A Sequenced Change Process

Abstract

Counselors, often restricting themselves to individual, in‐the‐office help, are here encouraged to increase their repertoire of skills to include the effective use of environmental change processes. The complexities of a client's existing environment make its analysis an awesome task. One effective way to assist clients is through the Systems Analysis and Organizational Change model that is presented. This procedure describes the principal environmental factors to be considered and alternative actions that might be taken. The mode can be used by counselors in schools, agencies, and institutions.

Using Social Networks in Counseling

“…Specific topics that might be explored as part of network analysis include: The counselor working as a change agent can use the social network in identifying systems for change. Although many models of counselors as change agents are available, Jones and Stewart (1980) emphasized scouting the system's tolerance for change, developing contracts, and continually monitoring the system's operation. All of these aspects are critical to the effective use of networks.…”

Psychological Education: Curriculum Intervention of School Counselors Within a Primary Prevention Model

“…First, counselors can attempt to help change the learning environments of the institution. Organizational development programs incorporated into school in-service training (Jones & Stewart, 1980;Schmuck & Runkel, 1972) and the training of kindergarten teachers on ways to identify and diagnose children with perceptual and motor difficulties so that learning disabilities can be treated before the children reach first grade (Raviv, 1979) are examples of such an approach.…”