Minority Populations and Traditional Counseling Programs: Some Alternatives

Abstract

Racial and ethnic minority group members are now recognizing the need for relevant counseling services. Many counselor education programs, however, have not addressed this issue. While some counselor educators support the need for innovative counselor training programs for those who expect to work in pluralistic settings, others believe that traditional programs can meet the needs of all populations. This article describes why counselor training incorporating the needs of racial and ethnic minorities is needed and provides four models: (a) the separate course model; (b) the area of concentration model; (c) the interdisciplinary model; and (d) the integration model, which may be used in program development and implementation.

The Relationship Between Educational and Demographic Variables and Supervisor's Multicultural Counseling Competencies

“…The most preferred is the infusion or integration model of training (Copeland, 1982;D'Andrea et al, 1991). That model involves cooperation from all faculty involved in the counselor education program.…”

“…Copeland (1982) identified four basic counselor-training models that expand on the single course and infusion training approaches and that could be integrated with traditional programs to upgrade the multicultural counseling competencies of counselors. The models were: a.…”

“…In the case of training, the number and type of training was requested. Using Copeland's (1982) classification of multicultural coun-…”

Counseling Thai Americans: An Emerging Need

“…For three decades, the professional literature in counseling has recognized the need for culturally sensitive counselors to work in an increasingly pluralistic American society (Atkinson, Morten, & Sue, 1979;Bemak et al, 1996;Copeland, 1982;England, 1992;Niles, 1993). We support the importance of these recommendations and recognize that strategies for working with Thai American clients may be different from typical counseling approaches.…”

Education and training of aged-care providers

“…Four models stand out in the literature as appropriate for the preparation of professionals to work with older adults. 16,17 These include the integration, separate course, area of concentration, and interdisciplinary models. Each has its own advantages as well as problems.…”