The Challenge and Opportunity of Competency‐Based Counselor Education

Abstract

There is increased responsibility for programs to demonstrate evidence of student learning and skill. Application of competency‐based education is delineated, including prior learning assessment and personalized learning. Implications such as awarding credit for experience in admissions or variable clinical training timelines and requirements are explored.

Students’ Perception of Using ChatGPT in Counseling and Mental Health Education: The Benefits and Challenges

“…The accrediting organization helps ensure an acceptable level of quality in degree programs in HEI, more particularly in counseling education; the Accreditation of Counseling and Related Educational Programs (CACREP) has developed standards to ensure that students who complete accredited counseling degree programs have the essential knowledge and skills for entry into practice [2]. Furthermore, these standards have explicitly illustrated technology integration with counseling, highlighting their influence on the counseling process and clinical supervision [3].…”

Faculty views of CBE, self‐efficacy, and institutional support: An exploratory study

“…Second, the course/credit model, a method used by Western Governors University and Northern Arizona University (NAU, 2021; WGU, 2020), places competencies into bundled packages in the format of courses with equivalent credit hours (Book, 2014; ODHE, 2016). Finally, prior learning assessment (PLA), a peripheral approach, provides a student an opportunity to demonstrate or earn credit for previous learning, skills, or abilities gained from experiences that include employment, military service, or independent learning (Akos et al., 2019; Albanese et al., 2008). Although PLA is a peripheral approach to assessment, it has a place in CBE due to its ability to provide an individualized CBE experience (Brower et al., 2017).…”

Counselor Education and Supervision: 2019 Annual Review

“…Innovative methods and curriculum development research and conceptual work make up the bulk of this subtheme, accounting for just over 50% of work categorized within the theme of teaching and training. The majority of these articles are conceptual in nature and include topics concerning the training of counselors in the screening and treatment of behavioral/process addictions, with suggestions for curricula (Holman et al, 2019); game‐based‐learning teaching strategies (Pietrantoni et al, 2019); Council for Accreditation of Counseling and Related Educational Programs (CACREP) accreditation simulation activity as a framework for doctoral‐level experiential learning (Strear et al, 2019); strategies for teaching ethical decision‐making considering personal values, principle and virtue ethics, and self‐reflection (Levitt et al, 2019); implementation strategies for competency‐based education in counseling (Akos et al, 2019); a description of evidence‐based science‐of‐learning principles, with pedagogical examples (Borders, 2019); a review of the benefits of self‐compassion for counselors‐in‐training along with examples for implementation with the curriculum (Coaston & Lawrence, 2019); the use of dramatic activities to improve theoretical self‐efficacy for counselors‐in‐training (Hinkle & Drew, 2019); the use of sandtray as a constructivist pedagogical technique (Saltis et al, 2019); creative online teaching activities to illustrate the use of expressive arts to promote emotional awareness (Warren & Nash, 2019); the use of Wordle in an addictions class to promote meaning, perception, and change (Asfaw et al, 2019); the development of an online system called mPath, designed for use in skills training to support reflection on practice (Murphy et al, 2019); and a discussion of current and potential future use of massive open online courses in counseling, addressing the strengths, limitations, and ethical considerations therein (Cimsir, 2019). It is evident that clinical and educational scholars are focused on thinking about creative ways to promote skill development, competency, and access to knowledge in a way that is respectful of the diverse wellness needs of those seeking to become effective helpers and supervisors.…”