F. CACREP Common Curricular Areas
All students in each of the four degree programs in the department will develop and exhibit the following knowledge and skill competencies:
PROFESSIONAL COUNSELING ORIENTATION AND ETHICAL PRACTICE
history and philosophy of the counseling profession and its specialty areas
the multiple professional roles and functions of counselors across specialty areas, and their relationships with human service and integrated behavioral health care systems, including interagency and interorganizational collaboration and consultation
counselors’ roles and responsibilities as members of interdisciplinary community outreach and emergency management response teams
the role and process of the professional counselor advocating on behalf of the profession
advocacy processes needed to address institutional and social barriers that impede access, equity, and success for clients
professional counseling organizations, including membership benefits, activities, services to members, and current issues
professional counseling credentialing, including certification, licensure, and accreditation practices and standards, and the effects of public policy on these issues
current labor market information relevant to opportunities for practice within the counseling profession
ethical standards of professional counseling organizations and credentialing bodies, and applications of ethical and legal considerations in professional counseling
technology’s impact on the counseling profession
strategies for personal and professional self-evaluation and implications for practice
self-care strategies appropriate to the counselor role
the role of counseling supervision in the profession
SOCIAL AND CULTURAL DIVERSITY
multicultural and pluralistic characteristics within and among diverse groups nationally and internationally
theories and models of multicultural counseling, cultural identity development, and social justice and advocacy
multicultural counseling competencies
the impact of heritage, attitudes, beliefs, understandings, and acculturative experiences on an individual’s views of others
the effects of power and privilege for counselors and clients
help-seeking behaviors of diverse clients
the impact of spiritual beliefs on clients’ and counselors’ worldviews
strategies for identifying and eliminating barriers, prejudices, and processes of intentional and unintentional oppression and discrimination
HUMAN GROWTH AND DEVELOPMENT
theories of individual and family development across the lifespan
theories of learning
theories of normal and abnormal personality development
theories and etiology of addictions and addictive behaviors
biological, neurological, and physiological factors that affect human development, functioning, and behavior
systemic and environmental factors that affect human development, functioning, and behavior
effects of crisis, disasters, and trauma on diverse individuals across the lifespan
a general framework for understanding differing abilities and strategies for differentiated interventions
ethical and culturally relevant strategies for promoting resilience and optimum development and wellness across the lifespan
CAREER DEVELOPMENT
theories and models of career development, counseling, and decision making
approaches for conceptualizing the interrelationships among and between work, mental well-being, relationships, and other life roles and factors
processes for identifying and using career, avocational, educational, occupational and labor market information resources, technology, and information systems
approaches for assessing the conditions of the work environment on clients’ life experiences
strategies for assessing abilities, interests, values, personality and other factors that contribute to career development
strategies for career development program planning, organization, implementation, administration, and evaluation
strategies for advocating for diverse clients’ career and educational development and employment opportunities in a global economy
strategies for facilitating client skill development for career, educational, and life-work planning and management
methods of identifying and using assessment tools and techniques relevant to career planning and decision making
ethical and culturally relevant strategies for addressing career development
COUNSELING AND HELPING RELATIONSHIPS
theories and models of counseling
a systems approach to conceptualizing clients
theories, models, and strategies for understanding and practicing consultation
ethical and culturally relevant strategies for establishing and maintaining in-person and technology-assisted relationships
the impact of technology on the counseling process
counselor characteristics and behaviors that influence the counseling process
essential interviewing, counseling, and case conceptualization skills
developmentally relevant counseling treatment or intervention plans
development of measurable outcomes for clients
evidence-based counseling strategies and techniques for prevention and intervention
strategies to promote client understanding of and access to a variety of community-based resources
suicide prevention models and strategies
crisis intervention, trauma-informed, and community-based strategies, such as Psychological First Aid
processes for aiding students in developing a personal model of counseling
GROUP COUNSELING AND GROUP WORK
theoretical foundations of group counseling and group work
dynamics associated with group process and development
therapeutic factors and how they contribute to group effectiveness
characteristics and functions of effective group leaders
approaches to group formation, including recruiting, screening, and selecting members
types of groups and other considerations that affect conducting groups in varied settings
ethical and culturally relevant strategies for designing and facilitating groups
direct experiences in which students participate as group members in a small group activity, approved by the program, for a minimum of 10 clock hours over the course of one academic term
ASSESSMENT AND TESTING
historical perspectives concerning the nature and meaning of assessment and testing in counseling
methods of effectively preparing for and conducting initial assessment meetings
procedures for assessing risk of aggression or danger to others, self-inflicted harm, or suicide
procedures for identifying trauma and abuse and for reporting abuse
use of assessments for diagnostic and intervention planning purposes
basic concepts of standardized and non-standardized testing, norm-referenced and criterion-referenced assessments, and group and individual assessments
statistical concepts, including scales of measurement, measures of central tendency, indices of variability, shapes and types of distributions, and correlations
reliability and validity in the use of assessments
use of assessments relevant to academic/educational, career, personal, and social development
use of environmental assessments and systematic behavioral observations
use of symptom checklists, and personality and psychological testing
use of assessment results to diagnose developmental, behavioral, and mental disorders
ethical and culturally relevant strategies for selecting, administering, and interpreting assessment and test results
RESEARCH AND PROGRAM EVALUATION
the importance of research in advancing the counseling profession, including how to critique research to inform counseling practice
identification of evidence-based counseling practices
needs assessments
development of outcome measures for counseling programs
evaluation of counseling interventions and programs
qualitative, quantitative, and mixed research methods
designs used in research and program evaluation
statistical methods used in conducting research and program evaluation
analysis and use of data in counseling
ethical and culturally relevant strategies for conducting, interpreting, and reporting the results of research and/or program evaluation