Founded in 1991 | A division of the American Counseling Association


Pre-Conference Workshops

Pre-Conference workshops will be offered on Thursday, February 22, 2024 and are at an additional cost to the 2024 ACCA Annual Conference Sessions.  

Full Day Pre-Conference Options

Advanced Topics of College Counseling

The Advanced Topics of College Counseling offers (4) 90 minute sessions covering the following topics: Evolving Clinical Services in College Counseling - Part I, Evolving Clinical Services in College Counseling - Part II, Supervision, and Outreach,   Each session is worth 1.5 CE Hours.

Each Advanced Topics of College Counseling session is $70 if purchased individually, if you sign up for all 4 sessions the price is discounted to $170.


8:30 AM - 10:00 AM

Evolving Clinical Services in College Counseling - Part 1

Abstract:

College mental health is currently experiencing a lot of changes not just in staffing, but in the type of clients and presenting concerns coming into counseling centers.  Challenges associated with increased demand, resulting in considerations for changes in service delivery models are also trending. This session will focus on current trends and ways to continue to adapt and manage this ever evolving environment of college counseling.

Learning Objectives:

  • Participants will be able to identify three current trends in college counseling.
  • Participants will be able to describe the different service models that may be most effective to manage current trends in college counseling centers.
  • Participants will be able to summarize factors to consider with respect to current staffing needs in relation to current trends in college counseling.

10:30 AM - 12:00 PM

Evolving Clinical Services in College Counseling - Part 2

Abstract:

This session will continue to explore the evolution of college counseling by focusing more closely on the Stepped Care Service Model.  Changes in service delivery have continued to evolve in order to better manage the demand in college counseling centers.  In order to meet increased demand, counseling centers have had to be creative in treatment planning and offering lower intensity interventions along with individual counseling as an option.  This session will provide information on how to begin to implement a version of the Stepped Care Model in your center. 

Learning Objectives:

  • Participants will be able to describe the different steps included in the Stepped Care Model.
  • Participants will be able to identify how to implement the lower intensity interventions within the Stepped Care Model.
  • Participants will be able to discuss which different steps of this service model may be beneficial to use in their own center.

    1:30 PM - 3:00 PM

    Supervision in College Counseling

    Abstract: The purpose of this workshop is to explore the theory and practice of clinical supervision within a college counseling context. Historically, college counseling centers have been popular placements for clinicians-in-training due to the diversity of experience and quality of supervision.  With that said, even in the college setting many counselors are being asked to take on the role of clinical supervisor with little formal training. In this workshop we will review the practice of existing theories of supervision and supervision models.  We will discuss structuring the supervision process to include components important to providing a comprehensive supervision experience for professionals and interns.  Evaluation and assessment of supervisees will also be addressed.

    Learning Objectives:

    • Participants will be able to identify critical theory in clinical supervision
    • Participants will be able to describe how to structure the supervision process
    • Participants will be able to assess the developmental level of counselors in training

      3:30 PM - 5:00 PM

      Outreach in College Counseling: Creative Engagement

      Abstract: The demands placed upon college and university Counseling Centers have required us to get creative and develop new ways of engaging an entire campus in supporting the mental health of students. In this session we will explore outreach tactics implemented at university counseling centers that emphasize education of campus colleagues, prevention, and peer support in an effort to further hone and develop outreach efforts in university counseling centers.

      Learning Objectives:
      • Participants will be able to identify three outreach practices they may be able to implement on their own campuses.
      • Participants will be able to advocate for outreach and explain its value and importance to their staff and administration. 
      • Participants will be able to summarize factors to consider with respect to current staffing needs in relation to current trends in college counseling.

        Half Day Pre-Conference Options

        Half Day Pre-Conference sessions will award 3.0 CE Hours for successful completion.  The cost to attend is $99 per session. You can also bundle a morning and afternoon pre-conference session for $170 total.

        8:30 AM - 12:00 PM
        CE Hours Available: 3

        Building an A-Team: Leadership Infusion Amidst Adversity in College Counseling

        Presenter(s):

        Brittany Hoover
        Indiana University of Pennsylvania

        Topic(s):

        • Diversity/Inclusion/Equity
        • Leadership 

        Abstract: Leadership and advocacy continue to be of great interest to the counseling profession. More specifically, the Association of University and College Counseling Center Directors (AUCCCD) Annual 2023 Survey indicated that one in five clinical positions will experience turnover this year (AUCCCD, 2023, p. 52). Additionally, "low salary, work conditions and departure from the counseling center field are the most common reasons for staff leaving. Other reasons at play in the majority of staff  turnovers include natural career progression of retiring" (AUCCCD, 2023). Given the vast change to the college counseling landscape (AUCCCD, 2023), leadership development and infusion is needed, now more than ever, to assess and critique college counseling (CCC) employment cultures and provide leaders of CCC's with adequate knowledge and applicability of skill in building and sustaining a reputable team of clinicians. This didactic presentation/training will analyze various current employment cultures of CCC's, while also providing in-depth Diversity, Equity, & Inclusion training, advocacy training, as well as how to conduct a needs assessment for various CCC's. Participants will be able to apply learned skills via designing a reformed programmatic structure and employment culture within this training to apply in their own settings.

        Learning Objectives:

        • Participants will assess the many discrepancies and struggles faced by leadership teams specific to college counseling centers.
        • Participants will engage in a didactic and inclusive presentation/training related to team building skills and leadership styles via the implementation a real-life case studies and interactions with peers.
        • Participants will be able to demonstrate applicability of DEI awareness and potential downfalls related to biases and discrimination specific to the counseling center workplace.
        • Participants will analyze and critique their current programmatic structure and culture specific to college counseling centers via the implementation of feedback from peers and modeled problem solving skills, teambuilding.
        • Participants will analyze and design a reformed programmatic design that infuses learned materials from this presentation/training to highlight inclusivity, advocacy, and motivation/recognition of employees on their teams.

          Preparing and Supporting Counselors-in-Training to Work with Suicidal Clients: A Wellness Approach

          Presenter(s):

          Tracie Self
          Minnesota State University, Mankato

          Carrie Willbert
          Minnesota State University, Mankato

          Topic(s):

          • Diversity/Inclusion/Equity
          • Clinical Supervision and Training

          Abstract: Approximately 83% of all counselors-in-training will work with clients who are at risk for suicide. Yet, training for masters and doctoral level trainees remains uneven despite requirements from accrediting bodies to increase curriculum standards on suicide. Further, suicidal crisis is one of the most challenging areas for any clinician, but master's and doctoral trainees remain the most vulnerable to this type of crisis as they tend to experience lower levels of suicide assessment self-efficacy. Moreover, clients from multicultural backgrounds often do not present with traditional symptoms of suicide risk or warning signs, making it increasingly important that counselors-in-training receive appropriate instruction on working with diverse clients at risk of self-harm. This session will assist supervisors in understanding appropriate training modalities and methods for assisting counselors-in-training as they conceptualize clients who present with suicidal thoughts and behaviors. Additionally, this presentation will focus on how to implement strategies for trainees to better understand the suicidal population from all backgrounds, including marginalized and underserved populations. Further, the presenters will discuss supervisory tasks designed to assist counselors-in-training on their own developmental and wellness needs to work with clients who present with suicidal ideation along with developing stress tolerance for working with high needs clients.

          Learning Objectives:

          • Attendees will be able to describe supervision tasks for guiding counselors-in-training in recognizing suicidal ideation and behaviors in clients.
          • Attendees will be able to discuss suicide risk and protective factors, along with best practices, for working with marginalized populations.
          • Attendees will be able to create wellness plans to implement with counselors-in-training through activities designed to ameliorate stress from working with clients at high risk of crisis, especially suicide.

          1:30 PM - 5:00 PM
          CE Hours Available: 3

          WHAT DO I DO? A Clinician's Guide To Crisis Intervention Work

          Presenter(s):

          Melissa Porter
          Vanderbilt University

          Mary Clare Champion
          Vanderbilt University

          Topic(s):

          • Diversity/Inclusion/Equity
          • Innovative Counseling Theory/Practice

          Abstract: Throughout the semester students will have "crisis" situations to which they are responding. Students face challenges at the intersection of several variables รข€“ individual struggles, family of origin concerns, academic demands, all across the backdrop of our charged political climate.  For students who identify outside the majority, be that identity related to race, gender, sexuality, or nationality, these stressors can be all the more challenging to navigate. Crisis situations are individually presented and experienced and many university staff desire to respond in the most effective ways that are also responsive and balance a systematic approach. This presentation will focus on the most effective skills that staff can utilize with students of a variety of backgrounds who present in crisis, the pros/cons of various communication styles, how to access resources when needed, and how to incorporate individual differences, and culture sensitivity to responding to crisis situations.

          Learning Objectives:

          • Identify definition of a crisis and crisis responses
          • Identify physical and emotional responses experienced after a crisis situation
          • Increase understanding of  typical crisis situations experienced by college students
          • Identify how to be culturally responsive to students during crisis situations
          • Identify and utilize the SAFE-R method of responding to crisis situations

            A Collaborative Response by Campus Police/Security and Mental Health Professionals to Students in Crisis: Program Development and Implementation

            Presenter(s):

            Ahmed Ghuman
            University of Pittsburgh

              AbstractLaw enforcement agencies across the country are facing an increase in the number and complexity of calls involving people experiencing mental health crises.  Although there are promising models in cities and counties across the country, few institutions of higher education have created meaningful solutions that address the intersection of mental health and law enforcement for students.  The national climate surrounding law enforcement and Black, Indigenous, and People of Color (BIPOC) add further complexity. Historically, BIPOC students and members of the LGBTQIA+ communities may not have had positive relationships with law enforcement and may express concerns about the police coming to their residence halls and apartments to provide support in a moment of crisis.  This can subsequently lead to a greater sense of distress and a reduced sense of safety for students with acute mental health concerns.  The purpose of this workshop is to provide a framework for institutions to develop and implement a program that provides immediate co-response by campus police/security and mental health professionals for welfare checks that impact their campus communities.

              Learning Objectives:

              • Provide a framework for institutions to develop and implement a program that provides immediate co-response between campus police/security and mental health professionals for welfare checks.
              • Discuss obtaining campus buy-in, characteristics of a leadership and/or advisory team, development, logistics, structure, and roles and responsibilities of the team of professionals involved in managing the program.
              • Analyze metrics of success for program evaluation and explore ways to use data in informing appropriate program changes.

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                      Announcements

                      View the press release on HEMHA's new guide to Animals on Campus

                      Click here to access the Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Resources

                      ACCA joins the 4th edition of Health and Well being in Higher Education: A Commitment to Student Success

                      Please note the addition of the College Counseling & Psychological Services Knowledge Base to the resources page.

                      ACCA Members in the News

                      Becca Smith is quoted in the Washington Post article "College mental health centers are swamped. Here's what parents can do."

                      Andrew Lee is quoted in the Inside Higher Ed article on Suicidal Ideation

                      Steffanie Grrossman is quoted in Online Counseling article College Students Diet and Mental Health

                      Janelle Johnson comments on the state of mental services at community colleges.

                      Janelle Johnson on College Counseling” Psychotherapy.net Interview. Follow the link to read the full interview.


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