CACREP Program Objectives

Students gain an understanding of the counseling profession’s history, roles, and ethical standards. Coursework emphasizes collaboration with other human service providers, advocacy for clients and the profession, self-care, and ethical decision-making.

Indicators include:

• History and philosophy of the counseling profession.
• Professional roles, functions, and relationships with other human service providers.
• Advocacy processes for clients and the profession.
• Professional organizations, credentialing, and licensing.
• Ethical standards and legal considerations.
• Self-care strategies for counselors.
• Technology’s impact on the counseling profession.

Students explore multicultural and social justice perspectives in counseling, developing cultural self-awareness and competence to effectively serve diverse populations and eliminate barriers to equity and inclusion.

Indicators include:

• Theories of multicultural counseling and identity development.
• The impact of heritage, attitudes, and beliefs on counseling processes.
• Multicultural counseling competencies and social justice strategies.
• Effects of power and privilege on access and advocacy.
• Strategies to eliminate barriers and foster inclusion.
• Multicultural and pluralistic trends, including global perspectives.

Students learn theories of development and learning across the lifespan, including resilience, crisis response, and strategies for fostering optimal wellness and growth in individuals and families.

Indicators include:

• Theories of learning and personality development.
• Developmental crises, disabilities, and environmental factors.
• Resilience, wellness, and optimal human development.
• Effects of crisis, trauma, and substance use on development.
• The influence of spirituality, gender, and culture.
• Strategies for facilitating personal and academic growth.

Students study career development theories and gain practical experience in career planning, program design, and counseling interventions to help students navigate educational and career pathways.

Indicators include:

• Career development theories and decision-making models.
• Interrelationships between work, family, and life roles.
• Career information resources and assessment tools.
• Strategies for career planning and job placement.
• Use of technology in career counseling.
• Advocacy for equal access to career opportunities.

Coursework emphasizes counseling theories, relationship-building, and intervention strategies, including systems perspectives, crisis intervention, and wellness-focused approaches.

Indicators include:

• Major counseling theories and evidence-based practices.
• Essential interviewing, counseling, and case conceptualization skills.
• Crisis intervention, trauma-informed care, and suicide prevention.
• Counselor characteristics that influence helping processes.
• Systems approaches to client conceptualization.
• Ethical and culturally responsive counseling strategies.

Students examine the principles of group dynamics and leadership while gaining direct experience in group facilitation and evaluation of group counseling effectiveness.

Indicators include:

• Principles and theories of group dynamics.
• Group leadership styles and development stages.
• Ethical and cultural considerations in group work.
• Group counseling methods and evaluation.
• Use of groups for remediation, prevention, and personal growth.

Students learn the fundamentals of psychological assessment, including test construction, reliability, validity, ethical test use, and culturally responsive evaluation methods.

Indicators include:

• Historical perspectives and key concepts in assessment.
• Statistical and psychometric concepts (reliability, validity, etc.).
• Strategies for selecting and administering assessments.
• Ethical and cultural considerations in test use.
• Use of assessment results for diagnosis and intervention planning.
• Integration of assessment data in counseling practice.

Students gain the ability to design, analyze, and apply research to improve counseling practice and program outcomes. Topics include qualitative and quantitative research, program evaluation, and data-informed decision-making.

Indicators include:

• Research methods and program evaluation models.
• Needs assessment and outcome measurement.
• Statistical methods and data interpretation.
• Ethical and culturally responsive research practices.
• Application of research to evidence-based practice.
• Use of research findings to inform school counseling programs.

Ethical and legal practice, professional identity, and school counseling program models.

Knowledge

1. Knows history, philosophy, and trends in school counseling and educational systems.
2. Understands ethical and legal considerations specifically related to the practice of school counseling.
3. Knows roles, functions, settings, and professional identity of the school counselor in relation to the roles of other professional and support personnel in the school.
4. Knows professional organizations, preparation standards, and credentials that are relevant to the practice of school counseling.
5. Understands current models of school counseling programs (e.g., American School Counselor Association [ASCA] National Model) and their integral relationship to the total educational program.
6. Understands the effects of (a) atypical growth and development, (b) health and wellness, (c) language, (d) ability level, (e) multicultural issues, and (f) factors of resiliency on student learning and development.
7. Understands the operation of the school emergency management plan and the roles and responsibilities of the school counselor during crises, disasters, and other trauma-causing events.

Skills and Practices

1. Demonstrates the ability to apply and adhere to ethical and legal standards in school counseling.
2. Demonstrates the ability to articulate, model, and advocate for an appropriate school counselor identity and program.

Designing and evaluating programs that promote academic, career, and personal/social development.

 

Knowledge

1. Knows the theories and processes of effective counseling and wellness programs for individual students and groups of students.
2. Knows how to design, implement, manage, and evaluate programs to enhance the academic, career, and personal/social development of students.
3. Knows strategies for helping students identify strengths and cope with environmental and developmental problems.
4. Knows how to design, implement, manage, and evaluate transition programs, including school-to-work, postsecondary planning, and college admissions counseling.
5. Understands group dynamics—including counseling, psycho-educational, task, and peer helping groups—and the facilitation of teams to enable students to overcome barriers and impediments to learning.
6. Understands the potential impact of crises, emergencies, and disasters on students, educators, and schools, and knows the skills needed for crisis intervention.

Skills and Practices

1. Demonstrates self-awareness, sensitivity to others, and the skills needed to relate to diverse individuals, groups, and classrooms.
2. Provides individual and group counseling and classroom guidance to promote the academic, career, and personal/social development of students.
3. Designs and implements prevention and intervention plans related to the effects of (a) atypical growth and development, (b) health and wellness, (c) language, (d) ability level, (e) multicultural issues, and (f) factors of resiliency on student learning and development.
4. Demonstrates the ability to use procedures for assessing and managing suicide risk.
5. Demonstrates the ability to recognize his or her limitations as a school counselor and to seek supervision or refer clients when appropriate.

Promoting equity, access, and culturally responsive practice in schools and communities.

Knowledge

1. Understands the cultural, ethical, economic, legal, and political issues surrounding diversity, equity, and excellence in terms of student learning.
2. Identifies community, environmental, and institutional opportunities that enhance—as well as barriers that impede—the academic, career, and personal/social development of students.
3. Understands the ways in which educational policies, programs, and practices can be developed, adapted, and modified to be culturally congruent with the needs of students and their families.
4. Understands multicultural counseling issues, as well as the impact of ability levels, stereotyping, family, socioeconomic status, gender, and sexual identity, and their effects on student achievement.

Skills and Practices

1. Demonstrates multicultural competencies in relation to diversity, equity, and opportunity in student learning and development.
2. Advocates for the learning and academic experiences necessary to promote the academic, career, and personal/social development of students.
3. Advocates for school policies, programs, and services that enhance a positive school climate and are equitable and responsive to multicultural student populations.
4. Engages parents, guardians, and families to promote the academic, career, and personal/social development of students.

Interpreting assessment data to identify student strengths, needs, and barriers to learning.

Knowledge

1. Understands the influence of multiple factors (e.g., abuse, violence, eating disorders, attention deficit hyperactivity disorder, childhood depression) that may affect the personal, social, and academic functioning of students.
2. Knows the signs and symptoms of substance abuse in children and adolescents, as well as the signs and symptoms of living in a home where substance abuse occurs.
3. Identifies various forms of needs assessments for academic, career, and personal/social development.

Skills and Practices

1. Assesses and interprets students' strengths and needs, recognizing uniqueness in cultures, languages, values, backgrounds, and abilities.
2. Selects appropriate assessment strategies that can be used to evaluate a student's academic, career, and personal/social development.
3. Analyzes assessment information in a manner that produces valid inferences when evaluating the needs of individual students and assessing the effectiveness of educational programs.
4. Makes appropriate referrals to school and/or community resources.
5. Assesses barriers that impede students' academic, career, and personal/social development.

Using data to inform school counseling programs and evaluate outcomes.

Knowledge

1. Understands how to critically evaluate research relevant to the practice of school counseling.
2. Knows models of program evaluation for school counseling programs.
3. Knows basic strategies for evaluating counseling outcomes in school counseling (e.g., behavioral observation, program evaluation).
4. Knows current methods of using data to inform decision-making and accountability (e.g., school improvement plan, school report card).
5. Understands the outcome research data and best practices identified in the school counseling research literature.

Skills and Practices

1. Applies relevant research findings to inform the practice of school counseling.
2. Develops measurable outcomes for school counseling programs, activities, interventions, and experiences.
3. Analyzes and uses data to enhance school counseling programs.

Supporting curriculum design and instructional strategies to close achievement gaps.

Knowledge

1. Understands the relationship of the school counseling program to the academic mission of the school.
2. Understands the concepts, principles, strategies, programs, and practices designed to close the achievement gap, promote student academic success, and prevent students from dropping out of school.
3. Understands curriculum design, lesson plan development, classroom management strategies, and differentiated instructional strategies for teaching counseling- and guidance-related material.

Skills and Practices

1. Conducts programs designed to enhance student academic development.
2. Implements strategies and activities to prepare students for a full range of postsecondary options and opportunities.
3. Implements differentiated instructional strategies that draw on subject matter and pedagogical content knowledge and skills to promote student achievement.

Building partnerships with families, educators, and community agencies to support student success.

Knowledge

1. Understands the ways in which student development, well-being, and learning are enhanced by family-school-community collaboration.
2. Knows strategies to promote, develop, and enhance effective teamwork within the school and the larger community.
3. Knows how to build effective working teams of school staff, parents, and community members to promote the academic, career, and personal/social development of students.
4. Understands systems theories, models, and processes of consultation in school system settings.
5. Knows strategies and methods for working with parents, guardians, families, and communities to empower them to act on behalf of their children.
6. Understands the various peer programming interventions (e.g., peer mediation, peer mentoring, peer tutoring) and how to coordinate them.
7. Knows school and community collaboration models for crisis/disaster preparedness and response.

Skills and Practices

1. Works with parents, guardians, and families to act on behalf of their children to address problems that affect student success in school.
2. Locates resources in the community that can be used in the school to improve student achievement and success.
3. Consults with teachers, staff, and community-based organizations to promote student academic, career, and personal/social development.
4. Uses peer helping strategies in the school counseling program.
5. Uses referral procedures with helping agents in the community (e.g., mental health centers, businesses, service groups) to secure assistance for students and their families.

Leading systemic change and advocating for comprehensive school counseling programs that enhance the learning environment.

Knowledge

1. Knows the qualities, principles, skills, and styles of effective leadership.
2. Knows strategies of leadership designed to enhance the learning environment of schools.
3. Knows how to design, implement, manage, and evaluate a comprehensive school counseling program.
4. Understands the important role of the school counselor as a system change agent.
5. Understands the school counselor's role in student assistance programs, school leadership, curriculum, and advisory meetings.

Skills and Practices

1. Participates in the design, implementation, management, and evaluation of a comprehensive developmental school counseling program.
2. Plans and presents school-counseling-related educational programs for use with parents and teachers (e.g., parent education programs, materials used in classroom guidance and advisor/advisee programs for teachers).