Georgia Tech Counseling Center Annual Report 2008-2009

Counseling Center Annual Report 2008-2009 i

Georgia Tech Counseling Center Annual Report 2008-2009

Division of Student Affairs Enriching the Educational Experience (E3)

Counseling Center Annual Report 2008-2009 i

Executive Summary

Counseling Center Annual Report 2008-2009

he mission of the Georgia Tech Counseling Center is to enhance the academic and personal experience and success of all students by

providing a variety of counseling and psychological services to individuals and the greater campus community. The Counseling Center

accomplishes its mission by offering services to students that facilitate personal development, assist in the alleviation, remediation, and

prevention of distress, as well as services that educate students in ways that develop self-awareness, self-reliance, and self-confidence.

The services at the Counseling Center are accredited by the International Association of Counseling Services (IACS).

The Counseling Center educates students for life by providing a variety of services and programs that are consistent and consonant

with the strategic plan goals of the Institution and the Division of Student Affairs. Services include short-term counseling, group and couples

counseling, assessment, crisis intervention as well as outreach and consultative programs. Through our range of services, the Georgia Tech

Counseling Center contributes to overall student success and the Institute’s core vision to “define the technological research university of the

21st century and educate the leaders of a technologically driven world.”

In addition, the Counseling Center sponsors a training program for graduate practicum students and pre-doctoral interns. The

practicum training program offers supervised training experiences in providing direct psychological services to students and the campus

community. The pre-doctoral internship training program is the capstone training experience for doctoral students in applied psychology. The

internship training program offers training to those who are interested in gaining additional experience in working in a counseling center

setting. The internship program attracts applicants from across the country who are matched with the Counseling Center through the National

Matching Service. The pre-doctoral internship training program is a member of the Association of Psychology Pre-doctoral and Internship

Centers (APPIC). The Center continues to work towards accreditation of the internship program by the American Psychological Association

(APA).

In 2008-2009, the Center continued to experience a significant demand for counseling services and in emergency/crisis clients,

reaching its projected figure of 1000+ total new clients, representing an increase of 16% from last year. Emergency/crisis clients demonstrated

a 38% increase from last year. The Center fully implemented its new initial screening paperwork that would more completely capture client

information. The Counseling Center also faced a number of budget reductions as a result of the economy during FY09 resulting in the loss of

a newly allocated staff psychologist position and a hiring freeze of a vacant position. Approval to move forward with a search for the vacant

position was recently extended in May 2009. The Center was also re-approved for a new psychologist position for FY10. Based on current

and projected budgetary challenges as well as current and projected staffing resources and demand for services, the Counseling Center

undertook a trend analysis of counseling data. Results indicated a forecast of increasing needs for counseling. As a result, the Counseling

Center has examined its current service delivery model and is in the process of revising its model of delivering counseling services to adapt to

the projected increases in service demand. The Center anticipates implementation of the new model by the beginning of the 2009-2010

academic year.

T

Counseling Center Annual Report 2008-2009 ii

Counseling Services Summary

Total Number of Counseling Hours Provided

6,826

Total Number of Counseling Sessions per Client

Average Number of Sessions per Client

• 1 Session Only (29.1%)

• 2-10 Sessions (51.4%)

• > 10 Sessions (19.5%)

6.3

Most Frequently Assessed Client Concerns

• Anxiety 34%

• Depression 32%

• ADHD 9%

• Alcohol/Drug 8%

• Relationships 7%

Total Number of Client Hospitalizations

5

Group Counseling Summary

Total Number of Groups Offered per Semester 12

Total Number of Clients 121

Total Number of Contact Hours 2099.8

Outreach Summary

Total Number of Programs Offered 198

Total Number of Contact Hours 135.6

Total Number of Evening/Weekend Programs 24

Georgia Tech Counseling Center Data 2008-2009

Clients by Student Status

1s t year

16%

2nd year

19%

3rd year

19%

4th year

12%

5th year

6%

> 5th year

3%

Graduate

25%

Counseling Center Annual Report 2008-2009 iii

Counseling Center Annual Data 2008-2009

(client demographic data)

05

1015202530354045505560657075

Asian

Black

/Afri

can A

meric

anH

ispani

c/Latin

o(a)

Multir

acial

Nat

ive A

meric

anW

hite/C

auca

sian

Inte

rnat

ional

Oth

erp

erc

en

t


(% Ethnic/Racial Minority Students )

0

10

20

30

40

50

60

70

Asian

Black

/Afri

can A

mer

ican

His

panic

/La tin

o(a)

Mul

tiraci

alN

ative A

mer

ican

White

/Cau

casi

an

Inte

rnat

ional

Oth

erp

erc

en

t

Counseling Center Clients GT Population

Counseling Center Annual Report 2008-2009 iv

Counseling Center Annual Report

2008-2009

Table of Contents

Executive Summary............................................................................................................................................. i

Introduction......................................................................................................................................................... 1

□ Staff ..................................................................................................................................................... 2

□ Overview of Counseling Services....................................................................................................... 3

Counseling Services............................................................................................................................................ 5

□ Client Characteristics .......................................................................................................................... 7

□ Client Outcome Data ......................................................................................................................... 11

Group Counseling ............................................................................................................................................. 15

□ Client Outcome Data ......................................................................................................................... 15

Outreach & Consultation .................................................................................................................................. 19

□ Program Evaluation........................................................................................................................... 21

Emergency & Crisis Services ........................................................................................................................... 22

Training............................................................................................................................................................. 23

Professional Development ................................................................................................................................ 26

Service to the Division and Institute................................................................................................................. 33

Professional Membership & Leadership .......................................................................................................... 35

Counseling Center Annual Report 2008-2009 1

Introduction

he Georgia Tech Counseling Center is a unit of the Division of Student Affairs. The Center is dedicated to enhancing the

academic experience and success of all students by providing a variety of counseling and psychological services to

individuals and the campus community. The Center is staffed by licensed mental health professionals and counselors-in-

training to provide short-term counseling services to students and the campus community. Our services are available at no

charge to currently enrolled students. These services include:

• Individual & Couples Counseling

• Group Counseling

• Outreach & Consultation

• Emergency & Crisis Services

• Referral Services

• Testing and Assessment

• After-hours On-call Services

The Counseling Center supports the personal and professional development of Georgia Tech students, the educational

mission of the Institute and the Division of Student Affairs by providing short-term counseling, psychotherapy, and assessment to

students, and outreach and consultative services to the Georgia Tech

community. The Center is currently accredited by the International

Association of Counseling Services (IACS).

The Counseling Center also serves as a training site for graduate

practicum students and pre-doctoral interns. The practicum training program

offers supervised training experiences in providing direct psychological

services to students and the campus community. The pre-doctoral internship

training program is the capstone training experience for doctoral students in

applied psychology. The internship training program offers training to those who are interested in gaining additional experience in

working in a counseling center setting. The internship program attracts applicants from across the country who are matched with

the Counseling Center through the National Matching Service. The pre-doctoral internship training program is a member of the

Association of Psychology Pre-doctoral and Internship Centers (APPIC).

T


Staff

The Counseling Center has 9 (8.5 FTE) counseling staff (inclusive of the director). The Director, Associate Director, and

Assistant Director comprise the administrative group of the Counseling Center responsible for overall administration of the agency

as well as overseeing and coordinating policies and procedures for the Center. The following is a listing of the counseling staff at

the Counseling Center for 2008-2009:

Jill Barber, PhD • Assistant Director, Licensed Psychologist

Nelson Binggeli, PhD • Licensed Psychologist

Mack S. Bowers, PhD • Associate Director, Licensed Psychologist

Irene Dalton, PhD • Licensed Psychologist

Mahlet Endale, PhD • Licensed Psychologist

Kenneth C. Frontman, PhD • Licensed Psychologist

Vacant • Licensed Psychologist

Rome Lester, MS • Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist

Ruperto M. Perez, PhD • Director, Licensed Psychologist

In August 2008, Mahlet Endale, PhD joined the Counseling Center staff, filling a previously vacant position. In February

2009, Belen T. Gutter, PhD resigned her position to take another position at the Veterans Administration Hospital. A search for

her position was initiated in February but then was halted due to budget restrictions. Approval to proceed with a search for the

vacant position was extended in May 2009. A new staff psychologist position was budgeted to the Center at the beginning of

FY09, however budget reductions during the year resulted in the loss of the newly allocated position. This position was recently

restored in May 2009 and approval given to move forward with the search process.

The Center also has 3 (2.5 FTE) administrative support positions (administrative assistant II, secretary/receptionist,

administrative clerk). The following is a listing of the administrative support staff at the Counseling Center for 2008-2009:

Tamika Love • Administrative Assistant II

Sherry Johnson • Administrative Clerk

Nadine Robinson • Secretary/Receptionist


In May 2009, Nadine Robinson received the Division of Student Affairs Award of Excellence to acknowledge here

distinguished service to the mission of the Division of Student Affairs. The Counseling Center is very proud of Mrs. Robinson’s

award and remains fortunate to have her as one of our valued staff members.

Two pre-doctoral positions were again selected via the 2008 APPIC Match process. Two candidates were matched with the

Counseling Center from a national applicant pool to become the Center’s second internship class. J. Marshall Bruner, M.A.

(Argosy University-Atlanta), and LaKeisha Gantt, M.Ed. (University of Georgia) joined the Center in August 2008 and both will

complete their internship in August 2009.

In addition, the Counseling Center sponsors a training program for practicum students each year from graduate counseling or

psychology programs. In 2008-2009, the Counseling Center accepted the following into the practicum training program:

Kristen Aycock • Georgia State University

Will Bruer • Argosy University-Atlanta

Lisa Sims • University of Georgia

Robert Poynter • Georgia State University

Sandra Rodriguez-Siuts • Texas Tech University

Michael Rothman • Emory University

Overview of Counseling Services

Individual & Couples Counseling. The Center offers individual counseling for students

who present with a wide variety of psychological, career, and academic concerns. In addition, the

Center provides couples counseling to currently enrolled students and their partners/spouses. The

Counseling Center uses a short-term model of counseling to assist students in addressing their

concerns.

Group Counseling. The Center offers several groups each semester. These include support

groups, therapy groups, and educational groups.

Outreach & Consultation. The Counseling Center offers campus consultation to campus

groups as well as a number of educational programs that are open to all students, faculty, and staff.

Programs offered include stress management, managing anxiety, relationships, and study skills.


Emergency & Crisis Services. The counseling staff provides crisis and emergency services during regular office hours as

well as after-hours and during the weekend. Emergency walk-in times are available during the week for students experiencing a

personal crisis. In addition, after-hours consultation and crisis service is available through the counselor-on-duty. The counseling

staff is also available to provide emergency response to campus incidents and events.

Testing & Assessment. The Center provides testing and assessment for its clients, including screenings for ADD/LD.

Mandatory assessments (e.g., drug and alcohol, stress, anger, psychological) are also provided via referrals from the Office of

Student Integrity.

Referral Services. Psychiatric referrals for medication evaluation and treatment are available through the psychiatrist at the

Student Health Center. The Counseling Center works closely with the psychiatrist to facilitate referrals for psychiatric evaluations

and follow-up as needed. In addition, a comprehensive listing is maintained by the Counseling Center for students who are in

need of extended services or whose presenting concerns are beyond the scope of service at the Center.


Counseling Services

he Counseling Center continued to meet the needs of students and the

campus by providing a range of counseling and outreach/consultation

services through 2008-2009. The demand for initial counseling services

remained high, particularly during the early part of Fall and Spring

semesters.

During 2008-2009, the Center the

Center continued to experience an increase

(↑16%) in the number of new students seeking

counseling from last year. The Center also

continued to maintain a waitlist of students

seeking individual counseling. The wait time

for services continued to be greater during the

Spring semester than the Fall, with the range

of wait time ranging from 2-5 weeks for

individual counseling.

During 2008-2009, a total of 1,062 students

were seen at the Center for initial screenings (individual, couples, group, crisis/emergency/urgent). The Center provided a total of

5,368 client appointments with a total of 6,826 client hours. There was a 38% increase from last year in the total number of clients

seen for urgent/emergency screenings and crisis interventions (n=398). Counseling staff also provided a total of 45.87 hours of

emergency after hours on-call services. Additionally, counseling staff were involved in 5 client hospitalizations during 2008-

2009. Overall, this increase in demand for service is consistent with the reported trend across counseling centers nationally.

T Counseling Center Annual Data 2008-2009

Total Initial Screenings

0

20

40

60

80

100

120

140

160

May-08 Jun-08 Jul-08 Aug-08 Sep-08 Oct-08 Nov-08 Dec-08 Jan-09 Feb-09 Mar-09 Apr-09 May-09

# s

cre

en

ing

s


As a result of the continued increase in the number of new students seeking services at the Center, a number of students

were placed on a waitlist during the end of Fall semester and the latter half of Spring semester. Despite the increase in the demand

for services, the clinical teams made a number of attempts to staff and assign students from the waitlist to available counseling

appointments and to provide referrals to the community when appropriate.

Students presented to the Counseling Center with

a variety of concerns. Of the concerns presented by

students, the most frequently assessed client concern

was anxiety (34%), closely followed by depression

(32%), ADHD (9%) and alcohol/drug (8%). The

average number of sessions provided to students was 6

sessions.

Clients were asked to rate the severity of their

presenting concern(s). Ratings are based on a 4-point

Likert scale (0=not at all, 4=extremely). In examining

presenting client concerns by gender, a slightly higher

percentage of males (43%) tended to report concerns

regarding depression as a serious concern (43%) than

females (44%). A higher percentage of females reported

anxiety (48%) and stress (47%) as a serious concern

than males (anxiety=40%, stress=33%).

Gender differences also existed regarding the

degree to which clients’ academic performance and

social life were impacted by their presenting concerns.

Females indicated (68%) that there social life was more impacted than males (56%) while males indicated that their academic life

was slightly more impacted (57%) by their presenting concerns than females (56%).


(clients by assessed concern)

learning disorder

2%

eating disorder

2%

relationships

7%

ADHD

9%

bipolar

3%alcohol/drug

8%

anxiety

34%

depress ion

32%

schiz/paranoia

2%

PTSD

1%



Presenting Concerns by Gender

0

10

20

30

40

50

60

70

80

90

100

Alc/

Dru

g

Appe

arance D

epFin

ancial

Grie

fS

x Is

suesAnx

Ange

rStre

ssSle

epR

el/S

pirit

Phys

health

Perfe

ctR

omantic

Family

Friend

sIn

stru

ctor

Exp V

iole

nce

Exp. O

pp

Cho

ice o

f majo

r

Aca

d. P

erf.M

otiv

Con

centra

teTest

Anx

pe

rce

nt

% Female

% Male

Client Characteristics

The Counseling Center continued to serve a number of diverse students during 2008-2009. Forty-two percent of the clients

seen were racial/ethnic minority students and international students. In examining the racial/ethnic minority demographic client

data alone (excluding international students and “other” category), the proportion seen at the Center was slightly greater than the

Georgia Tech population as a whole, based on Fall 2008 enrollment data. The exception to this is the percentage of Asian clients

seen at the Center. The percentage of Asian clients seen at the Center (16%) was more than half of the total population at Georgia

Tech (27%). The percent of racial/ethnic minority students seen at the Center is as follows: Asian (16%), African-American

(8%), Hispanic/Latino(a) (4%), Multiracial (2%). There was a significant 7% increase in the number of international students

seen at the Center (10%).



(% Ethnic/Racial M inority Students )

0

10

20

30

40

50

60

70

Asian

Black

/Afri

can

Am

erican

His

pani

c/La tin

o(a)

Multi

rac ia

lN

ativ

e A

meric

anW

h ite/C

aucas

ian

Inte

rnat

iona

l

Oth

erp

erc

en

t

Counseling Center Clients GT Population


(Total % Ethnic/Racial M inority Students)

0

5

10

15

20

25

30

35

40

45

50

55

60

65

70

pe

rce

nt

Counseling Center GT Population


Other client characteristics are presented in Tables 1-4 below:

Table 1 Table 2

% Counseling

Center Clients

% GT

Campus

College

Architecture 6 6

Computing 9 9

Engineering 52 57

Ivan Allen 7 6

Management 9 10

Sciences 12 10

GPA

Equal to 0.0 .56

> 0.0 and less than 0.5 0

≥ 0.5 and less than 1.0 .14

≥ 1.0 and less than 1.5 1






Equal to 4.0 6

% Counseling

Center Clients

% GT

Campus

Gender

Male 53 72

Female 47 30

Transgender .20

Status

1st year/Freshman 16 17

2nd

year/Sophomore 19 15

3rd

year/Junior 19 15

4th

year, > 5th

year/Senior

21 19

Graduate 26 33

Relationship Status

Single 54

Serious Dating or

Committed

Relationship

36

Civil union, domestic

partner, or equivalent

0.3

Married 6

Divorced 2

Separated 1


Table 3 Table 4

% Counseling

Center Clients

Residence

Fraternity/Sorority 5

Off Campus 43

Parents/Family 2

Residence Hall 50

Referral Source

ADAPTS 2

Career Services 17

Dean of Students 14

Housing 4

Student Health 22

Faculty 6

Family 7

Friend 19

Other 22

% Counseling

Center Clients

Prior Counseling Experience?

No 65

Yes 35

Prior Counseling

Prior to college 19

After starting college 9

Both 3

Never 67


Client Outcome Data

Client Satisfaction Survey. The Counseling Center engages in ongoing assessment of client experiences at the Center to

obtain both quantitative and qualitative data. Each year, the Center surveys its clients to assess the degree of their satisfaction with

the Counseling Center, the degree of satisfaction of their progress during counseling, and the degree to which counseling has been

helpful to them in their academic success. This past year, the Center revised its survey administration practice and administered

the satisfaction survey to students during the Fall and Spring semesters. This resulted in a more consistent and improved return

rate. The survey was also revised from a 7-point Likert-scale rating from 1 (not at all satisfied) to 7 (very satisfied) to a 5-point

Likert-scale (1=Not at all satisfied, 5=Extremely satisfied) for a more efficient survey. Also, additional items were added and

some items were deleted/revised for improved data collection. In sum, clients indicated that they were satisfied with their overall

counseling experience and that counseling was helpful in improving or maintaining their academic performance. Results are listed

in Table 5.

Table 5

Avg. Rating

How satisfied are you with the services you

have received at the Counseling Center?

4.5

How satisfied were you with you initial

screening appointment?

4.1

How satisfied are you on your progress with

the concerns that brought you to counseling?

4.0

How satisfied have you been with your

counselor?

4.5

How satisfied are you that your counselor

understands the nature of your concerns?

4.1

How satisfied are you with the assistance of

the Front Desk staff?

4.4

How helpful has counseling been to you in

improving or maintaining your academic

progress?

3.7

How likely would you be to recommend our

services to a friend?

4.5


Client Experience of Counseling. In addition, clients were also asked to provide open feedback and comments as to there

experience at the Counseling Center. The range of responses generally fell into 2 areas: 1) overall client experience of counseling,

and 2) experience with counselor. Below is a sample of the comments in each area:

Overall Experience:

□ “My experience here at the Counseling Center has exceeded all of my expectations and has been very helpful and drastically

improved my quality of life.”

□ “I have recommended the Counseling Center on multiple occasions with different friends. While I don't know if they followed through

with the advice, I think they were assured that help was really available if they did need it.”

□ “I am very happy with the services provided. My counselor and front desk has made me feel very important and appreciated. I'm so

thankful for the Counseling Center.”

□ “Took a very long time (3 weeks) to get a screening appointment and then just as long to get assigned to someone, but otherwise

everything is great.”

□ “One of my main concerns is the time/session limit imposed for "counselees." In some cases, a patient may require deeper or longer

term work/counseling; it would be helpful to have that as an option on a case by case basis.”

□ “In the time between my initial screening and my assignment to counseling, I did not get any communication from the Counseling

Center about whatever progress or the status of my assignment. A little more communication in that time period could have been

better.”

□ “I've actually loved counseling so much that I've recommended it to several of my close friends who said they have been struggling

with various issues.”

□ “The Center has helped me to develop more structure and boundaries in my life. I have felt a gradual but definite improvement in my

quality of life. I am indebted to my counselor and the Counseling Center.”

□ “The Tech Counseling Center has had a huge positive influence on both my life and my relationships around me. You guys do an

amazing job and are a huge value to this campus.”

□ “I wish you guys had more counselors. There are a lot of Tech zombies that need help.”


Experience with Counselor:

□ “Great services and support to student body. I'm very pleased about the way ( ) approaches and helps me through the process.

Coming to counseling is being very helpful in my life as student a woman at GA Tech.”

□ “I honestly cannot envision a better counselor than ( ). He was (and is) a terrific match for my situation and I am incredibly

grateful for working with him. Thank you!”

□ “( ) is a wonderful asset to your organization. She exudes kindness, understanding, and caring which takes the process of

counseling to the next level.”

□ “The Counseling Center has helped me to see my life as a whole and to put my priorities intact. I have learned to be gentle on myself.

My counselor, ( ), works well with me and he has a very genuine interest for me to get better.”

□ “( ) is the best! Very observant, considerate, and understanding. I'm so glad that I have been paired with him. He offers me great

guidance.”

□ “My counseling with ( ) has been very helpful through some trying times.”

OQ-45 Results. As a regular part of the initial screening paperwork, clients were asked to complete the Outcome

Questionaire-45 (OQ-45). The OQ-45 is comprised of 45 items (3 subscales) designed to assess overall distress in clients as

reported in the total score. The 3 subscales include symptom distress, interpersonal relations, and social role. Overall

interpretation of the OQ-45 is focused on the total score which reflects the general level of distress. A total score of 63 or higher is

indicative of significant overall distress. Reliability estimates of the OQ-45 (total score) range from α = .90 - .77; test-retest

reliability ranges from r = .90-.78 (Lambert et al., 1996*).

Clients were administered the OQ-45 at initial screening and at termination. The average total score at initial screening was 63.67,

indicating a significant level of overall distress. The average client total score upon termination was 51.65. Statistical analysis was

performed on the pre and post data. A significant difference was found between pre and post test results ( p < .001), indicating a

significant difference between the initial session and the final counseling sessions. Based on pre-post OQ-45 data, clients reported

significant improvement in their overall level of distress after completion of counseling.


OQ-45 and CCAPS. As a regular part of the initial screening paperwork, the Counseling Center had been using the

Outcome Questionaire-45 (OQ-45). During the past year, the Center explored other outcome measures that may be more suitable

and would yield more useful information to more accurately assess client concerns. The Center decided to adapt the Counseling

Center Assessment of Psychological Symptoms (CCAPS; Soet & Sevig, 2006) in place of the OQ-45. The CCAPS was developed

at the University of Michigan Counseling and Psychological Services Center. The CCAPS is a 70-item instrument that focuses on

the unique presenting issues of college students. The CCAPS includes 9 subscales: depression, eating issues, substance use,

general anxiety, hostility, social role anxiety, family of origin issues, academic stress, and spirituality. There are 5 additional

scales included for clinical utility: dissociative symptoms, cultural/ethnic identity, violent thoughts, and history of abuse. The

CCAPS has demonstrated strong convergent and divergent validity and has demonstrated strong reliability (α=.93). The CCAPS

also is integrated within the Titanium scheduler and database which allows for automated scoring and report generation. The

Center plans to begin using the CCAPS at the beginning of the 2009-2010 academic year.


Group Counseling

roup counseling continued to be offered by the Counseling Center. For

2008-2009, the Center was successful in offering a total of 12 groups

during Fall and Spring semesters. The groups program resulted in a total of

2099.80 client hours. Senior staff facilitated a number of groups

throughout the year. Groups were also facilitated/co-facilitated by interns and

practicum students. To address the increased demand for services and to

manage the waitlist for individual services during the Spring semester, a

Feeling Better group was once again offered to provide wait-list clients with

services prior to their assignment to an individual counselor. A limited number

of groups were also offered during the Summer semester based on student

demand. The following is a listing of groups offered by the Counseling Center

during 2008-2009:

Counseling Center Groups

2008-2009

CHANGES

A group that provides support for undergraduate and graduate students who seek to make changes in their lives, yet find

themselves stifled. The group provides a functional environment and process such that one can identify achievable goals and

manage the issues that get in the way of reaching personal goals.

CONNECTIONS

This group provides a safe and affirming place for GLBT students to share experiences and connect with others.

GRADUATE WOMEN’S GROUP

A group that allows GT graduate student women to connect with others around personal, academic, and relationship issues.

GRIEF AND LOSS

A support/therapy group designed for individuals who have experienced the death of a significant person.

G


MIND OVER MOOD

A three session workshop focusing on how to identify and change the though patterns that contribute to depression. It will be

offered three times during the semester.

INTERNATIONAL SPOUSE/PARTNER GROUP

A support group for the spouses/partners of International Students. It will allow international spouses to connect with one another

and to provide support as they navigate living in the US.

INTERNATIONAL CONNECTION: AN INTERNATIONAL STUDENT DISCUSSION GROUP

This group provides a forum for GA Tech students to explore the process of cultural adjustment and relating across cultures.

Students will be able to explore their adjustments to American classrooms. This will be a safe environment for students to discuss

different experiences of stress, emotions, and relationships with peers and family. Both graduate and undergraduate students are

welcome.

BLACK WOMENS’ SUPPORT GROUP

This group provides the opportunity for Black women to come together to gain support in balancing the multiple roles within their

lives. The group focuses on working through academic challenges, enhancing one’s sense of self, overcoming obstacles,

understanding personal and professional relationships, gaining support and strategies to improve overall wellness. Race, class and

gender are central to discussions.

DOCTORAL THESIS SUPPORT GROUP

The group provides a supportive environment for doctoral students to address academic, professional, and personal challenges

involved in completing a doctoral thesis. Common topics include: maintaining motivation in the face of obstacles, setting

achievable goals, and working effectively with one’s advisor.

MENS & WOMEN’S THERAPY GROUP

This mixed gender group will provide an opportunity for students to meet weekly to discuss issues and concerns that create

stumbling blocks to success.

INTERPERSONAL GROUP

This co-ed group will examine relationships, communication, stress management, and general life concerns.


WISDOM FOR LIVING GROUP

This skills building group will meet for ten sessions. Participants will have an opportunity to learn specific techniques for

enhancing their interpersonal relationships, managing difficult emotions, using mindfulness techniques, and self care for mood

management.

Client Outcome Data

Client Satisfaction Survey. Client satisfaction surveys were administered to clients who participated in group counseling.

The survey is based on a 5-point Likert-scale (1=Not at all satisfied, 5=Extremely satisfied). In sum, clients indicated that they

were very satisfied with their overall group counseling experience and that group counseling was helpful in improving or

maintaining their academic performance. Results are listed in Table 6.

Table 6

Avg. Rating

How satisfied are you with the services you

have received at the Counseling Center?

4.5

How satisfied were you with you initial

screening appointment?

4.2

How satisfied are you on your progress with

the concerns that brought you to counseling?

4.0

How satisfied have you been with your

counselor?

4.5

How satisfied are you that your counselor

understands the nature of your concerns?

4.2

How satisfied are you with the assistance of

the Front Desk staff?

4.4

How helpful has counseling been to you in

improving or maintaining your academic

progress?

3.7

How likely would you be to recommend our

services to a friend?

4.5


Of special note is the regular workshop group that the Center continues to sponsor for spouses of international students.

Since its formation in 1996, the International Spouse group has served as a regular workshop for international spouses of students

enrolled at Georgia Tech. The workshop was established on the heels of a Welcome to America workshop that Mack Bowers and

Rome Lester facilitated in collaboration with Maz Kosma from Family Housing. The workshop was intended to orient new

international students to American life and culture. The workshop was well attended and most of the graduate students brought

their spouses (mainly women) to join them. The workshop has been and continues to be facilitated by Rome Lester.

Thirteen years later in 2009, the group meets regularly in the Women’s Resource Center. The group continues to provide

opportunities for networking and relationship-building among its members. The workshop has continued to be appreciated by its

members who have represented nearly twenty countries from around the globe.


Outreach & Consultation

he Counseling Center continued its service in the area of outreach and

consultation, providing a wide variety of programs and workshops to

students and the campus community. Outreach programs were offered

from a core set of offerings each year in addition to responding to

individual outreach requests from consultation contacts, student groups,

organizations, and departments. Overall, the Counseling Center was very

successful in its efforts to provide quality outreach and consultation to the

campus community. A total of 198 educational workshops and outreach

programs were presented to the campus community and a total of 135.6 contact

hours,

The Counseling Center continued to partner with Housing to offer programs to residents and training programs for housing

staff. The program for graduate students created with the graduate housing council entitled, “Grad School 101” won the award

from Housing for Best Program. In addition, the Counseling Center continued its partnership with the Library to offer outreach

programming. Consultation and educational outreach programs were also requested and offered by the Athletic Association in

offering programs on stress management. The outreach and consultation programs offered by the Counseling Center during 2008-

2009 are listed below:

Counseling Center Outreach & Consultation

2008-2009

Workshop Topics

Understanding the Wisdom of Your Dreams

Manage Your Stress Before It Manages You

Manage Your Time, Manage Your Life

Beating the Stressors of Perfectionism and Procrastination

Basics of a healthy relationship

Surviving a break-up

Grad School 101

Stress Management for Parents

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Relationships 101 for men

International Approaches to Stress Management

Make Your Personality Work for You

Finding Work You Love

Psyching out the Test

Other Programs

Understanding the Wisdom of Your Dreams

Manage Your Stress Before It Manages You

Manage Your Time, Manage Your Life

Beating the Stressors of Perfectionism and Procrastination

Basics of a healthy relationship

Surviving a break-up

Grad School 101

Stress Management for Parents

Relationships 101 for men

International Approaches to Stress Management

Make Your Personality Work for You

Finding Work You Love

Psyching out the Test

Mind Over Mood

Coming Out: An Act of Respect

Successful Test Taking

International Panel on Beauty

Stressed or Distressed? How to Know and How to Help

Campus Events/Trainings/Panels

Take Back the Night

Workshops for Tunnel of Oppression in conjunction with Housing Department

Successful Test Taking (for Women in Engineering)

Stress Management, Time Management for the Total Person program in the Athletic Association


Program Evaluation

Evaluations are conducted for outreach programs provided to students and the campus. Ratings are based on a 5-point

Likert scale. Overall, this year’s evaluation results point to the general effectiveness of outreach programs for the campus. These

results indicate the ongoing and increased efforts of our outreach program to intentionally target students and campus needs and

the Center’s efforts in effectively meeting those needs (Table 7).

Table 7

Avg. Rating (1-5 scale)

General Workshop Evaluation 4.60

• Breadth of Coverage 4.51

• Personal/Practical Relevance 4.70

• Effectiveness of Presentation 4.59

Presenter 4.74

• Knowledge 4.81

• Preparation 4.76

• Engagement of Audience 4.64

Goal Accomplishment 4.28

Addressed My Concern 3.38

Arrangements 4.28

• Convenience 4.54

• Notification of Event 4.11

• Location/Room Environment 4.18

• Format/Multimedia Use 4.27



Total Crisis & Urgent Screenings by Month

0

10

20

30

40

50

60

70

80

May Jun Jul Aug Sept Oct Nov Dec Jan Feb Mar Apr May

Emergency & Crisis Services

mergency and crisis services continued to be provided by the

Counseling Center during 2008-2009. The Counseling Center offers a

number of walk-in emergency times during regular office hours for

students. During these times, students may meet with the counselor-on-

duty to discuss their concern. Appointments for additional intake or

recommendations for counseling at the Center may be made during this time.

In addition, for students whose presenting concerns require more on-going

counseling than can be provided at the Center, counseling staff work with

students to provide community referral options.

During 2008-2009, there was a

dramatic increase in the total number of

clients seen for urgent/emergency screenings

and crisis interventions (n=288) which

represents an increase of 38% from last year.

Of these clients, 206 were seen for crisis

intervention (↑ 15%) and 82 were seen for an

urgent/emergency screening (↑ 173%).

Overall, this increase in demand for service

continues to mirror the reported trend across

counseling centers nationally. Counseling

staff also provided a total of 31.25 hours of

emergency after-hours on-call services.

Additionally, counseling staff were involved

in 5 client hospitalizations during 2008-2009.

E


Training

uring 2008-2009, the Counseling Center’s training program continued

its pre-doctoral training program in psychology. In addition, the

Counseling Center also accepted a number of graduate students in

counseling and psychology from area institutions for its practicum training

program. The Training Committee is responsible for the review and selection

of applicants as trainees at the Center.

The Counseling Center is continuing its efforts in completing the next

stage of the process and is dedicated to establishing an APA-accredited

internship program. Establishing an APA-accredited internship at the

Counseling Center would put the Counseling Center on par with other

counseling centers at our peer and aspirational institutions, provide services to

the campus community, and raise the visibility of the Counseling Center at a

national level. In addition, an APA-accredited internship site is highly valued among counseling center staff who provide training

and supervision to interns as well as those persons who wish to be a part of a nationally-accredited training program.

At present, 61% of Georgia Tech’s peer and aspirational institutions have an APA-accredited counseling center internship

program and 55% of ACC institutions have an APA-accredited counseling center internship program. Within the state of Georgia,

only Emory University and Georgia State University have APA-accredited internship programs. The Center has continued to

make progress in working towards an APA-accredited internship during 2008-2009, having completed its first draft of the self-

study.

In 2008-2009, the internship program took part in the National Internship Match program sponsored by APPIC. The

National Internship Match program matches intern applicants to pre-doctoral internships nationwide. The Counseling Center

submitted a list of ranked applicants for next year’s interns and successfully matched with 2 applicants. The two interns who will

comprise the Center’s 3rd

internship class beginning Fall 2009 will be:

Anthony Pollard • Argosy University-Atlanta


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In addition to the internship program, the Center continues to sponsor a practicum training program for graduate students in

counseling and psychology, accepting 5-6 graduate students each year. During 2008-2009, 6 graduate students were accepted as

practicum trainees:

Kristen Aycock • Georgia State University

Will Bruer • Argosy University-Atlanta

Lisa Sims • University of Georgia

Robert Poynter • Georgia State University

Sandra Rodriguez-Siuts • Texas Tech University


The selection process of practicum students for 2009-2010 was conducted in Spring 2009. The following were accepted as

practicum students for 2009-2010:

Philip Gnilka • Georgia State University

Laura Obert • Auburn University

Carla Sutton • University of Georgia

Katie Tart • Argosy University-Atlanta

Jenny Wu • University of Georgia

During their time at the Center, practicum students take part in conducting individual and group counseling under the

supervision of senior counseling staff or pre-doctoral resident. In addition, practicum students may become involved in outreach

opportunities presented to the Center. As part of the training experience, senior staff provides weekly orientation and training

seminars for intern and practicum students. Below is the schedule of the training seminars provided during 2008-2009:

Practicum Training Seminars (Fall 2008-Spring 2009)

August 21 Orientation

August 28 Beginning the Counseling Process – Mack Bowers

September 4 Career Counseling (MBTI & SII) – Rome Lester and Nelson Binggeli

September 11 Associate Dean for Diversity – Stephanie Ray

September 18 Time Limited Dynamic Therapy – Ken Frontman


September 25 Time Limited Dynamic Therapy – Ken Frontman

October 2 Time-Limited Cognitive-Behavioral Therapy – Nelson Binggeli

October 9 Time-Limited Cognitive-Behavioral Therapy – Nelson Binggeli

October 16 Outreach Presentations – Jill Barber

October 23 Working with International Students – Mahlet Endale

October 30 Crisis Response/Suicide Assessment – Belen Gutter

November 6 Initial Screenings – Irene Dalton

November 13 Case Presentations

November 20 Case Presentations

November 27 Thanksgiving

December 4 Case Presentations

January 15 Intakes and Case Discussion – Mack Bowers

January 22 Anxiety Issues – Mack Bowers

January 29 Case discussion – Mack Bowers

February 5 Group Therapy – Rome Lester

February 12 LGBT Issues – Toti Perez

February 19 Evidence-based Practice – Nelson Binggeli

February 26 Case Discussion – Mack Bowers

March 5 Addiction and Recovery – Ken Frontman

March 12 Group Therapy (part 2) – Rome Lester

March 19 Spring Break

March 26 Feminist Multicultural Therapy – Jill Barber

April 2 Case Discussion – Mack Bowers

April 9 Case Presentations




April 30 Parting is such sweet sorrow – Rome Lester

Intern Training Seminars (Fall 2008-Spring 2009)

August 15 Book Review/Discussion (College of the Overwhelmed) – Mack Bowers

August 22 Orientation with Practicum Students

August 29 Feminist Multicultural Counseling – Jill Barber

September 5 Feminist Multicultural Counseling – Jill Barber

September 12 Feminist Multicultural Counseling – Jill Barber

September 19 Time-limited Dynamic Therapy – Ken Frontman

September 26 Time-limited Dynamic Therapy – Ken Frontman

October 3 Time-limited Dynamic Therapy – Ken Frontman

October 10 Multicultural Seminar – Mack Bowers

October 17 Cognitive Behavioral Therapy – Nelson Binggeli



November 7 Interpersonal Counseling – Mack Bowers

November 14 Time-limited Dynamic Therapy – Ken Frontman

November 21 Interpersonal Counseling – Mack Bowers

November 28 Thanksgiving Holiday

December 5 Special Populations – Belen Gutter

December 12 Professional Transitions (licensure and job search) – Nelson Binggeli

January 14 GLBT Issues – Toti Perez




February 4 Couples Counseling – Irene Dalton



February 25 Group Counseling – Rome Lester

March 4 Group Counseling – Rome Lester

March 11 Group Counseling – Rome Lester

March 18 Spring Break

March 25 Multicultural Seminar – Mack Bowers

April 1 Trauma – Jill Barber



April 22 Special Topics – Cinema Therapy

April 29 Career Counseling (Overview) – Ken Frontman

May 6 Career Counseling (Strong Interest Inventory) – Mack Bowers

May 13 Career Counseling (Myers-Briggs) – Jill Barber

May 20 Multicultural Seminar (Color of Fear) – Mack Bowers

May 27 Substance Abuse – Ken Frontman

June 3 Substance Abuse – Ken Frontman

June 10 Substance Abuse – Mack Bowers

June 17 Special Topics – Cinema Therapy

June 24 Special Topics – Ordinary People

July 1 Transference/Countertransference - Anger

July 8 Transference/Countertransference - Attraction

July 15 To be announced

July 24 Terminations and Farewell


Professional Development

he Counseling staff are required to obtain continuing education in order to maintain their professional license and to

provide services through the Counseling Center. Continuing education may be obtained through attendance at workshops,

seminars, or professional conferences/conventions. The counseling staff continued

their individual professional development through attendance at a number of various workshops and programs. In addition,

counseling staff attended and/or presented at various professional meetings, and were involved in research and publication

throughout the year as listed below:

Jill Barber

Continuing Education:

Therapist Heal Society & thyself: Social Justice in Disaster Response Work

Am I Competent Enough? Multicultural Competence from an Ethics Perspective

Responding to Campus Racist Incidents; Institutional Successes-Best Practices

Racial Identity Skills for Life

Multicultural Competence in the Provision of Supervision

Meetings/Conferences Attended:

American Psychological Association convention (Boston, MA)

National Multicultural Conference and Summit (New Orleans, LA)

Division 17 (Society of Counseling Psychology) Southeast Regional Conference (Athens, GA)

Research Publications/Conference Presentations:

Perrin, P., Heesacker, M., Perez, R., & Barber, J. (2009) Exchange of Privilege. Division 17 Southeastern Regional Conference,

Athens, GA.

Barber, J. (2008) Changing Face of Practice in University Counseling Centers. Chair/Discussant of Symposium held at APA

Annual Convention, Boston, Massachusetts.

Barber, J. (2008) The 12 Colors of the Rainbow- The Umbrella of LGBTQ Diversity: Counseling Interventions with LGBT

International Students. Presented at APA Annual Convention, Boston Massachusetts.

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Barber, J. (2008). Addressing the Needs of Children in Same-Sex Families in the Classroom. Invited Presentation at Diversity

Issues in School Counseling: Supporting ALL Georgia’s Students. Athens, Georgia.

Mack S. Bowers


Current Basic Psychopharmacological Research of Relevance to Clinicians

Psychopharmacology Issues in the Treatment of Children, Adolescents and Adults


Association of Counseling Center Training Agencies annual conference, Myrtle Beach, SC

Georgia Psychological Association annual conference, Atlanta, GA

Irene E. Dalton


John Gottman Couples Therapy

Women and Psychopharmacology

Working with Families of Divorce

Hormones, Heart Health and the Brain

Mahlet Endale


Granted psychology licensure, November, 2008 (Georgia State Board of Examiners of Psychology)

Interdisciplinary Work to Build Collective Efficacy Among Immigrant Communities

Considering Immigrants from Psychohistorical Perspectives

Difficult Dialogues Facilitator Training

Identity Performance: Masking Assimilation or Courageous Acts of Authentic Self

Wisdom, Courage, and Heart: Progressive Strategies for Campus Crisis Preparation

Assessing Five Years of Evidence-Based Campus Suicide Prevention Efforts

Breaking the Ice: A Social Skills Group for Students

Introduction to Motivational Interviewing Parts 1 & 2

Legal & Ethical Risks and Risk Management in Professional Psychological Practice

Sequence I: General Risk Management Strategies




National Multicultural Conference and Summit (New Orleans, LA)

American College Personnel Association convention (Washington, DC)

Georgia Psychological Association annual meeting (Atlanta, GA)


Facilitator for Difficult Dialogues for Multicultural Summit

Kenneth C. Frontman


Treatment of Addiction

Working with GBLT clients in family therapy


Systems-Centered Training & Research Institute Annual Conference, San Francisco, CA.


Frontman, K.C., & Straznickas, J. (2009, April) A systems-centered perspective on 12 step recovery & addiction. Presented at the

Systems-Centered Training & Research Institute Annual Conference, San Francisco, CA.

Rome Lester


Eating Disorders Recovery

Dialectical Behavior Therapy Insights

Couples Therapy


American Association of Marriage and Family Therapists Annual Conference (Memphis, TN)


Ruperto M. Perez Continuing Education:

Student Online Habits and Therapeutic Interventions

Assessing Five Years of Evidence-Based Campus Suicide Prevention Efforts

Advocating for Institutional Change: When Individual Counseling Is Not Enough

Intersecting Identities: Gender Variant Students of Color

Innovations in College Counseling 2008-2009

Infusing the Psychology Curriculum with Ethnocultural Content: Truths, Half-Truths, Anecdotes, and the Role of Critical

Thinking

Multiculturalism in Psychology Education and Training



American College Personnel Association convention (Washington, DC)

American Psychological Association Commission on Accreditation (Washington, DC)

Division 17 (Society of Counseling Psychology) Southeast Regional Conference (Athens, GA)

American Psychological Association Future of Psychology Practice Summit (San Antonio, TX)

University of Georgia System of Counseling Center Directors meetings (Macon, GA)


Perez, R.M. (2008). Cultural pluralism. In F. T. L Leong. (Editor-in-Chief), M.G. Constantine, & R. Worthington, (Volume

Editors), Encyclopedia of counseling: Volume 3. Cross-cultural counseling. Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage.

Perez, R.M. (2008). Pluralism. In F. T. L Leong. (Editor-in-Chief), M.G. Constantine, & R. Worthington, (Volume Editors),

Encyclopedia of counseling: Volume 3. Cross-cultural counseling. Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage.

Perez, R.M. (2009, February). Intersecting identities among LGBT people: Issues in counseling and therapy. Workshop

presented at the 26th

annual Columbia University-Teachers College Winter Roundtable on Cultural Psychology and Education,

New York, NY (invited presentation).

Weatherly, P.N., Martin, M., & Perez, R.M. (2009, March). Developing a state-wide crisis response network. Program presented

at the annual meeting of the American College Personnel Association, Washington, DC.


Perez, R.M. (2009, April). Investing White privilege: Avoiding the ills of racism. In P.B. Perrin (Chair), Social justice ally

identity development and privilege investment. Symposium conducted at the Southeast Regional Counseling Psychology

Conference, Athens, GA.

Chung, Y.B., Israel, T.A., Mobley, M., & Perez, R.M. (2009, August). Rainbow action against racism (S. Hamilton, Chair).

Symposium presented at the 116th

annual meeting of the American Psychological Association, Toronto, Ontario, Canada.


Service to the Division and Institute

uring 2008-2009, the Counseling Center staff have been active in service to the Division

and/or Institute through their involvement in a number of committees and task forces.

Staff efforts have been represented at both the Divisional level and the Institutional level.

The contribution of Counseling Center staff to the various committees and groups is

reflective of the collaborative and cooperative efforts that are valued by the Center. The

involvement of each staff during 2008-2009 is listed below:

Jill Barber Irene E. Dalton

Service to the Division/Institute: Service to the Division/Institute:

Member, SAFE Space Committee Member, Alcohol Task Force Implementation Committee

Member, Academic Resources Committee

Member, Body Image Committee Mahlet Endale

Member, Work/Life Committee Service to the Division/Institute:

Member, Body Image Committee

Nelson Binggeli

Service to the Division/Institute: Rome Lester

Counseling Center liaison ADAPTS advisory committee Service to the Division/Institute:

Member, ADAPTS Staff Selection Committee Member, Sexual Assault Task Force

Speaker at Take Back the Night

Mack S. Bowers Member, Women's Resource Center Advisory Board

Service to the Division/Institute:

Member, Student Affairs Technology Committee

Member, Go T.E.C.H. Programming Committee

D


Ruperto M. Perez

Service to the Division/Institute:

Member, Student Affairs Critical Incident Response Team

Member, Student Health Fee Committee

Member, Student Affairs Award of Excellence Committee

Chair, Student Affairs Professional Development Committee

Chair, Divisional Strategic Planning Committee (Goal #2)

Chair, Mental Health Task Force Implementation Group

Advisor, Active Minds at Georgia Tech

Instructor, GT1000


Professional Membership & Leadership

arious staff are members of a number of state, regional and/or

national professional organizations. In addition, some

counseling staff are actively involved within their professional

organizations and/or involved in areas of leadership within

their professional organizations as listed below:

Jill Barber

American Psychological Association Division 17

- Chair, Section for LGBT Awareness

- Chair, Section for College and University Counseling Centers

- Chair, Presidential Task Force on Taking Action Against Racism, Media Project

- HOPE Trainer

- Site visitor, Commission on Accreditation

American College Personnel Association

- Member, Directorate for Commission of Counseling and Psychological Services

Georgia Psychological Association

- Member, Human Welfare Committee

Mack S. Bowers

Member, American Psychological Association

Member, Georgia Psychological Association

- Member, Professional Education Committee

Irene E. Dalton


V


Mahlet Endale

Member, American College Personnel Association


Kenneth C. Frontman

Member, American Association of Marriage and Family Therapists

Member, American Group Psychotherapy Association

Member, American Psychological Association


Member, National Register of Health Service Providers in Psychology

Member, Systems-Centered Training & Research Institute

- PR Conference Co-Coordinator Systems-Centered Training & Research Institute Annual Conference, San Francisco, CA.

Rome Lester

Member, American Association of Marriage and Family Therapists

Member, Georgia Association of Marriage & Family Therapists

Ruperto M. Perez

American Psychological Association (APA)

- Fellow, Division 17 (Society of Counseling Psychology)

o Member, Section on Ethnic and Racial Diversity

o Member, Section for Lesbian, Gay, and Bisexual Awareness

- Fellow, Division 44 (Society for the Psychological Study of Lesbian, Gay, and Bisexual

Issues)

- Member, Division 51 (Society for the Psychological Study of Men and Masculinity)

- Member, APA Commission on Accreditation

Member, American College Personnel Association

- Member, Commission for Counseling and Psychological Services (CCAPS)


Member, National Register of Health Service Providers in Psychology

Documents

Georgia Tech Counseling Center Annual Report 2008-2009