Community and Agency Counseling

With significantly expanded content and a strengthened emphasis on Council for Accreditation of Counseling and Related Programs (CACREP) standards, this user-friendly yet scholarly volume again provides comprehensive coverage of all aspects of community counseling. After a thorough introduction to the history and foundation of the discipline, the authors examine the many roles and functions community counselors perform, the variety of settings in which their work is done, and how that work differs from one client population to another. Emerging issues and trends in the field are given appropriate attention; while first-person narratives throughout the text explore specific challenges and opportunities associated with particular areas of expertise. For future community counselors facing a broad spectrum of settings and clients, and specific demands related to their environment.

Deborah W. Newsome is an assistant professor in the Department of Counseling at Wake Forest University in Winston-Salem, North Carolina.

Community counseling represents a relatively recent specialty area in professional counseling, although its history is extensive. It began when a small group of counselors started working in community and agency settings, including mental health settings, not-for-profit organizations, hospitals, and other places outside traditional educational settings. Prior to the 1960s, little attention, few curricula courses in counseling programs, and few professional opportunities focused on counseling in nonschool environments. Yet, a core of counselors found themselves working in community settings. Thus, although the termcommunity counselorwas first introduced into the professional literature in the late 1970s, the concept and practice of community counseling date back further. A case can even be made that community counseling really began at the turn of the 20th century, when two founders of counseling in the United States, Frank Parson and Clifford Beers, focused their attention on social environmental concerns: specifically, career development and mental health. Regardless of its roots, the practice and growth of community counseling were given a boost in the 1960s and 1970s. During this time, the Community Mental Health Centers Act of 1963 was enacted, resulting in the deinstitutionalization of people with mental illnesses and the establishment of broad-reaching, outpatient, community-based services. Also during this time, an epidemic of drug use necessitated the establishment of many substance-abuse treatment centers. Moreover, several not-for-profit and church-sponsored agencies began providing counseling services. As a consequence of these and other. societal changes, counselors found new employment opportunities in settings other than schools and universities. Gradually, a groundswell of counselors employed in agencies and other organizations advocated a name by which to identify themselves. Judith and Michael Lewis (1977) coined the descriptor "community counseling" to identify counseling activities outside educational institutions. Since that time, the definition and professional preparation of community counseling have evolved and expanded. Community counselors in the 21st century perform a broad range of therapeutic services among diverse client populations and in a variety of settings. They use multifaceted approaches that promote prevention, early intervention, wellness, and advocacy, taking into account the client, the environment, and the interactions between the two. Many community counselors are trained in counselor education programs that are recognized by the Council for Accreditation of Counseling and Related Educational Programs (CACREP) and are employed in venues that include community mental health centers, health care centers, not-for-profit organizations, private practice, career development centers, employee assistance programs, and other agencies. In the second edition ofCommunity and Agency Counseling,topics related to community counseling in the 21st century are addressed. Specifically, we examine the history and foundations of community counseling, roles and functions of community counselors, counseling with diverse populations, and settings in which community counselors practice. NEW TO THIS EDITION The second edition features much new content, including: An expanded description of the professional identity of community counselors Updated information regarding ethical and legal issues as they pertain to community counseling A focus on current and emerging influences on community counseling, including managed care, technology, wellness, and spirituality Detailed information describing intake services, treatment planning, and record keeping New chapters that address assessment and diagnosis, crisis intervention, prevention, advocacy, and program evaluation An expanded chapter on counseling diverse populatio