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Teaching and Supervision in Counseling

Author ORCID Identifier

Rebecca B. Smith Hill https://orcid.org/0000-0002-7761-1534

Alexander M. Fields, PhD https://orcid.org/0000-0002-1280-2655

Olivia J. Lewis, PhD http://orcid.org/0000-0003-3888-1125

Madeline Castle, PhD https://orcid.org/0000-0003-3949-7977

Chelsea VanHorn Stinnett, PhD https://orcid.org/0000-0002-1017-3533

Anthony J. Plotner, PhD https://orcid.org/0000-0001-9191-4753

Rachel Gilreath, PhD https://orcid.org/0000-0002-8064-1240

Author Biographies

Rebecca (Becca) Smith Hill is a researcher and Assistant Director at CarolinaLIFE, an inclusive postsecondary education program at University of South Carolina. She earned her Ph.D. in special education with a focus on transition from USC. Her research interests include self-determination, dignity of risk, identity development, and overall wellness for young adults with disabilities.

Alexander (Alex) M. Fields is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Counseling at the University of Nebraska at Omaha. His research interests include the integration of primary and behavior healthcare, improving care for individuals with disabilities, client therapeutic outcomes, and factors that enhance holistic client wellness.

Olivia J. Lewis earned her PhD in counselor education and supervision at the University of South Carolina. Currently, she is a clinical assistant professor at Oregon State University where she studies client outcome research, single case methodology, and the use of nature for client wellbeing.

Madeline Castle earned her PhD in Counselor Education and Supervision from University of South Carolina. Her clinical background spans community agencies and university clinics. Research-wise, she focuses on college students with disabilities, holistic wellness, autonomy development, individual/group counseling, and best practices. Beyond academia, Madeline has worked in inclusive postsecondary education programs.

Chelsea VanHorn Stinnett coordinates technical assistance for Think College, at the Institute for Community Inclusion at the University of Massachusetts- Boston. She works to advance quality inclusive higher education opportunities for students with intellectual disability for both of Think College's federally funded centers: the National Coordinating Center and the Inclusive Higher Education Network. Her research focuses on program development, evaluation, and sexual agency for adults with intellectual disability.

Anthony (Tony) J. Plotner is a Professor in Special Education at University of South Carolina. He received his Ph.D. in special education from the University of Illinois. His primary research interests center around (1) Enhancing employment and personal outcomes of transition-age youth with disabilities; (2) Improving collaborative service delivery across systems; and (3) Developing and implementing rigorous college opportunities for individuals with an intellectual disability.

Rachel Gilreathearned her PhD in Counselor Education and Supervision from University of South Carolina. She specializes in both School and Clinical Mental Health Counseling with diverse clinical experience, and primarily works with adolescents and young adults. She typically teaches career planning and development while focusing her research on comprehensive school counseling programs and career development for marginalized populations.

DOI

https://doi.org/10.7290/tsc07uzfx

Abstract

Researchers in the counseling field have alerted practitioners and counselor education professionals to the need for enhanced training related to supporting individuals with disabilities, namely intellectual and developmental disabilities (IDD; Feather & Carlson, 2019). As more individuals with IDD attend college, these emerging adults are specifically in need of counselors with skills and competencies to support their mental health. This paper describes a collaborative, mutually beneficial initiative between a counselor education program and an inclusive postsecondary education program to address the scarcity of personnel prepared to work with individuals with IDD.

Public Significance Statement

This article shares a novel program partnership between a counselor education program and an inclusive postsecondary education program on a university campus. We offer partnership details and highlight the benefits, namely that counselors in training receive hands-on experience in working with young adults with intellectual and developmental disabilities, thereby enhancing their skills and competency in working with this marginalized population.

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