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Introduction
The purpose of the online counseling service is to assist students
in their educational pursuits. This service can include information
such as study skills, test taking, and how to succeed in college,
as well as links to self help virtual pamphlet collections ranging
in topics from alcohol and drugs issues, eating disorders, depression
and other mental health issues that may keep a student from succeeding
in college. The service may also provide email access to a counselor,
question and answer chat rooms and support groups. The service generally
does not provide ongoing online therapy sessions.
History
Counseling services on line have emerged with the advent of distant
learning on line and the growing need for outreach through the college's
web site. Even though this is a relatively new service on a college
campus there have been experiments with online counseling since1966
when Joseph Weizenbaum, a professor of Computer Science at Massachusetts
Institute of Technology created a program called "Eliza."
Opportunities
Institution
Interventions with students during a time of crises, stress related
to academic issues or campus life can lead to a higher drop out
rate. Effective intervention through online services may lead to
improved student retention.
Faculty and Staff
Online services allow the staff to provide outreach, support and
general information to a larger segment of the student population.
Staff can provide answers to frequently asked questions. Counselors
could also use this service as an adjunct to face-to-face services
for students who need ongoing support.
Students
Counseling information on line provides an opportunity for students
to access sensitive information and remain anonymous. It also allows
students to access information anytime as opposed to only during
office hours. Students can "meet the staff" online and
decide best fit if they choose to make an appointment to meet with
a counselor face to face. It provides access for students who may
live to far away for on campus activities.
Challenges and Issues
Issues in providing this service to distance students/or providing
this Web based service:
- Privacy and Ethical Considerations
Most on line College Counseling services are limited to general
information, counselor profiles and contact information. Providing
more in-depth support such as ongoing one-on-one contact or therapy
creates issues related to confidentially, verification of age,
privacy and college policy. It creates the need for encrypted
sites and may create cross border issues for licensed counselors.
Most counselors are reluctant to provide more than general information
if they cannot see the student in a face to face setting.
- Information Gathering
Continuous updating of the web site. On going research related
to quality and relevance of resources.
- Updates
Continuous monitoring for active web sites.
- Public Information
Most of the information is available to the public. If a service
is specifically for students (for example a Q&A chat room)
it may need to be password protected to provide limited access.
- Training
Counselors need training on how to provide online services, use
the technology and time for site development, monitoring, updating
and quality control.
About the Author
Donna Ford has been a professional counselor for over 25 years,
and has recently retired as a counselor from Clackamas Community
College in Oregon. She was also a placement officer at Portland
State University. Donna received her Masters Degree from Western
Oregon State University.
Donna has held leadership positions in professional organizations
for 15 years. At the state level she is past president of Oregon
Counseling Association, Oregon College and University Association
and the Oregon Career Development Association. At the national level,
she has served, as chair of the Western Region, President of American
College Counseling Association, has been a member of the American
Counseling Association Governing Counsel, and President of the American
Counseling Association 1999-2000.
Associations and Organizations
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ACA Ethical Standards for Internet On-line Counseling
http://www.counseling.org/gc/cybertx.htm
These guidelines establish appropriate standards for the use
of electronic communications over the Internet to provide online
counseling services, and should be used only in conjunction
with the latest ACA Code of Ethics & Standards of Practice.
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Campus Blues.com
http://www.campusblues.com/
A comprehesive site that provides information regarding all
aspects of college life, including links to resources at more
than 200 colleges.
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Cybercounseling
http://cybercounsel.uncg.edu/
This site is housed at the University of North Carolina, Greensboro.
The site has references to best practice and support information
related to on line counseling
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National Association of Student Personnel Administrators
(NASPA)
http://www.naspa.org/
NASPA is the leading professional association for student affairs
staff and provides resources for all student affairs areas.
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The American College Counseling Association http://www.collegecounseling.org/
The American College Counseling Association is a national organization
for persons in higher education settings whose professional
identity is counseling and whose purpose is fostering student
development.
Publications and Articles
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American Counseling Association: Ethical Standards for Internet
On-line Counseling
http://www.counseling.org/gc/cybertx.htm
The ACA Ethical standard provides a guideline for counselors
who provide services on line or can be used as a guide when
developing an online service.
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Occupational Outlook Handbook, 2002-03 Edition, U.S. Department
of Labor
http://www.bls.gov/oco/home.htm
The Occupational Outlook Handbook is a nationally recognized
source of career information, designed to provide valuable assistance
to individuals making decisions about their future work lives.
Revised every two years, the Handbook describes what workers
do on the job, working conditions, the training and education
needed, earnings, and expected job prospects in a wide range
of occupations.
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National Board of Certified Counselors: The Practice of
Internet Counseling
http://www.nbcc.org/ethics/webethics.htm
This document contains a statement of principles for guiding
the evolving practice of Internet counseling.
- WCET Guide to Developing Online Student Services
http://www.wiche.edu/telecom/resources/publications/guide/guide.htm
The guide provides an overview and good practice guidelines for
providing Career Services on line.
Campus Sites
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Appalachian State University
http:www.counseling.appstate.edu
This site serves as a resource for students who need counseling
at Appalachian State University.
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Boston University
http://www.bu.edu/counseling/
Confidentiality statement alerts the student to the importance
of privacy and the limits of confidentiality.
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Florida Academic Counseling and Tracking for Students
http://www.facts.org
FACTS.org is a central web resource for planning and managing
the higher education experience.
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Columbia University
http://www.goaskalice.columbia.edu/index.html
Go Ask Alice provides an on line question and answer service
related to the majority of mental health questions a college
student might ask. It is a unique service for a college counseling
web site.
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Morehouse College
http://www.morehouse.edu/wellnessresourcecenter/
Morehouse College wellness center offers a service entitled
SpiderNet which offers on-line support through "group therapy"
for students that live on campus. It is a secure site with monitered
on-line chat groups and links to other support sites.
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Rio Hondo College http://www.rh.cc.ca.us/student_services/Counseling/
An example of a Community College Counseling site that includes
online contact with a counselor.
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Rogue Community College
http://www.rogue.cc.or.us/Counseling/
The Counseling and Student Programs Department provides comprehensive
counseling services to students and prospective students, unique
support programs, and a variety of other related support services
provided through the Student ACCESS Centers.
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University of Chicago
http://counseling.uchicago.edu/vpc/
The University of Chicago Student Counseling and resource center
has an extensive Virtual Pamphlet Collection.
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University of Texas at Austin
http://www.utexas.edu/world/univ/
This section of UT-Austin Web provides links to regionally accredited
institutions of higher education in the United States.
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The Counseling Center Village
http://ub-counseling.buffalo.edu/ccv.html
The Counseling Center Village has the Counseling Center Directory
which includes over 300 links to Colleges and Universities,
links to a Virtual Pamphlet Collection, "Help your Self"
a psycho educational self help web pages designed for college
students, technical assistance, practice resources and other
areas of general interest for the development of a counseling
web site. It is sponsered by commission VII of the American
College Personnel Association and housed at SUNY at Buffalo,
NY.
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The University of Maryland, College Park
http://www.inform.umd.edu/CampusInfo/Departments/Counseling/
This site gives access to information about the Counseling Center
as well as to helpful writings about a variety of issues students
may be facing.
Corporate Sites |
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- ReadyMinds
http://www.readyminds.com
ReadyMinds is a one-on-one distance career counseling service.
They provide state-of-the-art career counseling (via telecounseling
and online interaction) to help discover strengths, preferences,
and values and determine distinct occupations that suit the consumer.
ReadyMinds helps academic institutions extend the reach of their
services as they prepare students for the work world beyond education.
They also work with organizations and associations in the higher
education and non-profit sector to complement their current service
offerings. ReadyMinds works with these groups to increase value
productivity and establish new revenue streams.
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