Evaluating Effectiveness in a Hispanic-Serving Counselor Training Clinic

ABSTRACT

Counselor training clinics provide a valuable resource for low- or no-cost counseling for the community. The purpose of this study was to conduct a single group program evaluation. Participants included 79 clients who attended at least 5 consecutive sessions. Paired sample t tests compared pretest and posttest mean scores of the Outcome Rating Scale (ORS) and Session Rating Scale (SRS). One-way analyses of variance assessed for changes in the ORS scores based on client ethnicity or gender. Results included a statistically significant change in ORS and SRS scores after a minimum of 5 counseling sessions. Implications for counselor educators and clinic directors are further discussed.

KEYWORDS:

• Client outcomes
• counselor training clinic
• multicultural measures
• program evaluation

Additional information

Notes on contributors

Hope Schuermann

Hope Schuermann, PhD, is Clinical Assistant Professor with the School of Human Development and Organizational Studies in Education at the University of Florida. Her research interests include trauma, client outcomes, and counselor education pedagogy.

Courtney Borsuk

Courtney Borsuk, PhD, is Project Director with Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health at Johns Hopkins University. Her research interests include substance use treatment, opioid misuse, and patient-centered hepatitis C treatment among people who inject drugs.

Christine Wong

Christine Wong, PhD, is Senior Lecturer with the Department of Counseling and Human Services at St. Mary's University. Her research interests include spirituality in counseling and supervision.

Catherine Somody

Catherine Somody, PhD, is Clinical Assistant Professor and Clinic Director with Sarabia Family Counseling Center, UTSA Department of Counseling. Her research interests include creativity in counseling and supervision and Relational Cultural Theory.