OATdb Archive

2011 - 2012

Counseling Services

Goal
Make Data- And Outcome-based Continuous Improvement A Part Of Our Daily Environment
Each department will review and evaluate current programs to encourage student participation.



Objective
Brief Therapy
Provide time limited counseling and psychological services to the SHSU student population, which meet the mental health needs of those students.

KPI
Brief Therapy
Provide time limited counseling and psychological services to the SHSU student population, which meet the mental health needs of those students.

1) 60% of clients will indicate a decrease in overall distress from the time they started counseling to the time they stopped counseling.

2)  60% of clients will indicate an increase in their ability to manage thoughts as a result of counseling.

3) 60% of clients will indicate an increase in their ability to control behaviors as a result of counseling.

4) 60% of clients will indicate an increase in their ability to regulate emotions as a result of counseling.


Result
Survey Results
1) Client Distress - Approximately 71% of clients who described their initial level of distress as "A Great Deal" or "Considerably" indicated that this level had decreased as a result of time spent in counseling.

2) Managing Thoughts - Approximately 83% of clients indicated that they had learned to manage their thoughts "A Great Deal", "Considerably", or "Moderately" as a result of time spent in counseling.

3) Controlling Behaviors - Approximately 81% of clients indicated that they had learned to control their behaviors "A Great Deal" or "Considerable" indicated that this level had decreased as a result of time spent in counseling.

4) Regulating Emotions - Approximately 81% of clients indicated that they had learned to regulate their emotions "A Great Deal" or "Considerable" indicated that this level had decreased as a result of time spent in counseling.

Action
Additional Training Opportunities
After discussing results of the outcome survey, Counseling Center staff decided that additional training in Dialectical Behavior Therapy would help them to develop new skills related to emotional regulation and containment. Results from outcomes will be used to develop promotional and marketing materials used to decrease stigma and educate students on impact that counseling can have on overall functioning.

Goal
Foster The Development Of An Inclusive Community
Use values of diversity and inclusiveness to guide delivery of services to the student population.

Objective
Diversity Training
The Counseling Center will develop a Diversity Institute designed to educate students on issues related to individual differences and community.

KPI
Diversity Institute Pre/Post Test
A brief assessment of topics covered to be administered prior to the institute and upon its completion, showing an increase of 60% between administrations.

Result
Pre/Post Test Results
Results of the assessment indicated an average 12% increase in awareness of diversity related topics between pre-test and post-test scores.

Action
Pre/Post Test Item Analysis
An item analysis that was conducted on the pre/post test indicated that the individuals who showed no change between administrations tended to miss the same four questions. These items were all multiple choice, and response patterns on each item indicate that they did not effectively measure the targeted content. As a result, the assessment will be revised prior to the next Diversity Institute to ensure that accurate data is captured.

Objective
Diversity/Inclusiveness
The population of students served will reflect the diversity of the SHSU student body to demonstrate the inclusiveness of the agency, and the importance of providing services to underserved and/or marginalized populations.

KPI
Racial/Ethnic Demographics
Data reflecting racial/ethnic demographics of Counseling Center clients to be compared with the general student population, showing no more than a 5% difference between the two.

Result
Demographic Data Results

Demographic data from the Student Data Set, the Counseling Center's standardized demographic information form, show that for FY12, approximately 34.6% of clients identified as members of a racial/ethnic minority. SHSU enrollment data from the Fall semester of '11 shows that the racial/ethnic minority enrollment for SHSU was approximately 36.8%.

Action
Strategies For Underserved Populations
Counseling Center staff will develop liaison relationships with various offices and student organizations that serve underserved populations in an effort to reach out to these populations. Of particular interest is the international student population. Additional diversity related programming will also be offered throughout the year.


Update to previous cycle's plan for continuous improvement

Plan for continuous improvement In order to provide effective therapeutic support, the Counseling Center offers a variety of therapeutic treatment modalities. Throughout the current fiscal year clients completed an assessment of various therapy-related learning outcomes at their last session or the end of the semester, whichever came first. All criteria related to the core treatment factors of managing thoughts, regulating emotions, controlling behaviors, and reducing overall distress levels were successfully achieved. As a result of this data, new treatment options for clients who enter the system with lower levels of distress are being developed (e.g. a skills based workshop series to manage sub-clinical stress reactions).

 Although students indicated that they believed that the Diversity Institute was a valuable experience to participate in, results of the assessment provided inconclusive data. With this in mind, the Diversity Institute will be conducted again, with a re-tooled assessment to better gauge its impact on students awareness of diversity issues.

 The data on Counseling Center utilization rates by members of ethnic/racial minorities suggest that efforts to reach out to members of these populations throughout FY12 have been successful. Support programs such as "Sister to Sister" will be ongoing for FY13, and creating similar programs for members of other groups will be investigated. Assessment efforts during FY13 will focus on whether therapy/programmatic outcomes are similar for ethnic minority students when compared to their majority culture peers in an effort to ensure the most effective delivery of services possible.