Deck 14: Advocating for the Counseling Profession

Question 1

__________ is not a synonym for advocacy.

A) Promote
B) Oppose
C) Support
D) Recommend

Answer 1

Oppose

Question 2

Which of the following best captures the general goal of professional counselors who advocate for the profession?

A) Secure funding for counseling jobs
B) Secure funding for counselor training
C) Increase clients seeking counseling services
D) Increase public awareness

Answer 2

Increase public awareness

Question 3

Advocacy efforts are best implemented by

A) professional counseling organizations.
B) individual counselors.
C) groups of counselors.
D) All of the above.

Answer 3

All of the above.

Question 4

Except for __________, clarifying differences in all of the following areas is believed to be important in relation to distinguishing professional counselors from other mental health professionals.

A) credentials
B) scope of practice
C) salaries
D) training requirements

Question 5

Each of the following questions can help guide professional counselors' efforts to advocate for the profession EXCEPT

A) What do professional counselors do?
B) How do I locate a professional counselor?
C) What are the benefits of counseling?
D) Why should I seek counseling?

Question 6

ACA's advocacy efforts related to Medicare reimbursement focus on

A) professional qualifications.
B) growth of the counseling profession.
C) training and supervision needs.
D) importance of counseling.

Question 7

ACA's advocacy efforts related to the Elementary and Secondary School Counseling Program Act focus on

A) professional qualifications.
B) growth of the counseling profession.
C) training and supervision needs.
D) importance of counseling.

Question 8

ACA's advocacy efforts related to the TRICARE Program focus on

A) professional qualifications.
B) growth of the counseling profession.
C) training and supervision needs.
D) importance of counseling.

Question 9

__________ skills were NOT identified as important to effective advocacy.

A) Communication
B) Data gathering
C) Questioning
D) Terminating

Question 10

All of the following were discussed as prerequisites to effective counseling advocacy efforts EXCEPT

A) skills.
B) resources.
C) appropriate professional credentials.
D) clear professional identity.

Question 11

According to Eriksen (1997), the first step involved in advocating is to

A) assess the availability of resources.
B) train counselors to advocate.
C) identify the problem.
D) None of the above.

Question 12

According to Eriksen (1997), the last step involved in advocacy is to

A) assess outcomes.
B) celebrate accomplishments.
C) evaluate.
D) All of the above.

Question 13

A form of outside support may include _______.

A) former clients
B) partnership agencies
C) local organizations
D) All of the above.

Question 14

Who did Eriksen (1999) recommend should be responsible for creating the advocacy strategic plan?

A) All involved parties
B) The most experienced counselors
C) Small core group
D) Consultants

Question 15

Which of the following does not fit in the strategic planning step?

A) Develop goals
B) Identify resources
C) Determine advocacy activities
D) Prepare documentation

Question 16

Which of the following does not fit in the advocacy implementation step?

A) Monitor implementation activities
B) Assess outcomes
C) Modify plan
D) Determine target audience

Question 17

Ways to identify yourself as a professional counselor include all of the following EXCEPT

A) socialize with other mental health professionals.
B) discuss involvement in professional organizations.
C) list your credentials.
D) display your license.

Question 18

Professional counselors can advocate via service activities such as

A) conducting workshops.
B) becoming involved in National Screening Days.
C) organizing charity events.
D) All of the above.

Question 19

__________ could result from inadequate advocacy for the counseling profession.

A) A decrease in salary
B) An increase in administrative tasks
C) Loss of clients
D) Increase in explanations of tasks to administrators

Question 20

A goal of the American Counseling Association in regard to advocacy is

A) an increase in support for counselors and clients in all appropriate Federal and State laws, regulations, and legislation.
B) to educate professional counselors to become better advocates for both themselves and their client populations.
C) to provide resources to help professional counselors to become more proactive in their efforts.
D) All of the above.

Question 21

__________ is/are essential prior to engaging in advocacy efforts for the profession.

A) Advocacy skills
B) Counseling skills
C) Sufficient research
D) Professional identity

Question 22

When identifying the problem to advocate for, professional counselors should

A) choose their battles wisely.
B) prioritize concerns.
C) Both of the above.
D) None of the above.

Question 23

__________ is NOT a factor that must be considered before advocacy plans are finalized?

A) Personnel
B) Outside support
C) Previous efforts
D) Motivation

Question 24

A small planning group used in advocating for the counseling profession would develop a list of

A) long-term plans.
B) short-term goals.
C) any materials or documentation that might be needed.
D) All of the above.

Question 25

Training for members of the planning group should be

A) informal and conducted during meetings.
B) implemented in the form of workshops and conferences.
C) implemented prior to deciding the composition of the planning group.
D) None of the above.

Question 26

_________ is an important component of the implementation step in advocating for the counseling profession.

A) Assessment
B) Monitoring
C) Organization
D) All of the above.

Question 27

The general goal of advocacy is to

A) enlighten others about the work of professional counselors.
B) share information and increase public awareness.
C) increase the number of clients referred to professional counselors.
D) increase the number of positions available for professional counselors.

Question 28

With a media kit in place, professional counselors

A) can implement creative lessons for clients who do not respond to conventional efforts.
B) can draw the attention of stakeholders they are trying to influence.
C) are prepared to respond to spur of the moment questions.
D) All of the above.

Question 29

All of the following are examples of advocating for the counseling profession EXCEPT

A) providing justification for various organizations to hire or retain counselors.
B) promoting counseling services.
C) recommending that legislators earmark funding for counselor training.
D) discounting other helping professions to bolster professional counseling.

Question 30

When advocating for the counseling profession, a main emphasis is on ________.

A) increasing public awareness.
B) increasing counselor salaries.
C) promoting the importance of counseling over other helping professions.
D) All of the above.

Question 31

________ advocacy can help to decrease the frequency or delay the onset of concerns from various stakeholders.

A) Reactive
B) Proactive
C) Intentional
D) Inclusive

Question 32

Advocacy efforts should focus on demonstrating and explaining

A) what professional counselors do.
B) what roles are appropriate for counselors based on their training.
C) what the potential benefits are of hiring professional counselors.
D) All of the above.

Question 33

All of the following organizations have been very involved in advocating for legislation and regulations that recognize professional counselors as important mental health providers EXCEPT

A) CORE
B) ACA
C) NBCC
D) CACREP

Question 34

_______ is NOT one of the current counseling advocacy agendas.

A) Communicating the important role counselors play in schools
B) Addressing the lack of appreciation for specialized training and supervision needs
C) Focusing advocacy efforts nationally and locally, rather than internationally
D) LPCs providing services through the Department of Veterans Affairs

Question 35

Possessing a clear _________ is necessary prior to engaging in advocacy efforts for the profession.

A) credential
B) organization
C) licensure
D) professional identity

Question 36

All of the following have been identified as current threats to a consistent professional identity among counselors EXCEPT

A) inconsistent licensure requirements from state to state.
B) inconsistent training requirements.
C) hiring psychologists or other professionals to teach counseling courses.
D) identifying first as professional counselors, and then by specialty area.

Question 37

Advocating for the profession requires counselors to progress through a number of steps. After identifying the problem, the next step is to ________.

A) train professional counselors to advocate.
B) assess the availability of resources.
C) engage in strategic-planning activities.
D) implement a plan of action.

Question 38

When engaging in strategic-planning activities, professional counselors need to

A) develop ideas for addressing their concerns by designing advocacy plans.
B) determine the level of outside support.
C) decide whether the issue is worth advocating for.
D) provide training workshops or conferences.

Question 39

Professional advocacy is mostly a(n) ________.

A) individual endeavor.
B) group effort.
C) Both of the above.
D) None of the above.

Question 40

In the 1960s, counselors advocated for federal legislation to provide funding to support the training of _______.

A) private counselors.
B) rehabilitation counselors.
C) school counselors.
D) All of the above.

Question 41

When did the counseling profession start placing greater emphasis on advocacy?

A) 1950s
B) mid-1900s
C) 1970s
D) 1990s

Question 42

________ must learn about the role and process of professional counselors advocating on behalf of the profession, and _________ must learn the role of counselors and counselor educators advocating on behalf of the profession.

A) Entry-level counselors; doctoral students
B) Entry-level counselors; school counselors
C) Doctoral students; masters students
D) None of the above.

Question 43

In the 1970s counselors advocated for federal legislation to provide funding to support the training of ______.

A) school counselors.
B) private practice counselors.
C) rehabilitation counselors.
D) All of the above.

Question 44

Which of the following personal experiences may spark a professional counselor's desire to take action via advocacy?

A) Job cuts
B) Professional roles
C) Training standards
D) All of the above

Question 45

Without knowledge related to differences in training requirements, scope of practice, and credentials among mental health professionals, employers

A) tend to independently research the differences before making hiring decisions.
B) might assume one professional could be easily replaced with another.
C) typically assume counselors are the most appropriate choice.
D) None of the above.

Question 46

An example of an administrative task is

A) coordinating client files.
B) performing initial client screenings.
C) going over informed consent documents with clients.
D) All of the above.

Question 47

Which of the following resources would be used to convey general information about counselor training and qualifications and populations that counselors serve?

A) Effective Advocacy with Members of Congress
B) Public Awareness Ideas and Strategies for Professional Counselors
C) Promoting Professional Identity
D) Who are LPCs? brochure

Question 48

Counseling Awareness Month is

A) April
B) May
C) March
D) June

Question 49

Advocacy skills are

A) significantly different than basic counseling skills.
B) similar to counseling skills.
C) not important for effective advocacy.
D) only achieved by advanced counselors.

Question 50

The four main categories of professional advocacy interventions include

A) advocacy skills, counseling skills, professional identity, and increasing public awareness.
B) identifying the problem, assessing resources, strategic-planning activities, and training counselors to advocate.
C) promoting professional identity, increasing the public image of counseling, developing interprofessional/intraprofessional collaboration, and promoting legislative policy initiatives.
D) None of the above.

Question 51

Professional advocacy efforts require

A) a clear professional identity.
B) coordinated efforts among counseling organizations.
C) Both of the above.
D) None of the above.

Question 52

Professional counselors identifying first by their specialty areas, rather than as professional counselors who work in different settings, is considered

A) beneficial for the counseling profession.
B) to be more meaningful for counselors.
C) a threat to professional identity.
D) to be complementary to professional identity.

Question 53

Advocating for the profession requires counselors to progress through numerous steps. Which step is most closely related to the phrase choose your battles wisely?

A) Implement a plan of action
B) Engage in strategic-planning activities
C) Assess the availability of resources
D) Identify the problem

Question 54

During which step of advocating for the profession would counselors create a small, representative planning group of professional counselors?

A) Identify the problem
B) Train professional counselors to advocate
C) Implement a plan of action
D) Engage in strategic-planning activities

Question 55

During which step of advocating for the profession would counselors communicate successes to others, document and disseminate information about their successes, and thank important stakeholders?

A) Implement a plan of action
B) Celebrate accomplishments
C) Engage in strategic-planning activities
D) Assess resources

Question 56

_______, such as brochures, flyers, and press releases, address either specific issues upon which professional counselors are focusing or counselor services specific to professional counselors' workplaces.

A) Media kits
B) Blogs
C) Legislation
D) Media centers

Question 57

To advocate for the counseling profession, counselors should communicate with policymakers at the

A) local level.
B) state level.
C) national level.
D) All of the above.

Question 58

When engaging in strategic-planning activities, the planning group should consider which of the following questions?

A) What is our main concern?
B) Who is our target audience?
C) What is a realistic time frame for addressing our concern?
D) All of the above.

Question 59

During which step of advocating for the profession would counselors learn how to approach legislators, what types of information to share, and what to avoid?

A) Identify the problem
B) Train professional counselors to advocate
C) Implement a plan of action
D) Engage in strategic-planning activities

Question 60

Increasing public awareness of the counseling profession has which of the following potential outcomes?

A) Changing public policy
B) Securing funding
C) Increasing the number of clients who seek counseling services
D) All of the above.

Question 61

Explain reasons why advocacy is significant to the role of professional counselors.

Question 62

Describe the primary purpose of the American Counseling Association's (ACA) advocacy standards.

Question 63

Explain how professional identity is an important aspect of advocating for the counseling profession.

Question 64

Explain what it takes to become an effective advocate for the counseling profession.

Question 65

Identify six steps that counselors progress through when advocating for the profession.

Question 66

Describe the guidelines suggested in the first step of "identifying the problem" while advocating for the counseling profession.

Question 67

Give examples of people who professional counselors may want to seek out for outside support when advocating for the counseling profession.

Question 68

Explain how to plan for effective advocacy by groups.

Question 69

Discuss the components of the celebration stage of advocacy.

Question 70

Describe some of the ways that professional counselors can advocate for the profession.

Question 71

List examples of activities that can be implemented throughout the community to advocate for the profession.

Question 72

Explain what a media kit is and what it can be used for.

Question 73

Provide an argument supporting the importance of professional counselor advocacy; convince us that advocating for the counseling profession is a worthwhile use of counselors' time.

Question 74

Explain how the establishment of professional counseling organizations and state licensure boards helps to facilitate professional counselor advocacy.

Question 75

Thinking about the numerous examples provided in this chapter, identify a professional advocacy issue that you anticipate having to face in your future counseling career. Then, discuss two ways that you could proactively advocate for yourself in that regard and explain why those efforts might be effective.

Question 76

Consider the advocacy skills and steps discussed in this chapter. What do you believe would be your strengths when it comes to professional advocacy and in what areas do you believe you would struggle? Explain how you could approach engaging in professional advocacy to work specifically within your strengths.

Question 77

Develop a measurable professional advocacy goal, explain the plan you could implement to address that goal, and describe how you would assess the effectiveness of your efforts.

Question 78

Describe threats to a consistent professional identity among professional counselors.

Question 79

Describe stages that professional counselors should follow when advocating for the profession.

Question 80

Describe factors critical to the implementation of an advocacy plan.