Eastern KentuckyUniversity
Department of Counseling and Educational Psychology
Department (CEP)
Syllabus forCOU 804: Counseling Diverse Populations
(3 credit hours), Fall 2010
Catalogue Course Description:
Prerequisite(s) COU 813, COU 840, COU 846. An examination of the application of counseling methods and concepts to non majority groups. The life styles, values, customs, and attitudes of non majority populations will be explored. This is a 100 percent web supported course. It serves as an introduction to the field of multicultural counseling. We will explore ways in which your culture forms your worldview and how this worldview may impact your engagement in the counseling process. You will learn about the cultural norms of specific groups and explore ways that counseling may have to be modified to better serve them.Material will be delivered in class on blackboard (Bb) or by email and your responses to questions and tasks will require you to be proficient in using Bb and to have an EKU email address.Students also will study theories of multicultural counseling, identity development and multicultural competencies, as follow:
a. Multicultural and pluralistic trends, including characteristics
and concernsbetween and within diverse groups
b. Attitudes, beliefs, understandings, and acculturative experiences,
including specific experiential learning activities
c. Individual, couple, family, group, and community strategies for working
with diverse populations and ethnic groups;
d. The nature of biases, prejudices, processes of intentional and
unintentional oppression and discrimination
e. Social political Considerations of Trust & Mistrust
f. Barriers to Effective Multicultural Counseling
g. Identity Development theories
h. Worldviews & Counseling underrepresented groups
i. Multicultural competencies
j. History & definition of multicultural counseling theories
Texts(s):
Anderson, S.K. & Middleton, V.A. (2005).Explorations in privilege, oppression, and
diversity. Belmont, CA: Thompson: Brooks/Cole.
Lee, C. (2006), Multicultural Issues in Counseling. AM Canel
Thomas, A.J. & Schwarzbaum, S. (2006). Culture and identity: Life stories for
counselors and therapists.Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage Publications.
Student Learning Outcomes:
CACREP, SECTION II
PROFESSIONAL IDENTITY
FOUNDATION
A. Common core curricular experiences and demonstrated knowledge in each of the
eight common core curricular areas are required of all students in the program.
1. SOCIAL AND CULTURAL DIVERSITY—studies that provide an
understanding of the cultural context of relationships, issues, and trends in a
multicultural society, including all of the following, students will:
a. Compare and contrast multicultural and pluralistic trends, including characteristics and
concerns within and among diverse groups nationally and internationally;
b. Synthesize attitudes, beliefs, understandings, and acculturative experiences, including
specific experiential learning activities designed to foster students’ understanding of self
and culturally diverse clients;
c. Differentiate theories of multicultural counseling, identity development, and social justice;
d. Compare and contrast individual, couple, family, group, and community strategies for
working with and advocating for diverse populations, including multicultural
competencies;
e. Examine counselors’ roles in developing cultural self-awareness, promoting cultural
social justice, advocacy and conflict resolution, and other culturally supported
behaviors that promote optimal wellness and growth of the human spirit,
mind, or body; and
f. Develop counselors’ roles in eliminating biases, prejudices, and processes of
intentional and unintentional oppression and discrimination.
CACREP, SECTION III
CLINICAL MENTAL HEALTH COUNSELING
Students who are preparing to work as clinical mental health counselors will demonstrate the professional knowledge, skills, and practices necessary to address a wide variety of circumstances within the clinical mental health counseling context. In addition to the common core curricular experiences outlined in Section II.G, programs must provide evidence that student learning has occurred in the following domains:
DIVERISTY AND ADVOCACY
A. Knowledge, students will:
1. Evaluate how living in a multicultural society affects clients who are seeking
clinical mental health counseling services.
2. Compare and contrast the effects of racism, discrimination, sexism, power, privilege, and
oppression on one’s own life and career and those of the client.
3. Contrast current literature that outlines theories, approaches, strategies, and
techniques shown to be effective when working with specific populations of
clients with mental and emotional disorders.
4. Develop effective strategies to support client advocacy and influence public
policy and government relations on local, state, and national levels to enhance
equity, increase funding, and promote programs that affect the practice of clinical
mental health counseling.
5. Analyze the implications of concepts such as internalized oppression and
institutional racism, as well as the historical and current political climate
regarding immigration, poverty, and welfare.
6. Compare public policies on the local, state, and national levels that affect the quality
and accessibility of mental health services.
B. Skills and Practices, students will:
1. Maintain information regarding community resources to make appropriate
referrals.
2. Advocate for policies, programs, and services that are equitable and responsive
to the unique needs of clients.
3. Demonstrate the ability to modify counseling systems, theories, techniques, and
interventions to make them culturally appropriate for diverse populations.
SCHOOL COUNSELING
Students who are preparing to work as school counselors will demonstrate the
professional knowledge, skills, and practices necessary to promote the academic, career,
and personal/social development of all K–12 students. In addition to the common core
curricular experiences outlined in Section II.G, programs must provide evidence that
student learning has occurred in the following domains.
DIVERISTY AND ADVOCACY
A. Knowledge, students will:
1. Compare and contrast the cultural, ethical, economic, legal, and political issues
surrounding diversity, equity, and excellence in terms of student learning.
2. Identify community, environmental, and institutional opportunities that
enhance—as well as barriers that impede—the academic, career, and
personal/social development of students.
3.Analyze the ways in which educational policies, programs, and practices can
be developed, adapted, and modified to be culturally congruent with the needs of
students and their families.
4. Evaluate multicultural counseling issues, as well as the impact of ability
levels, stereotyping, family, socioeconomic status, gender, and sexual identity,
and their effects on student achievement.
B. Skills and Practices, students will:
1. Demonstrate multicultural competencies in relation to diversity, equity, and
opportunity in student learning and development.
2. Advocate for the learning and academic experiences necessary to promote the
academic, career, and personal/social development of students.
3. Advocate for school policies, programs, and services that enhance a positive
school climate and are equitable and responsive to multicultural student
populations.
4. Evaluate parents, guardians, and families to promote the academic, career, and
personal/social development of students.
Evaluation Methods:
1. Multicultural Action Plan Proposal 50
2. Multicultural Action Plan Report 100
3. Personal cultural analysis 100
4. Weekly assignments & quizzes 200
5. Midterm exam 50
6. Final Exam 100
7. Reaction Journal 75
8. Reaction Paper/Cultural Event 25
Grading Scale and Criteria:
100-93%A
92-85%B
84-77%C
76-70%D
69% or below F
Student Progress:
You will be provided with feedback on all exams and written assignments via your grade book in the course Bb site. Your point totals will be posted to the blackboard grade book as the class progresses. It is your responsibility to check your point total throughout the term and notify the instructor if you see a problem with the points posted. Remember to compare the total number of points earned with the grading scale listed above.
Attendance Policy:
Active attendance/participation for this web-based course is essential. Students should have a back-up plan in the event that they are unable to access the web from their primary computer.All assignments, quizzes, and test, must be completed by the date indicated on blackboard in order to receive full credit. In order to receive ANY credit for work submitted after the due date, students MUST contact the instructor by email and/or phone prior to submission.
Last Day to Drop the Course:
Incomplete grades will not be given in practicum, so please consult the schedule book for the last drop date. For Fall’10, Aug. 29, is the Last day to drop a full semester course without a "W" appearing on the university transcript, last day to register for or add additional full-semester courses. Last day for full tuition refund.
Disability Statement:
If you are registered with the Office of Services for Individuals with Disabilities, please obtain your accommodation letters from the OSID and present them to the course instructor to discuss any academic accommodations you need. If you believe you need accommodation and are not registered with the OSID, please contact the Office in the Student Services Building Room 361 by email at or by telephone at (859) 622-2933 V/TDD. Upon individual request, this syllabus can be made available in an alternative format.
Academic Integrity Statement:
Students are advised that EKU's Academic Integrity policy will be strictly enforced in this course. The Academic Integrity policy is available at . Questions regarding the policy may be directed to the Office of Academic Integrity.
Official E-mail:
An official EKU e-mail is established for each registered student, each faculty member, and each staff member. All university communications sent via e-mail will be sent to this EKU e-mail address.
Course Requirements:
1. Active online participation in the discussion board and post questions and answers as needed.
2. Become well versed on ACA multicultural competencies
3. Complete personal cultural analysis
4. Complete multicultural awareness plan
5. Satisfactorily complete online weekly assignments posted on blackboard
6. Receive passing grade on midterm and final examination
Multicultural Action Plan Proposal
Through action plans, students can change their attitudes toward becoming more comfortable with, and gain more awareness about individuals from culturally diverse groups. Participants often observe growth and change as they experience other cultural groups through observation (level one), through investigation (level two), and through personal involvement (level three). The first step in multicultural action planning is the development of the proposal. The proposal is designed to help you maximize your effort by thinking through your plan prior to beginning the process.
Multicultural Action Plan Written Report
Prepare a summary paper of your Action Plan experience based on the guidelines listed on blackboard for each of the three levels. Your paper should not exceed ten (10) typewritten pages.
Please use the APA Publication Manual (as a guide for all written assignments.
* The best reports are those that show a clear linkage between the action plan experience and concepts presented in the multicultural counseling literature.
Personal Cultural Analysis
All people are products of the dynamics of their own cultural background. In addition, their present attitudes, behaviors, and values are shaped by past learning and experiences.
Do an analysis of your own cultural heritage within the context of the questions listed on the backboard assignment.
Reaction Paper: Cultural Event. Attend one cultural event, meeting, or gathering that is based on a culture DIFFERENT than your own. Then submit a typed three-page, double-spaced reaction paper describing your experiences, insights, and change (positive or negative) in cultural understanding that was facilitated by your attendance. It is expected that students will be active participants and not passive observers and thus papers that solely recount the event attendance are unacceptable and will receive only half of the available points. Viewing a movie does not fulfill this requirement.
Reaction Journal
Students are required to keep a bi-weekly journal in which they record their personal reflections on the class. Your journal entries will be your reflections on issues discussed on blackboard, your thoughts about the reading, and experiences you have outside of class that have a relationship to in-class experiences. Your journal entries should NOT just be a summary of the concepts discussed in the text, but statements of what you are feeling, thinking, and experiencing, the areas you find challenging, discussion of questions you have or new understandings you may have experienced. This is an opportunity to explore the converging aspects of diversity we discuss and experience inside and outside of this course. Your journal is a vehicle for you to process how this course is helping to shape you as a professional counselor or related professional.
Weekly Online Modules Assignments & Quizzes
- Active Participation in discussion board posting and responses throughout each week)
- Weekly online contributions and participation (check in at least 3 times throughout each week of the term, including any spring break periods)
- Completing each quiz
Course Outline:
In order to gain access to the video's assigned, log in to EKU library, enter the name of the
video, choose video streaming as the media, and it should lead you to alexanderstreet.com.
You can use your email login and password to gain access to the video
Week 1 & 2See Assignment 1& 2 on blackboard for additional details. / Review syllabus. Your first assignments areto read the first two chapters in the text, Multicultural Issues in Counseling, article 1 & 2 posted under course documents and post your response to the readings on blackboard.You are also to post a brief bio on discussion board under 'Meeting Place'.
Reading: Lee, Chptr 1-2; Anderson & Middleton Part 1 (page1-100)Video:Beyond Tolerance: Bridging the Gap Between Imposition and Acceptance; Post your reaction to the video & reading on the Discussion board as well as your journal.
Week 3 & 4
See Assignment 3 on blackboard for additional details / Reading:Culture & Idenity (page) 95-176; respond toone of the discussion questions listed after each chapter on Discussion Board
Explorations in Privilege (page) 127-154 Include your reaction to this reading in your journal
Video: Cultural Identity vs. Acculturation: Implications for Theory, Research, & Practice
Action Plan proposal Due
Week 5 & 6
See Assignment 4 on blackboard for additional details / Reading: Multicultural Issues page 23-184; Culture & Identity page 7-94
Videos:Innovative Approaches to Counseling Native-American Indian People
Culturally Competent Counseling and Therapy: Innovative Approaches to Counseling Asian-American People
Confronting Racial and Gender Difference: Three Approaches to Multicultural Counseling and Therapy
Week 7 & 8 / Cultural Awareness paper due
Assignment: Tracing the development of racial/ethnic identity
.
EKU Professional Education Model:
Effective Educators as Effective People
EKU Professional Education Slogan:
To teach, to learn, to help others teach and learn.