Date of Graduation

12-2012

Document Type

Dissertation

Degree Name

Doctor of Philosophy in Counselor Education (PhD)

Degree Level

Graduate

Department

Rehabilitation, Human Resources and Communication Disorders

Advisor/Mentor

Higgins, Kristin K.

Committee Member

Farley, Roy C.

Second Committee Member

Denny, George S.

Third Committee Member

Smith, Thomas E. C.

Keywords

Education; Counselor self-efficacy; Counselor training; Wellness

Abstract

The purpose of this study is to survey school counselors to determine their knowledge and perceived preparedness to implement wellness strategies in school counseling programs. Wellness plans are a requirement for thousands of public school districts in the United States. There are no established standards for the training of school counselors in the area of wellness. School counselors are in a unique position to positively impact students through the use of wellness programs and strategies. School counselors from a mid-south state (N = 156) completed an electronic survey to measure how they implement wellness strategies and their perceived preparedness in this area of counseling. Results indicate that there were no differences in total preparedness based on years of experience nor graduation from a CACREP accredited programs. As the number of hours practicing wellness strategies increased, the perceived preparedness of counselors also increased. There were no differences in how counselors rated themselves on preparedness based on neither CACREP program graduation nor years of experience. Less high school counselors perceived themselves as having a role in promoting wellness than other school counselors. This study presents implications for establishing consistent training and programs for school counselors in the area of wellness. This study also presents implications for the use of wellness programs, measuring results, and school counselor self-efficacy.

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