Exploring How a State Professional Counseling Association Can Support Counselors in Meeting the Mental Health Needs of Montanans

Authors' Names

Cynthia R. BoyleFollow

Presentation Type

Oral Presentation

Category

Social Sciences/Humanities

Abstract/Artist Statement

The development of counseling as a profession is notable, evolving as helpers responded to human needs in a variety of specialty areas and ultimately coalescing and conceptualized as a full, unique professional identity. While large national counseling associations support the counseling profession as a whole, there is scant research on the unique needs of counselors in a large, rural state like Montana. Counselors must keep abreast of current research on diagnosis and treatment, innovative clinical interventions and on legislative issues that impact their credentialing, reimbursement, and increasingly seek to determine who can and cannot receive counseling services.

This is an exploratory study seeking to understand the specific professional needs of Montana counselors, how national professional associations are meeting those needs, and how a state counseling association could fill any gaps. Participants will be Montana Licensed Clinical Professional Counselors (LCPCs). They will complete an online survey of forced-choice, Likert-scale, and open-ended questions. Results will be analyzed utilizing descriptive statistics for the quantitative data and by exploring general themes for qualitative data.

There are currently no studies in the literature which examine the specific relationship between the professional support needs of licensed counselors in a large, rural Western state and how those needs are met. Only one study was found which explored whether there are any gaps in supports for counselors belonging to national professional organizations, which could be filled by a state professional counseling organization. That study was completed in a small New England state which only had 358 licensed mental health counselors, with only 55 participants. Montana is a large, rural state with over 2500 LCPCs spread across over 140,000 square miles. Finding ways to meet the professional support needs of Montana counselors, can better equip them to be the best advocates and clinical counselors for their clients throughout Montana.

Mentor Name

Shannon Lollar

Personal Statement

I believe my study “Exploring How a State Professional Counseling Association Can Support Counselors in Meeting the Mental Health Needs of Montanans” is especially important at this time. In an ever-turbulent world we continue to see a rise in the statistics on loneliness, stress, and overall negative mental health. There is a need for counseling and not enough counselors. Counseling as a profession has always been evolving and adapting in response to research and the needs of the times. Counselors are not only called upon to be mental health clinicians, diagnosing and treating mental health conditions, but also advocates both for their profession and for their clients. When legislation creates barriers to our ability to provide services to clients…their needs do not simply disappear because a legislator does not have an informed perspective. As a practicing clinician for nearly 15 years, I have found state counseling organizations to be a life raft, when it feels like I’m in an ocean alone treading water. As counselors, we often spend most of our day in an office with clients, about whom we cannot discuss. I cannot tell my partner any details about “how was work today” …and seeing clients with really challenging situations all day, most days, can be really hard. Connecting with peers who have a shared experience is helpful…we don’t need the details, because we’ve been there. Effective state counseling organizations are led by state licensed clinicians who are attuned to and invested in the specific needs within their communities at any given time. They have committees supporting professional development, ethics, public policy and legislation, shared resources, etc... For Montana counselors, in rural communities across the state, the accessibility of training opportunities, collegiality, supervision, consultation, and legislative support, seems especially important. I have found it invaluable to my clinical practice.