Psychology Guidance Personnel

SOCIAL WORKER

·         Works with people who have been socially excluded or who are experiencing crisis.

·         They provide service users to help themselves.

·         Maintain professional relationships with service users, acting as guides, advocates or critical friends.

Over 50% of social workers work with young people and their families. They may also work with the following groups:

Ø  Young offenders

Ø  People with mental health problems

Ø  School non-attenders

Ø  Drug and alcohol abusers

Ø  People with learning and physical disabilities

Ø  The elderly

Social worker has a specific task, it includes:

·         Undertaking and writing up assessment which meet specified standards and timescales.

·         Conducting interviews with service users and their families to assess and review their situation.

·         Offering information and counseling support to service users and their families.

·         Organizing and managing packages of support to enable service users to lead the fullest lives possible.

·         Recommending and sometimes making decisions about the best course of action for a particular service user.

·         Liaising with and making referrals to other agencies.

·         Participating to multidisciplinary teams and meetings.

·         Maintaining accurate records and preparing reports for legal actions

·         Giving evidence in court

·         Participating in training, supervision and team meetings.

PSYCHIATRIST

Ø  Are the primary caregivers in the area of mental health.

Ø  They are physicians who serve a fundamental role in our society and have an effect upon all our lives.

Ø  They counsel patients on diet, hygiene and preventive health care.

DEVELOPMENTAL PSYCHOLOGIST

1.  It is all about the general knowledge of human development. 
2.  Explore the influence of the environment vs. genes, a comparison often referred to as “nature vs.   nurture.”

Developmental psychologists can choose from a variety of work environments:

• Conducting research at a university
• Interacting with patients and medical professionals a hospital or other medical facility
• Teaching at a college
• Working with populations as varied as the elderly, homeless or infants to perform evaluations and tests.

Developmental Psychologist typically focuses on theoretical studies and research areas:
· Adolescent development
· Adult development
· Developmental disabilities
· Language-skill acquisition
· Problem-solving patterns

Developmental Psychologist also may specialize in applying their knowledge of those areas for evaluations, which can help in:

•  Analyzing language-skill delays or concerns.
•  Providing additional information for a physician or other medical professionals who is the client’s or patient’s main health-care provider.
• Testing the degree or extent of a developmental disability.

SCHOOL PSYCHOLOGIST

·         In school, students also encounter difficulties or problems whether it is on academic, personal, social problem. There are some students who always misbehave or always make unnecessary behaviors, and then they are referred to the school psychologist to help them, guide them and to promote academic, emotional, and behavior success.

COUNSELING PSYCHOLOGIST

Duties of Counseling Psychologists:

ª  Selection, administration and interpretation of psychological tests to assess intelligence, aptitudes, abilities or interests.

ª  Consultation with other professionals to discuss therapies, treatments, counseling resources, or techniques and to share occupational information.

ª  Referral of clients to specialists or to other institutions for non-counseling treatment of problems.

ª  Conducting of researchers to develop or improve diagnostic or therapeutic counseling techniques.

ª  Provide consulting services to schools, social service agencies and businesses.

ª  Guide clients on how they could be helped by counseling.

ª  Analyze data such as interview notes, test results, and reference manuals in order to identify symptoms and to diagnose the nature of clients’ problems.

ª  Collect information about individuals or clients, using interviews, case histories, observational techniques, and other assessment methods.

ª  Counsel individuals, groups or families to help them understand problems define goals, and develop realistic action plans.

ª  Develop therapeutic and treatment plans based on clients’ interests, abilities, and needs.

Evaluate the results of counseling methods to determine the reliability and validity of treatments.

AUXILLARY PERSONNEL

PSYCHOLOGIST

Study the human mind and behavior. The most popular area of specialization is clinical psychology.

Ø Area of Specialization

CLINICAL PSYCHOLOGIST

Aim to reduce psychological distress and enhance and promote psychological well-being. Often work in health and social care settings.

Clinical psychologists work with people of all ages who experience mental or physical health problems. These may include:

§  Anxiety and depression

§  Serious and enduring mental illness

§  Adjustment to physical illness

§  Neurological disorders

§  Addictive behaviors

§  Eating disorders

§  Behavior disorders

§  Personal and family relationship problems

§  Learning disabilities

Work activities of Clinical Psychologists:

·         Assessing a client’s needs, abilities or behavior using a variety of methods including psychometric tests, interviews and direct observation of behavior.

·         Working as part of a multidisciplinary team alongside doctors, nurses, social workers, education professionals, health visitors, school health nurses, occupational therapists and psychotherapists.

·         Devising and monitoring appropriate programs of treatment, including therapy, counseling in collaboration with colleagues.

·         Offering therapy for difficulties relating to anxiety, depression, addictions, social and interpersonal problems, challenging behaviors and, increasingly, a range of more difficult problems.

·         Rehabilitating long-stay patients into the community.

·         Developing and evaluating service provision.

·         Providing consultation to other professions, encouraging a psychological approach in their work.

·         Developing and supervising high-quality assessment and therapeutic work by colleagues in multidisciplinary teams.

·         Counseling and supporting careers.

·         Carrying-out applied research, adding to the evidence base of practice in a variety of health care settings.

GUIDANCE SECRETARY

·         They are more on paper works.

·         Make appointments

·         Put files in order

·         Write letters and answer the phone

·         Make travel plans

·         Make sure that the information that leaves the office is right.

RESEARCHER

Another person that involves in guidance services is the researcher. A researcher designs, formulates and conducts research project. She collect, manage and analyze information and organize data which are presented in oral or written form.

Functions of a Researcher

Ø  Defining and refining research objectives.

Ø  Designing questionnaires

Ø  Use research methodology to design and manage a research project.

Ø  Apply a variety of research techniques.

Ø  Develop and test theories

Ø  Liaising with and directing social research field interviewers to gather information.

Ø  Conducting literature searches using electronic databases

Ø  Analyzing and evaluating research and interpreting data, making sure that key issues are identified

Ø  Carrying out or directing field work to gather information

Ø  Preparing and reporting findings and disseminating results, both orally and in writing; and

                      Offering research-based briefings and advice, which may involve writing action plans.

PSYCHOMETRICIAN

 The term Psychometrician is a misnomer because technically speaking a psychometrician is someone who develops the tests. The one who conducts testing services is called a psychbometrist. In the Philippines, the one who is in charge of testing services is called a psychometrician.

Functions of a Psychometrician

·         Identifies and selects tests, in coordination with the Guidance Director that must be purchased and administered. Because standardized tests are very expensive, psychometricians must thoroughly research the test s/he is planning to purchase.

·         Setting the schedule of testing services either individually or by group.

·         Administers corrects and interprets tests results.

·         Provides counselors with the result of tests to be of aid for counseling, placements and other relevant concerns.

·         Encodes and makes summaries of test results for future references.

·         Prepares testing materials and other materials necessary to carry out testing activities.

·         Keeps test materials and tests results.

Advantages and Disadvantages of Counseling

Advantages

1.  Get to touch the life of a student.
2. You are able to reach out and help someone solve a problem or feel good about him or herself.
3. The opportunity to work with a variety of professionals who are all concerned about the welfare of the student.

Disadvantages

1. Emotionally and physically drained.
2. Work for many people

Qualities and Behaviors of an Effective Counselor:

Ø  Intellectual Competence

It involves searching for data to make informed decisions about choice of plan and progress of the students.

Ø  Energy

The counselors always deal with problems and it is truly a job that is likely to feel emotionally    drained and physically fatigued. The counselor should be dynamic enough to produce student confidence and willingness to work.

Ø  Flexibility 

      The counselor should not only after to one or single method of work.

Ø  Good Will

The counselor’s motives and intentions are positive and constructive rather than negative and destructive.

Ø  Self – awareness

All our feelings and thoughts influence the way we handle certain things in the counseling relationship.

Most problems may or classified in one or more of five categories.

1.      Conflict with others

2.      Conflict with self

3.      Lack of information about self

4.      Lack of information about the environment

5.      Lack of skill

It is necessary to listen for three pieces of information students bring to counseling sessions:

·         Their problem or concern

·         Their feelings about their problem

·         Their expectations for what they want the counselor to do

Coordination

To have a smooth administration, the counselors will coordinate services and activities. A standardized testing schedule is one of the services and activities in school.

Consultation

It is all about planning appropriate services for every student. The counselors consult the teacher and parents to have a group a discussion about the services of every student.

Referral

The school counselors help the students and their families to receive assistance from other programs and services in the school system and from agencies outside the school.

Student Appraisal

It is all about collecting information and student abilities, behaviors and achievements. The information will serve as their decisions to be made about educational placement and instructions.

Group Guidance

The counselors help the students that are in group to learn information about themselves. The topic might focus on self-concept, study skills, friendship or good citizenship.

Group Counseling

The group works with each other and then share ideas about issues such as problem solving, educational planning and peer relationships.

Individual Counseling

This is applicable to a person that has an individual problem. The school counselors help individual with educational and personal concerns.

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Guidance Counselor

Counselors assist people with personal, family, educational, mental health and career decisions and problems. While helping students plan for college and career is part of their job, a guidance counselor’s overall function is to talk to students, provide options, listen to problems, help students develop coping skills and learn to become good problem solvers and decision makers on their own. Specifically, school counselors play a major role in the social, emotional and academic development of their students.

Guidance Director

The director has the overall responsibility for guiding the personnel in any guidance and counseling office. Specifically, s/he:       

·         Reviews, adjusts and improves the guidance and counseling program each year.

·         Meets with parents about their children’s concern.

·         Meets with students

·         Establishes and maintains mutually beneficial relationship with staff.

·         Attends national and regional conferences

·         Attends administrative meetings

·         Prepares reports

·         Attends meetings with guidance personnel

·         Provides counseling to advisers of students

·         Prepares yearly budget plan

·         Anticipates expenses

·         Approves all expenditures from the guidance and counseling budget

The responsibilities of the director are numerous and wide ranging. She frequently wears multiple hats, i.e. teacher, coach, dorm parent, advisor, committee member, and administrator. Such a varied and professional life is its own reward.

A strong work ethic, excellent organizational skills, flexibility, ease and experience with computers and willingness to coordinate efforts with others will be important qualifications for the director. Enthusiasm for teaching adolescents and working with parents is also essential.