Engaging Professional Members in CSI Chapter Activities ... · Members’ profiles include a resume. The “Jobs” tab allows chapters to post detailed information about employment

© 2015, Chi Sigma Iota, All Rights Reserved

Engaging Professional Members in CSI Chapter Activities and

Beyond: Growing a Counselor Community

Dr. Barbara Mahaffey, Dr. Jill Duba Sauerheber, Jared S. Rose, Bob Gross, Robin DuFresne,

and Tanisha Sapp

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CSI Webinar Series Obtaining CEUs & Viewing Your Certificate

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Obtain CEUs for Live Webinar

1.  Attend webinar for more than 45 minutes

2.  After completion of the live webinar, you will receive an email with a link to CEU evaluation

3.  Complete CEU evaluation survey (requires login)

4.  The email will also include a link to access the recorded webinar, PPT slides, & handouts.

NOTE: Materials will be on line within 72 hours

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View Your CEU Certificate 1.  Log in

Select Manage Profile

2.  Select Professional Development, and click on Certifications/Programs.

3.  Click on the icon to the left of the certification to view or print your certificate; click on the name to view the webinar description

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Engaging Professional Members in CSI Chapter Activities and

Beyond: Growing a Counselor Community

Dr. Barbara Mahaffey, Dr. Jill Duba Sauerheber, Jared S. Rose, Bob Gross, Robin DuFresne,

and Tanisha Sapp

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Rationale •  Chapters that reach out to alumni and

professional members enrich activities! ◦  Approximately half of CSI’s active members

are professional counselors. ◦  If alumni are not invited to remain active, they

may regard CSI as a “student organization.” ◦  Collaboration between professional members

and current students can benefit both groups. ◦  Alumni provide networking opportunities and

leadership mentors.

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Rationale •  What do professional members say? ◦  “I would like to be updated on the chapter

activities and to be invited to the events they hold.”

◦  “I am not currently active in my chapter. I have no communication, involvement, or knowledge of their activities. It might be helpful if they had a committee to keep professional members informed.”

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Professional Members Survey

•  Twenty-seven chapters attended the Showcase of Chapters at CSI Days in Orlando.

•  12 Chapters completed our professional development survey that day and 2 responded via email. Emails were sent to all chapters in attendance to attempt to obtain further information.

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Survey - Alumni Involvement

•  7 – workshops •  5 – networking opportunities •  3 – Have not been successful at involving

professional members. •  2 – Mentorship programs •  1 – Involvement in Initiation Ceremony •  (Total is more than 14 due to some

responses having more than 1 answer.)

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Survey Results – Advertising

•  8 – email •  4 – Maintain a listserv •  2 – Social Media •  1 – Campus Newspaper •  1 – Have internship students make contact

with professionals •  2 – Have not contacted professional

members

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Where to Begin •  One option is to establish a chapter

Professional Member Committee. ◦  CSI committees can be led by Co-Chairs. ◦  Ideally, one Co-Chair will be a professional

member who maintains active membership in CSI.

◦  Another Co-Chair can be a student who attends Executive Committee meetings and who communicates and plans activities focusing on professional counselors.

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Where to Begin •  Surveying professional members can help

you assess their needs. The Professional Counselors committee has a ready-made survey.

•  You can create a small survey for free and send it by email: ◦  SurveyMonkey.com and Zoomerang.com

allow up to 100 responses for free. ◦  Google Forms (drive.google.com) surveys

allow unlimited responses if you create them.

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Best Practices

•  Sigma Delta University of San Diego

◦  A professional member serves as a Liaison to work with chapter alumni.

◦  Counselors are surveyed about mentoring, workshops, and other ways to be involved.

◦  Alumni receive monthly updates and a newsletter to inform them about upcoming events.

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Ways to Engage Professional Counselors/Alumni

•  Chapter leaders can encourage alumni involvement in several ways: ◦  Workshops and Retreats

◦  Social Networking Websites ◦  Networking and Mentoring Programs ◦  Publications and Presentations

◦  Awards

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Workshops and Retreats

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Workshops & Retreats

•  Professional members need CEUs to earn and maintain licensure. ◦  Chapters can offer workshops for alumni who

remain active members of CSI. ◦  If few alumni are close to campus, they may

prefer a day-long event (2-3 sessions and lunch).

◦  Chapters may wish to partner with a regional counseling organization for financial support.

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•  Frequently requested topics include: ◦  Ethical and Legal Issues ◦  Supervision Theories and Practices

◦  Starting a Private Practice ◦  Using the DSM-5 ◦  Suicidal Ideation and Interventions

◦  Self-injurious Behavior Therapy

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•  Additional possibilities include: ◦  Grief Counseling ◦  Multicultural Counseling

◦  Using Creativity and Humor in Counseling ◦  Substance Abuse ◦  Technology and Social Media

◦  Self-Care / Preventing Burnout

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•  Other professionals may request an experiential workshop or a retreat. ◦  These counselors would appreciate activities

that help maintain wellness, such as art therapy, meditation, or yoga.

“I need something that will help me as a person

– and which therefore helps me as a professional.”

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Chapter Survey Results

•  How many chapters offered CEUs for workshops when advertising with professional members?

•  9 – yes •  5 – no

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•  Our campus had licensed counselors as far away as Orlando, FL come to Royal Palm Beach, FL to be a part of the workshop on How to Clinically Treat the Twin Population. Jacqueline Hatch, a licensed Social Worker, was willing to come down to Florida from Greensboro, NC to do her kickoff workshop for her new agency called Twin Resource Center.

•  There were at 15-20 in attendance, most were counselors in the field mixed with our graduate students.

•  Tamara McKlVeen was the acting President of Sigma Upsilon Psi Chapter of our Chi Sigma Iota Honor Society. She did a wonderful job coordinating this event.

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A Chapter Experience submitted by Dr. Denny Cecil Van Den Huevel


Social Networking Sites

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Social Networking

•  Social networking websites can facilitate contact with alumni.

◦  Many professional members already have accounts on Facebook, LinkedIn, Twitter, ResearchGate or other sites.

◦  Joining a social networking group is easy. ◦  Members use these sites regularly, so they

are likely to see updates from the chapter.

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Social Networking •  A chapter group on Facebook can: ◦  Encourage networking among chapter

members, who can message each other via the site.

◦  Provide chapter news and photos to professional members.

◦  Advertise chapter events and allow members to RSVP.

◦  Introduce current chapter leaders to alumni. ◦  Be linked to the CSI facebook page!

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Social Networking •  LinkedIn is a social networking site

designed for professionals: ◦  Members’ profiles include a resume. ◦  The “Jobs” tab allows chapters to post

detailed information about employment opportunities.

◦  Job postings expire after 14 days, but can be re-posted. Links can be also be shared, but not files or photos.

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Social Networking

•  Visit csi-net.org/?Chapters to design or report a site: ◦  Go to the section on “Chapter Internet

Presence and Social Networking.” ◦  Review the appropriate rubric (e.g. facebook,

LinkedIn) and use the online form to submit it. ◦  If you have questions, contact Stephen

Kennedy at [email protected]

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Networking and Mentoring Programs

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Networking & Mentoring

•  Networking meetings can be structured around specific goals: (meet and greet)

◦  Connecting students and recent graduates with licensed clinical supervisors.

◦  Linking clinicians and students who need access to research subjects from the opposite setting.

◦  Allowing job-seeking members to meet potential employers.

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Networking & Mentoring

•  A professional mentor can support a student as she or he enters the counseling profession. ◦  The committee can provide a mentoring

application and match alumni with second-year master’s students.

◦  Ideally, students should be paired with a professional in the same track (e.g. school)

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Best Practices •  Ann Odom, chapter president, Epsilon Chi Chapter,

Edinboro University of Pennsylvania listed ways: •  Listing alumni and counselors located in the

phone and insurance provider books •  Personal Contact with Graduates to

encourage them to continue membership •  Including Alumni as Speakers at CSI

Induction and Community Educational Events.

•  Participate with Professional Members During Depression Week Screenings.

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© 2015, Chi Sigma Iota, All Rights Reserved 31


Chapter Survey Results

•  Were Students Able to Network with Professional Members at the Chapter level?

•  10 – yes •  1 – occasionally •  3 – no

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Publications and Presentations

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Publications •  The chapter newsletter can include articles

by professional members. •  Chapters can award alumni with research

and recognize them as part of induction ceremonies.

•  Recent graduates can publish a “job-hunting guide” for students. ◦  Professional members can discuss hiring

policies and questions that employers will ask. ◦  Alumni offer insights on current job markets.

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Best Practices

•  Beta Alpha Northern Arizona University

◦  Professional members can contribute to an annual Counseling and Wellness journal.

◦  In addition to submitting articles, alumni are also invited to serve on the editorial board.

◦  The department and chapter listservs were used to recruit professional members.

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Presentations •  Professional members can present with

students at conferences. ◦  New students will be able to work with an

experienced presenter.

•  Alumni can be invited to participate in workshops, classes, and panels. ◦  Presentations can focus on job-related issues.

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Best Practices

•  Chi Chi - Columbus State University ◦  A listserv was used to contact counselors. ◦  Alumni presented about the LPCA licensure

process and the practicum/internship experience.

◦  During each workshop, the chapter included discussions so that students and alumni could network.

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Best Practices

•  Upsilon Rho Iota University of Rochester ◦  Data was collected at a breakfast for alumni. ◦  Alumni led workshops that addressed exams

for licensure and finding employment as a school counselor or clinical mental health counselor.

◦  Upsilon Rho Iota collaborated with the SUNY-Brockport chapter to encourage attendance.

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Awards

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Awards

•  Chapters can give an “Outstanding Practitioner Award” each year. ◦  This award recognizes “an outstanding

counselor whose time is spent primarily in direct clinical counseling services.”

◦  Accomplishments from the last two years should be considered.

◦  Visit csi-net.org/?Chapters to learn more.

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Awards

•  Chapters can also offer “Outstanding Practitioner Supervisor Awards.” ◦  The award recognizes “an outstanding

counselor whose primary professional commitment is the direct supervision of persons involved in clinical counseling services.”

◦  Nominees should spend at least 10% of their time directly supervising other counselors.

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Best Practices

•  Nu - State Univ. of New York – Brockport ◦  Professional members chair the committee

that selects recipients of the Joseph R. Kandor Award of Excellence.

◦  A master’s student who demonstrates exceptional potential receives this scholarship.

◦  Alumni help to provide a meaningful award.

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Member Benefits •  Disseminate our Brochure! •  Active professional members continue to

receive the same benefits: ◦  Voting in CSI International elections ◦  CSI publications (Exemplar, JCLA) ◦  Eligibility for awards, grants, fellowships &

internships, and leadership positions. ◦  Free CEU contact hours for CSI webinars. ◦  Access to members-only csi-net.org pages.

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For More Information…

•  If you have questions about developing resources for professional members, contact:

◦  CSI Professional Member Committee information or requests for the brochure:

◦  Barbara A. Mahaffey, chair at [email protected] or [email protected]

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Webinar Evaluation

•  Please feel free to ask questions by chat.

•  Thank you for attending our webinar!

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Engaging Professional Members in CSI Chapter Activities ... · Members’ profiles include a resume. The “Jobs” tab allows chapters to post detailed information about employment

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