Post #13 - Chapter 13

Reading Chapter 13 from Drummond and Jones (2012) this week seemed to coincide well with some of the topics covered by our class’s evidence-based practices presentations recently.  The first thing that stuck out to me while reading the chapter was the section that covered crisis counseling and management.  Drummond and Jones note that “in a proactive and preventive effort, counselors would educate all partners in the warning signs of crisis (as developmentally appropriate)” (2012, p. 233).  Later in the chapter, they go on to say that “crisis planning is a multistep process” (p. 235).  These statements reminded me of the presentation of the PREPaRE Method of managing school crisis, and how this method emphasizes prevention and preparation for psychological trauma.  I was also reminded of the man from the video who emphasized the consideration of natural disasters that are most likely in the geographical location of your educational setting.  Similarly, the PREPaRE Method encourages schools to have all school faculty educated in the school’s specific crisis management plans.  This is important because the crisis can grow if it is not handled well.  Drummond and Jones also suggest that students be trained to be aware of warning signs in their friends and the need to inform an adult of their concerns when they suspect a friend or classmate is suicidal.  I immediately thought of Aevidum, and how this club is carrying this mandate out.  In light of the panel discussions we’ve had recently, I also thought about creating some type of anonymous reporting mechanism, like the online tool that HACC uses or the SAP locker that another counselor mentioned. 

One topic that was somewhat new for me was that of gender issues in schools.  The report by Clark, Oakley, and Adams (2006, as cited in Drummond & Jones, 2012) was surprising to me.  It stated that in the United States, boys are achieving at lower levels than girls and that women have surpassed men not only in high school graduation rates but in university enrollment and degree completion.  If this is the case, why is it that men continue to receive higher wages than women in the United States?  Perhaps more women graduate from high school and college because they know that without these degrees, their chance of earning an income that they can actually live off of is slim to none.  Therefore, the accusation by Rivers and Barnett (as cited in Drummond & Jones, 2012), that the crisis is a “manufactured” one and “the product of both a backlash against the women’s movement” and the media’s tendency to report on the next big crisis for the nation seemed to have greater merit to me.  However, I did find the gender differences as discussed by Gurian (as cited in Drummond & Jones, 2012) to be quite fascinating, especially the discussion about the differences between how boys and girls process emotions.  This is a topic that I would like to research more in the future so that I can take Gurian’s advice by helping to develop organizational and teaching strategies more likely to assist both males and females in achieving academic and personal/social success.

Reference

Dollarhide, C.T., & Saginak, K. A. (2012). Comprehensive school counseling programs: K-12 delivery systems in action. Upper Saddle River, NJ: Pearson.