NEWS AND EVENTS
2011: A Busy Year
Students and faculty continue to participate in the NC Rehabilitation Counseling Association (NCRCA), Vocational Evaluation and Work Adjustment Association (VEWAA), and Vocational Evaluation and Career Assessment Professionals (VECAP) Beach conference.
In the Spring (04/7-8/2011) meeting at Atlantic Beach, current students Stephanie Morell (MS) presented on The Role of Spirituality in Counseling and Min Kim (PhD) provided information on Multicultural Ethics: A Korean Cultural Perspective for US Rehabilitation Counselors (both pictured).
Drs. Michael Hartley and Steven Sligar along with Min Kim presented on Resilience Assessment Instruments and Vocational Rehabilitation.
Former student, Shane Coltrane, BS, CPO, provided information on the latest in orthotics and prosthetics in his presentation: Direction to Independence.
Danielle Nilges and Kelvin Leonard (MS students) presented a poster on the Bar-on EQ-i:S test.
The conference was highlighted with the "Shel Roast", which honored Professor Emeritus Dr. Shel Downes (photo below), the founder of our department.
Drs. Paul Alston and Steve Thomas (pictured below)served as Roast Master and Dean of the Roast, respectively.
Sonia Ellington, Dr. Downes daughter and graduate of the program, was a special roaster.
More pictures from the conference below.
We also participated in a joint conference between the NC Rehabilitation Association and the Beach Conference sponsors at Wrightsville Beach, NC on 10/26-28/2011 as follows.
- Dr. Steven Sligar and Dr. Chad Betters from Winston-Salem State University presented The State of State Vocational Evaluators: A National Study.
- PhD student Andrew Byrne and Dr. Martha Chapin presented The Ethics of Twittering, Friending, and Blogging in Rehabilitation.
- Dr. Martha Chapin presented her research on Well-being and Employment for Vocational Rehabilitation Consumers with SCI [spinal cord injuries].
- PhD student Min Kim presented his literature review on The Problems of Current Return-to-Work Studies and Introducing the Ecological Model.
- PhD student Jennifer Wright McDougal (photo below) presented a paper on Electronic Human Resource Management and the Disability Divide: Barriers to Employment to for People with Psychiatric Disabilities.
- MS students Danielle Nilges, Stephanie Morell, and Kelvin Leonard presented a poster (photo below): I'm a Vocational Evaluator! Following in Their Footsteps.
- MS student Katie Gander (photo below) presented a poster on Using the Strong Interest Inventory-2004 to Understand Rehabilitation Counselors Job Satisfaction.
Summer Institute 2011
This year's Summer Institute students learned the foundations of the profession of vocational evaluation (VE) and practiced the skills vocational evaluators use in their practice. They studied the philosophies and history of VE as well as how to read a test manual to make sure the test will meet a consumer's needs. In addition to time spent in the classroom and the onsite VE Lab, the students toured and/or practiced their skills with local vocational evaluators at the Regional Rehabilitation Center, which is part of Pitt County Memorial Hospital, the Greenville office of state DVRS, and ECVC, a community rehabilitation program.
Pictured from left Alicia Freeman (ECVC), Nishaun Waddell (Wayne Opportunity Center, Goldsboro, NC), and three vocational evaluators from the NC DVRS, Kim Roe, Kelly Hembree, and Kathy Hall, and Dr. Steven Sligar (standing).
2011 PARC Conference and Awards
The annual conference of the PARC met in Greenville, NC on April 1-2, 2011.
Featured presentations included Transactional Analysis: An Innovative Strategy for Substance Abuse Counseling, Rehabilitation Counseling, and Marriage and Family Therapy (Sharon Shallow, presenter) and Massively Multiplayer Online Gaming (MMOG)/Internet Addiction (Andrew M. Byrne, presenter). Members, prospective members, and guests expanded their counseling skills through the use of large and small group discussions, activities, and role-play scenarios.
Ms. Gina Price, Past National President, and Dr. Mary Crozier, Conference Chair and Past State President, received PARC Service Awards for their years of commitment to and work with PARC.
Developed specifically for SACC students, alumni, and counselors practicing in the fields of substance abuse and clinical counseling, PARC was founded by Dr. Lloyd Goodwin, longtime faculty member and the current interim director of ECU's Department of Rehabilitation Studies. The conference is a great chance to network with other students, alumni, practicum and internship field-site supervisors - and potential employers.
Dr. Mary Crozier and Gina Price (not pictured) received the PARC Service Awards.
VE Practicum class Visits WWRC
Pictured from left: Kelvin Leonard, Dr. Sligar, Danielle Nilges, Stephanie Morell, Frank Benefield
On a cold day in December 2010, four masters Vocational Evaluation students field tripped to the Woodrow Wilson Rehabilitation Center (WWRC) in Fishersville, VA. After a tour of the comprehensive facilities, the students met with vocational evaluators to study firsthand how evaluations are conducted. WWRC offers a wide variety of evaluation and training areas. The students were able to spend time with practicing evaluators in business and information technology, carpentry/woodworking, child care, and cosmetology. The work sample and situational assessment orientation of WWRC added to the students understanding of how classroom discussions were applied in the field. One of the WWRC evaluators is an ECU alum and she was able to provide insights on the transition from studying at ECU and how this was helpful to her success on the job. A bonus for the trip was the availability of James Rothrock, Commissioner of the Department of Rehabilitative Services. We were able to eat lunch with him and he discussed employment possibilities with the state of VA.
More pictures from the visit to WWRC
Faculty and Students Present Research and Posters
ECU's Department of Rehabilitation studies was well represented at the Fall 2010 NC Rehabilitation Counseling Association, Vocational Evaluation and Work Adjustment Association, and Vocational Evaluation and Career Assessment Professionals combined conference held October 21-22, 2010 in Atlantic Beach, NC. Pamela D. Hollingsworth, MS, CVE from Pitt County Memorial Hospital (an ECU graduate) and Danielle Nilges, BS, MS Candidate, presented Tips for Doing Job Site Assessments Simply and Safely. Andrew Byrne, MS, CRC and PhD student provided insights on Addressing Problematic Internet Use in the Helping Workplace. Drs. Chad Betters from Winston-Salem State University, Steven Sligar and Masters student Danielle Nilges previewed their research on The State of State Vocational Evaluators. New faculty member Dr. Stephen Leierer helped participants to answer the question: Who Are You? Insights from the Strong (interest inventory). Finally, Kyle Slough, BA, MS Candidate, discussed Assistive Technology for Cheapskates.
Four posters sessions were presented by:
Min Kim, MS, PhD student, Comparison of the Rehabilitation Act between US & Korea
Nicole McKnight, BS, MS Candidate, Review of the Joule 3: A Functional Capacities Evaluation System from Valpar International Corporation
Frank Benefield, BS, MS Candidate, Transition Assessment: An Ongoing Process
Stephanie Morell, BS, MS Candidate, The Role of Spirituality in Counseling
Department of Rehabilitation Studies Represented at SENRA
The Department of Rehabilitation Studies was well represented at the combined SE Regional National Rehabilitation Association and NC Rehabilitation Annual Training Conference in Asheville, NC (9/7-10/2010).
Drs. Sligar and Chad Betters (from Winston-Salem State University) presented Preliminary Findings of a National Survey on the State of State Vocational Evaluators. PhD student Min Kim (pictured above) is shown with his poster Comparison of the Rehabilitation Act between the US and Korea.
Other posters included PhD student Andrew Byrne's Addressing Problematic Internet Usage in the Helping Workplace and PhD student Sherra' McMillan's and Dr. Nathalie Mizelle's poster, Ethical Issues in Helping Professionals: Ethics, Multicultural Competence, and Wellness.
More Pictures from SENRA
Students from ECU, Auburn, and WSSU Min Kim and Dr. Mizelle at Min's poster
Dr. Sligar presenting Drs. Sligar & Betters in discussion
Dr. Mizelle with McMillan's and Mizelle's poster
Jamie Pedro Awarded the T.L. McClellan Memorial Scholarship
The North Carolina Rehabilitation Association awarded a $1000 scholarship to Department of Rehabilitation Studies undergraduate student, Jamie Pedro. The award was presented on September 10, 2010 at the NCRA annual conference in Asheville, NC.
The scholarship is awarded to recognize and provide financial assistance to full-time students pursuing a degree in rehabilitation. The purpose of the award is to promote professional excellence in the practice and advancement of rehabilitation in the State of North Carolina.
T.L. McClellan was an active member of the NCRA and this is the 41st anniversary of the awarding of the scholarship. Jamie is shown above receiving the scholarship from Dr. Steve Sligar, who accepted the award on Jamie’s behalf at the conference.
ECU Students Lead Ethics Training
Kyle Slough, Jimmy Treires, and Kristina Hendrix (pictured above) provided well received training in Professional Issues in the Ethics of Electronic and Internet Based Records at the 2010 NC Rehabilitation Counseling Association, Vocational Evaluation and Work Adjustment Association, and Vocational Evaluation and Career Assessment Professionals combined conference. Held at Atlantic Beach, NC on Oct. 15-16, over 50 people participated in this highly interactive training that used a case study approach. Also present was PhD student Min Kim whose poster, Work Personality Profile, generated a great deal of interest.
Attendees listen as Kyle Slough presents a case for discussion.
Kristina Hendrix, Dr. Steven Sligar, and Danielle Nilges,
MS student, enjoy a free moment between sessions.
A New Joule in the VE/CA Lab
In order to help teach vocational evaluation students about functional capacity evaluations (FCE), a new piece of technology was installed during early June 2010. The Joule (pronounced jool or joul) is a FCE System from Valpar International. The Joule provides equipment and software to conduct a comprehensive FCE and to prepare an in-depth report about a consumer's physical capacities related to strength, stamina, and activities such as standing, stooping, kneeling, and climbing.
Faculty, students and practicing professionals attended a 3 day hands-on workshop. Trainer Mary Ruprecht made sure that each participant mastered the different tasks and in-putted the data into software created specifically for the Joule. Special attention was provided to interpretation of the results. Often the purpose of an FCE is to determine a person's readiness to return to work after an injury. The participants interpreted the results in terms of job requirements or in some situations to screen an employee who is in post offer-pre hire status.
Dr. Sligar, Director Graduate Program in Vocational Evaluation, looks forward to helping rehabilitation students learn how to conduct an FCE. He stated "this is an excellent tool for teaching and learning."
For a related story see ECU's new way to evaluate rehab progress after injury that appeared in Pieces of Eight on June 15, 2010.
Front Row (L to R): Kyle Slough, ECU MS student, Danielle Nilges,MS Student, Mary Ruprecht, Valpar Joule Trainer, Nicole McKnight, MS Student
Back Row: Pam Hollinngsworth, Vocational Evaluator for Pitt County Memorial Hospital-Regional Rehabilitation Center, Dr. Nathalie Mizelle, Dr. Martha Chapin, Dr. Steven Sligar, Shawn Adamson, Physical Therapist and Min Kim, PhD student.
More pictures from the Joule training--
Overhead Carrying
Lifting Observing
Summer Institute 2010 - Number 31!
For over 30 years vocational evaluators from North Carolina and beyond have participated in the annual Summer Institute (SI) at East Carolina University. The participants have completed two courses: an introduction to VE and a practicum. During the SI the students learned the hows and whys of the conduct of a vocational evaluation. The practicum experience provided hands on learning in the Vocational Evaluation/Career Assessment Lab. The students also visited local state and community rehabilitation programs to learn how evaluation is practiced in different settings. Those who participated full time earned 6 graduate hours.
Next year's Summer Institute is scheduled to begin on May 16, 2011. For more information contact Dr. Steven Sligar sligars@ecu.edu
Front row (L to R): Karen Simons, Skills Inc., Elizabeth City, NC, Sherry Bridges, DECI, Durham, NC, Keisha McLean-Green, NCDVR-Concord, David Lopp, NCDVR-Boone,
Second row: Min Kim, ECU PhD student, Dr. Nathalie Mizelle, Lisa Russell, NCDVR-Jacksonville, Natasha Bloomfield, ECU student, Kathy Stumpfig, NCDVR-Burlington.
Third row: Dr. Steven Sligar, Frank Benefield, ECU MS Student, Krystal Manning, ECU student, and Travis McKoy, ECU student.
PARC Conference Held April 16-17, 2010
The Professional Association of Rehabilitation Counselors (PARC) annual conference was held at the Willis Building, ECU on April 16-17, 2010.
Jim Willis, M.S., LPC, LCAS, CCS, CRC, Community Education Centers Program Director at Substance Abuse Therapeutic Community Program in Virginia led a workshop, Evidence Based Cognitive Behavioral Interventions - "Married to Psychodrama Techniques" for Treating Substance Abuse Clients. The workshop offered a framework for psychodrama techniques and practical skills of cognitive behavioral interventions. Participants practiced techniques of role-playing, role-reversal, doubling, and warming-up.
Michael Hartley, PhD, CRC, Assistant Professor, ECU Department of Rehabilitation Studies presented a workshop, Using Resilience as a Tool to Support Individuals in Recover from Substance Abuse. Participants learned how the assessment of resilience can be used to generate a dialogue with clients to manage difficult life events without relapse.
Mary Crozier, Ed.D., CSAC, CPP; President, NC PARC; Assistant Professor, Substance Abuse and Clinical Counselor program, Coordinator Substance Abuse Counseling Certificate Program, Dept. of Rehabilitation Studies, ECU and Leigh Atherton, MA in Mental Health Counseling and Behavioral Medicine from Boston University School of Medicine and is currently a Ph.D. student in Rehabilitation Counseling and Administration at ECU: workshop on Behavioral Addictions: A Growing Need for Awareness and Screening. Their workshop blended accepted research on substance addiction with emerging literature on behavioral addictions and available screening tools.
Conference attendees participate in psychodrama role play
