Division of Student Affairs
2009-10 Annual Report
Department: Counseling Center
Person Completing Report: Kathy Pendleton
Executive Summary
The flood on August 4, 2009 created challenges that the staff met with professionalism. The
office was forced to close for several days while we relocated to Stevenson Hall. At the same
time we were preparing for hosting the first Mental Health Symposium on August 10, 2009.
Upon reopening, the staff and students made the best of our temporary home. The summer
semester ended with a flood and we begin the fall semester with a sense of survival. We were
able to survive the flood, two moves and a second renovation of our office space and still
maintain a sense of humor.
1. Programs and Services:
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Served as a practicum site for students from Spalding University and the University of
Louisville for the fall, spring and summer semester.
Staff provided 190 hours of supervision for practicum students.
Collaborated with Dr. Jesse Owen, Assistant Professor, ECPY, College of Human
Development and Education, sample survey using the Schwartz Outcome Scale-10. The
scale measures the psychological well-being of students receiving services (see report
under assessment).
Twenty-five (25) Learning Disability and Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder
assessments completed by practicum students. The results of the assessments were
used by the Disability Resource Center to determine eligibility for academic
accommodation. The results were also used to evaluate general psychological
functioning, interpersonal relationships, depression, anxiety and cognitive functioning
The counseling center staff completed 611 new intakes.
Staff provided 3570 on-going counseling sessions.
2. Major Accomplishments:
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Submission of a TRIO Student Support Services Grant Application to the US Department
of Education. The grant, if funded, is worth $1.5 over a five-year period to provide
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retention services to 140 low-income, first generation students and students with
disabilities.
Increased the diversity of the Counseling Center Staff.
Strengthened the relationship with Kent School of Social Work resulting in the
placement of a practicum student for the upcoming academic year.
Served as a practicum site for Spalding University.
The Counseling Center served as a practicum site for three students during the summer
semester for the first time.
Working to better meet the needs of the students, a daily emergency slot for
emergency walk-in appointments was implemented.
LD/ADHD assessments increased the agency income by $10,750.
The quality of the Counseling Center staff was increased with the hiring an additional
psychologist.
The Counseling Center sponsored a Mental Health Symposium entitled: Identifying
Disruptive Campus Behavior. The presenters were Dr. Richard James, University of
Memphis and Dr. Richard Meyer, Duquesne University. Approximately 40 persons
attended from Kentucky, Tennessee and Indiana.
3. Staffing Summary:
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The Counseling Center lost two positions this academic year. The Clerk Senior position
that was funded by Campus Health Services was moved to Campus Health Services. The
Department Assistant position was moved to the Dean of Students Office with some
outreach responsibilities to the Counseling Center. Current staff includes:
- Kathy Pendleton, PhD, Director.
- Joanna Morse, PsyD, Clinical Psychologist.
- Juan Pablo Kalawski, PhD, Clinical Psychologist.
- Terri White, PhD, Counseling Psychologist.
- Vince Brown, LCSW, Counselor Senior.
- Michelle Pinckney, LPCC, LMFA, Counselor.
- Karen Zody, Program Assistant.
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Practicum students for the fall 2009 and spring 2010 semester included:
- David Wen- Spalding University
- Amanda Townsend, ECPY (fall only)
- Jacob Niehaus, ECPY
- Sarah Ramsey, ECPY
- Melissa Vincent, ECPY
- Don Woolridge , ECPY (spring only)
- Kasey Wilson, ECPY (spring only)
- Lisa Anne Ferris, ECPY (spring only)
- Renee Spearing –Nursing (spring only)
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Practicum students for the summer semester included:
- Elizabeth Rhyne
- Don Wooldridge
- Sarah Johnson - Psychiatry
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Former Staff:
- Christin “Nicole” Combs ( position moved to CHS)
- Jacie Rowe ( resigned April 2010)
4. Activities and Initiatives that Support Academic Units:
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All Counseling Center activities support student engagement and retention. The
purpose of our consultation and activities is to enable students, faculty, and staff to
become more informed and better equipped to resolve issues of concern. These
activities include both formal and informal activities with the campus community.
Listed below are some of the activities:
- Practicum site for the ECPY Program, College of Education and Human
Development
- Providing mock interviews for doctoral candidates applying for
counseling internships-ECPY.
- Pancakes and Pajamas
- Assessment/research collaboration with Dr. Jesse Owen, ECPY
- Beginning discussions with Dr. Richard Wilson, Health Promotions and
Behavioral Sciences regarding the use of the alcohol on campus and the
potential use of an alcohol assessment completed by all new or returning
Counseling Center clients (AUDIT-Alcohol Use Disorders Identification
Test).
- Presentation regarding Counseling Center services to the academic
advisors.
- Presentation to the Writing Center staff regarding Counseling Center
services.
- Presentation to Resident Directors and Resident Assistants regarding
Self-Care.
- Services provided to clients mandated by the Dean of Students Office or
Housing and Residence Life.
- Stress Management Workshop-Kurtz Hall
- Financial Management Workshop-Province
- What Situations to Refer to the Counseling Center-Peer Mentors
- Counseling Corner- Cardinal Newspaper
- Student Concerns Committee
- RA/RD Training-Miller Hall and Center Hall
- Law School Orientation
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Music School Presentation
5. Activities and Services that Support Diversity:
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All Counseling Center staff members participate in many campus wide activities with
students, faculty and staff to promote diversity and increase the visibility and
reputation of the Center. These activities support the values and mission of the
University and the Division of Student Affairs.
- Vagina Monologues
- Community Garden Project –Cultural Center
- Food Health and Mental Health in collaboration with Campus Health
- BABA Week Activities
- Take Back the Night
- International Association of Higher Education and Disabilities
Conference-volunteer
- Stress Reduction Workshop-Women’s Center Mom’s Group
- Think Tank
- Collaboration with PEACC
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Service on committees that support diversity:
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Women’s Center Publication Committee
Commission on the Status of Women
Student Affairs Diversity Chair
Commission on Diversity and Racial Equality
Staff Concerns Committee, Chair
Cardinal Covenant Advisory Committee
Athletic Performance Team
Veteran’s Advisory Committee
6. Activities and Services that Support Community Services and/or Civic Engagement:
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The Counseling Center’s mission involves consultation and outreach to the campus and
the local community. These outreach activities extend the reach of the Counseling
Center in order to assist others in dealing with mental health issues.
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Collaboration with Spalding University’s Clinical Psychology Program.
Mock interviews for doctoral candidates applying for internshipsSpalding
Educational Forum sponsored Pan-African Students, Political Science and
the Newburg Community Center. The forum provided a platform to
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discuss the future of secondary education and the matriculation of local
students into higher education.
Haiti Prayer Day, Intervarsity, CTC.
State of Affairs Radio Program, WFPL 89.3 FM, “Quarter Life Crisis”
7. Staff Professional Development Activities:
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Kathy Pendleton
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Summer Academy (Student Affairs Professional Development Committee
Successful Supervisors Series
International Services Learning-Barbados
NASPA Annual Conference
ACPA Annual Conference
AUCCCD Annual Conference
BIRT Training
Think Tank
US Department of Education Field Readers Webinar
Mental Health Symposium-Identifying Disruptive Campus Behavior
Veteran’s Symposium
TRIO Webinar
TRIO Grant Consultation
Terri White
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Mental Health Symposium-Identifying Disruptive Campus Behavior
Summer Academy
WAIS IV mini-training
GLBT Workshop
Second Life Training
Wisdom of the Dream: Jungian Approach to Dreams
Transgender Workshop
BIRT Training
Cyperstalking Workshop
o Presentations:
 “It Takes a Village…Addressing the Needs of Special Populations:
University of Louisville’s Performance Team”—Western Kentucky
University
o Adjunct Teaching:
 Crisis Intervention, ECPY 694, (Summer 2009)
 Theories and Techniques of Counseling, ECPY629, (Spring 2010)
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Joanna Morse
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Juan Pablo Kalawski
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Mental Health Symposium-Identifying Disruptive Campus Behavior
System Centered Training Workshop
System Centered Training Research Institute
- Publication
o Kalawski, J. (2010). Is tenderness a basic emotion?. Motivation &
Emotion, 34(2), 158-167
Vince Brown
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Mindfulness Training
Eating Disorders Conference ( International Association of Eating Disorders
Professionals)
Mental Health Symposium-Identifying Disruptive Campus Behavior
Social Work Ethics (2)
Michelle Pinckney
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Making a Difference for Couples: Healing from Infidelity – Online seminar by the
American Association of Marriage and Family Therapist
LPCA- Supervisor’s Training
 Karen Zody
- Classified Staff Retreat
- Mental Health Symposium-Identifying Disruptive Campus Behavior
8. Assessment Initiatives:
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In collaboration with Dr. Owen, ECPY, a sample survey using the Schwartz Outcome
Scale-10 was given to clients coming in for services. The scale measures the
psychological well-being of students receiving services. The findings are included as
attachment 1 and appears at the end of this report.
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9. Department Goals 2010-2011:
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Continue to strengthen the relationship between the Counseling Center and the Kent
School of Social Work.
Continue the assessment/research relationship with Dr. Jesse Owen, ECPY.
Continue to explore the possibility of the use of the AUDIT scores as an assessment of
alcohol use among counseling center client.
Purchase Titanium and move to an electronic scheduling and records system.
Devise and implement a student satisfaction survey.
Continue updating the policy and procedures manual.
Seek a funding source to update the live supervision cameras.
Seek funding to hire a Clerk Senior to cover the evening hours.
10. Issues and Challenges for Department During 2009-2010 and Beyond:
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The Counseling Center continues to need additional clinical staff. IACS recommends
one F.T.E. professional staff member for every 1500 students. Our current staff ratio is
approximately 5 /4400. The challenge becomes providing high quality services without
placing students on a waitlist for counseling services.
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As we continue to grow as a practicum site, the need for additional staff and space has
become an issue.
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The lost of the Clerk Senior position to Campus Health Services greatly impact the
ability to provide front desk coverage. The Clerk Senior position provided front desk
coverage during evening hours and also served as coverage for the Program Assistant.
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The current camera system used for live supervision of practicum students is outdated
and the cost to repair the system is high.
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Counseling Center Metrics
Counseling Center Staff
07/01/09-06/30/10
Staff
Intakes
Terri
Juan Pablo
Joanna
Vince
Michelle
TOTALS
56
51
101
191
59
458
Scheduled
Appointments
Ongoing
Appointments
913
424
581
778
209
2905
851
365
471
575
116
2379
80% employee
Hired 9/4/09
Hired 4/4/10
Practicum Students
08/23/09-06/30/10
Student
Intakes
Liz
Don
Jake
Sarah
Amanda
David
Lisa Anne
Kasey
TOTALS
6
25
41
15
6
24
11
25
153
Scheduled
Appointments
24
26
133
96
12
119
46
109
665
Ongoing
Appointments
16
97
90
67
6
95
35
84
490
Counseling Center Totals
Intakes
611
Scheduled
Appointments
3570
8
Ongoing Appointments
2869
Assessment Report
Attachment 1
In collaboration with Dr. Owen, ECPY, a sample survey using the Schwartz Outcome Scale-10
was given to clients coming in for services. The scale measures the psychological well-being of
students receiving services. The following report was prepared by Dr. Jesse Owen, ECPY, CHED
for the Counseling Center.
Overview: The initial sample for this report was based on 580 clients who attended their first
session from January 2010 to June 2010. Since this was our first year collecting outcome data,
there were a few exclusionary and cautionary notes. First, we only included clients in this
report who started counseling at the U of L counseling center during this semester. Clients who
had been coming to the counseling center prior and then started completing the SOS-10 were
excluded (since there is no record of their baseline functioning, which is customary in outcome
assessments). As such, we excluded 352 clients based on this exclusionary criterion. Second,
we excluded clients who only attended one-session (or completed the form once), 99 clients
were excluded based on this criteria. Although it is unknown why clients only attended one
session (or decided to not continue with the outcome assessment), nationally one-session is a
common mode number of sessions. Thus, the final sample for this report was thus based on
129 clients who attended at least 2 sessions. Based on verbal report, some clients decided to
remain in therapy but declined to complete the SOS-10. Further, some clients in this report
may still be in therapy. Thus, it is important to view this report as a snapshot of clients’
functioning who attended therapeutic services at the U of L counseling center.
Outcome Measure: Schwartz Outcome Scale-10 (Blais et al., 1999)
The SOS-10 is a measure of psychological well-being, normed with patients from inpatient,
outpatient, and college counseling settings as well as non-patient community and college
samples. The purpose of the scale is to measure general well-being, not specific psychological
symptoms. The SOS-10 is a theoretical, which enables practitioners from various disciplines
(e.g., psychiatrists, social workers, psychologists, etc) and theoretical orientations (e.g., CBT,
Interpersonal, Psychodynamic, Integrative) to use the scale. The SOS-10 has ten items that are
rated on a seven point Likert scale (range 0 to 6) where higher scores indicate better
functioning. Across studies, the SOS-10 has exhibited strong internal consistency, Cronbach’s
alpha (ÿ) range = .90 to .96. Cronbach’s alpha should be in the high range for outcome and
alliance scales (e.g., ÿ = 80’s to .90’s). The SOS-10 is highly correlated with the Outcome
Questionnaire-45, a popular clinical outcome measure, at r = -.84, which provides support for
the validity of the scale. Further, validity evidence has been shown through correlations, in the
predicted direction, with a variety of clinical and psychological well-being scales (e.g., Beck’s
Hopelessness Scale, PANAS, and Personality Assessment Inventory; see Owen & Imel, 2009 for
review).
There are two main ways of using the scores obtained from the SOS-10. First, therapists can
compare the scores to the norming sample as a frame of reference. In the norming sample, on
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average non-patients (n = 2336) scored 4.53, outpatients (n = 1598) scored 3.33, and inpatients
(n = 5119) scored 2.56. Based on the distribution of scores, a reliable cutoff score between nonpatient and patient sample is 4.1. This score reliably differentiates between clinical outpatients
and non-clinical patients. Second, the SOS-10 is sensitive to changes that occur on a weekly
basis. The scale’s sensitivity to change is typically described by the reliable change index. In
general, this score is based on the standard error of the scale. Consider the example of
weighing yourself every morning. If you know the scale is accurate give or take two pounds,
then when the scale goes up or down by more than two pounds you can be more confident
that the scale reflects a change in your ‘true’ weight and is not due to random fluctuation in
the scale (error). Likewise, the reliable change index score enables therapists to detect
meaningful changes over the course of therapy (versus error associated with the scale). For the
SOS-10, the reliable change index score is calculated at .83 or simply .80. In other words,
therapists can have confidence that improvement or deterioration in scores of .80 or more is
not due to chance.
Results:
Pre-Therapy Functioning: On average, U of L counseling center clients reported SOS-10
scores consistent with those in outpatient clinics (Mean U of L = 3.30 (SD = 1.32). This suggests
that clients at the U of L counseling center are consistent with other clients who attend therapy
services at traditional outpatient clinics. Notably, 29.5% (or 38 of 129) of clients reported
significant initial distress consistent to the initial distress of clients admitted to in-patient units.
Although many issues play a role in deciding what type of treatment is most appropriate for
clients, these results complement the growing national attention regarding the severity of
psychological distress among college students.
Therapeutic Effectiveness:
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35 clients started therapy above the clinical cut-off suggesting that their level of
distress was consistent with individuals in non-clinical samples. Of these 35
clients, 3 of them reported a reliable deterioration in their psychological
functioning and only 1 reported a reliable improvement in their psychological
functioning.
 At last session, of the full sample 41 of the 129 clients (31.8%) reported making
positive reliable clinically significant improvement in their psychological
functioning.
 At last session, for clients who were initially distressed at intake, 44.0% (40 of 94)
reported making positive reliable clinically significant improvement in their
psychological well-being.
 At last session, of the full sample 10 of the 129 clients (7.75%) reported
deterioration in their psychological well-being.
 Note these figures are consistent with National Consortium data (Brownson,
2004) of over 45 counseling centers.
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