Fall/Winter 2009 – Volume 6, Issue 1
From the Editor
Janet W. Hagen, Ph.D
Welcome to the Fall/Winter 2009 edition of Human Services Today. In this issue we have articles about human service students’ internship experiences, human service trainees’ understanding of healthy versus unhealthy dating relationships, a support group for international students as well as our usual departments. With this issue we have reached yet another milestone in the development of the first and only online, international journal addressing issues relevant to Human Services. We are slated to publish our first Special Edition with a focus on Immigration Issues Spring, 2010.
Dr. Pornthip Chalingsooth from the University of Scanton and Dr. Alexander Faris from the University of Wisconsin in The Development and Implementation of a Psychoeducational Support Group for International Students report that international student enrollment in the US is growing and present a pschoeducational support group that addresses many of the cross-cultural adjustment issues that students face. They also include a summary of potential cultural and other barriers to international students who might otherwise benefit from the support group.
Dr. Laurie Craigen and Dr. Jill Jurgens Dustin from Old Dominion University in Investigating the Internship Experiences of Human Service Students examine the capstone field experience component that is required at their university. They examine and report the change in students’ perceptions about the internship experience over the course of the semester which related to four themes: professional, knowledge, personal changes and challenges. The development of a professional identity is paramount in this process.
In Human Services Trainee’s Conceptualization of Dating Relationship: Implications for Counseling Adolescents and Young Adults, Rebekah Byrd, Kristen Bowdler and Danica Hays from Old Dominion University examine human service trainees’ conceptualization healthy dating relationships. They start by citing sources that indicate that up to 47% of partners, both men and women, have experienced violence in their dating relationships. Then they report on trainees’ definition of healthy or unhealthy relationships, definition of dating violence and warning signs of unhealthy relationships.
Web Resource Spotlight; Dr. Susan Cramer reviews computational knowledge engines and provides an example of how they can be used. She specifically reports on the computational knowledge engine WolframAlpha and provides links to the introductory video and links to more examples. She also provides some amazing statistics on how quickly knowledge doubled in the past and will do so in the future.
Internationally Speaking; Dr. Alfred Kisubi presents a call to action to the Human Service Profession here in the US to attend to the mental, social and physical health needs of immigrants and refugees. Additionally, he reports current and potential organizations to provide such services. Further, he reviews relevant barriers to meeting needs and presents a Humanist Proposal based on cultural sensitivity and appropriate delivery strategies.
Leadership Challenges; Dr. Janet Hagen writes about status of women in the workplace particularly as it relates to leadership. She summarizes cultural factors related to the glass ceiling effect as well as individual skills. Because women predominate the student body in many Human Service educational programs it is important that faculty and practitioners examine their own, often unconscious, bias as well as help develop leadership skills in their female students.
In the Field; Kelly Felice and Brittany Pyle report on the Metro State Student Food Bank at the Metropolitan State College of Denver (MSC). This unique program for students’ in need is funded by MSC and supervised by the Office Student life along with additional funding from the Student Government Assembly (SGA). SGA first proposed the food bank in 2007. Felice and Pyle also report on future goals for the program.