Graduate students of Counseling and Psychological Services find opportunities that create special experiences. Two Mental Health Counseling M.S. program students discovered that while studying abroad.
Janelle Jones and Jasmaine Ataga were about to embark on a clinical outreach experience. Before leaving, the two got certified as National Board Certified Counselor International (NBCCI) Mental Health Facilitator (MHF) trainers. They learned the knowledge and skills to help identify mental health needs. This also enables them to work with local resources.
There is a shortage of school counselors and lack of counseling training in Botswana. Most of the counselors are former teachers and still spend part of their day teaching. Jones and Ataga wanted to use the trip to provide the MHF training to the community.
They taught the curriculum to 24 of the top counselors in Botswana. These counselors were members of the Botswana Counseling Association. They discussed ways their customs and cultures can relate to the training materials. They appreciated the training and invited the two to return. But this time, they requested training taught to all schools across Botswana. They felt it would give school counselors a baseline training in counseling.
Learn more about our Mental Health Counseling M.S. degree.
Janelle Jones is a second-year graduate student and Jasmaine Ataga graduated from the Mental Health M.S. program.
