Dr. Rebecca Newgent

Department Chair

Dr. Newgent Contributed by Jessica Shoop

Western Illinois University

Quad Cities

Spring 2013

Counseling Connections

INSIDE THIS

ISSUE:

Faculty

Spotlights 2

PACERS

4

WIU-QC

Counseling

Association

5

Chi Sigma

Iota– Xi

Chapter

6

ACA 2013

Conference &

Calendar

7

Alumni

Update Form

& Alumni

Spotlight

8

Another semester is coming to

an end! Dr. Newgent has been

busy implementing state

requirement changes,

fulfilling Departmental

responsibilities, and engaging

in professional development!

Many changes have occurred

in the Department of

Counselor Education this

semester. Dr. Newgent has

worked hard to meet the

demands of the Illinois State

Board of Education’s

(ISBE) Basic Skills

requirements for school

counseling students. She has

diligently helped new students

and current students meet this

standard.

Dr. Newgent also reports that

we’ve seen dramatic growth

in student enrollment! This is

due to both the increase in

new students admitted into the

program and Dr. O’Ryan’s

marketing and recruitment

efforts. Additionally, Dr.

Newgent has been busy with

the summer/fall admission

process. Many students

applied for the summer/fall

terms and we look forward to

seeing them on campus!

Along with the newly

admitted students, the

Department has interviewed

applicants for the Graduate

Assistant (GA) positions.

Dr. Newgent is also happy to

report an increase in the level

of student involvement in

conferences this semester,

specifically the American

Counseling Association’s

(ACA) annual conference in

Cincinnati, Ohio! Despite her

busy schedule, Dr. Newgent

also took the time to be

involved in the conference.

She presented Spirituality as

a Protective Factor against

Non-Suicidal Self-Injury, as

well as engaged in multiple

professional development

opportunities. She has been

named the Editor-Elect of

Counseling Outcome

Research and Evaluation

(CORE)! She will officially

begin her three-year term on

July 1st, 2013.

Another exciting change in

the Department has been

Tiffany Stoner-Harris

becoming Dr. Tiffany Stoner-

Harris and the Department is

so proud! Dr. Newgent would

like to thank Haley Wikoff for

her service to the Department,

as she has done an

outstanding job teaching our

group counseling class! Dr.

Newgent would also like to

congratulate Diane Heisner

and Dr. Holly Nikels for

dedicating 10 years of service

to the Department!

In the coming semesters, Dr.

Newgent reports that there

will be an increase in online

course offerings! She also

reports that the Department

will be adjusting curriculum

to incorporate the new DSM-5

into classes; the DSM-5 is due

out late spring.

Dr. Newgent looks forward to

welcoming back Dr. Nikels

from her sabbatical. She was

greatly missed! Lastly, keep

an eye out for new faces in the

Department, as well as in the

GA office!

Dr. Alexander-Albritton A. Griffith

Counseling Connections PAGE 2

Dr. Carrie

Alexander-Albritton

Dr. Leslie W.

O’Ryan

Dr. O’Ryan Contributed by Lauren Brandt

This spring, Dr. Alexander-

Albritton has been busy

teaching Internship,

Techniques of Counseling,

Psychopathology, and

assisting students in their

independent study

projects.

In March, Dr. Alexander-

Albritton traveled to

Cincinnati, Ohio for the

annual American

Counseling Association

Conference. While there she

attended various conference

events and sessions. She

also made it a point to be a

tremendous source of

support for a number of

Counselor Education

students that attended the

conference. In addition, she

co-presented a 60-minute

session with two counseling

students entitled, Puppy

Love: Using Dogs as a

Unique Approach to

Wellness across a Variety

of Counseling Spectrums.

Recently, Dr. Alexander-

Albritton has been going

above and beyond in

community engagement. In

April, she presented on

wellness at the local Illinois

Counselor Academy and

put on three different

adventure based counseling

presentations for the staff at

Washington Jr. High School

in Rock Island.

In addition to her

community involvement,

Dr. Alexander-Albritton is

the faculty advisor for the

WIU-QC Counseling

Association. She has been

helping them prepare their

post-graduation festivities,

as well as prepare for the

upcoming year’s events.

Dr. O’Ryan has been quite

busy this spring. Her

teaching this semester

included Counseling in a

Multicultural Society,

Standards of Care and

Management in Clinical

Mental Health

Counseling, and

Internship. As part of

Standards of Management

and Care, the students

conducted focus groups at

the Place2B, an

organization that serves as a

safe haven for displaced and

at-risk youth in both Rock

Island and Scott Counties.

She currently serves as the

faculty advisor for Western

Illinois University-Quad

Cities’ Xi Chapter of Chi

Sigma Iota. The

organization recently held a

ceremony to initiate new

members, recognize

graduating members, and

appoint officers for the

upcoming 2013-2014 school

year.

This semester, Dr. O’Ryan,

along with CNED alumni

Jake Glazier and Dr.

Lemberger-Truelove, has

had an article accepted for

publication. The article,

“Daseinsanalysis and

Humanism,” will be

published in The

International Journal of

Existential Psychology and

Psychotherapy. She was

also invited to be on the

editorial review board for

the Journal of Exceptional

Experiences and

Psychology. As President of

the Illinois Association of

Adult Development and

Aging (IAADA), a division

of the Illinois Counseling

Association (ICA), she has

been fulfilling presidential

responsibilities, as well as

developing and

implementing a leadership

mentoring program.

Dr. O’Ryan looks forward

to teaching

Psychopharmacology in

Counseling and

Counseling Across the

Lifespan this summer.

Dr. Nikels Contributed by Amanda Griffith

PAGE 3

Dr. Stoner-Harris Contributed by Lauren Brandt

Dr. Holly Nikels

Dr. Tiffany

Stoner-Harris

Recently, Professor Stoner-

Harris became Dr. Stoner-

Harris after successfully

defending her dissertation to

the Department of

Counselor Education &

Supervision at the

University of Iowa! Her

research, “Counseling

Graduate Students’

Multicultural

Preparation: A Response

to the Dual Diagnosis of

Childhood Sexual Abuse

and Substance Abuse

among African American

Women,” is being

submitted to Proquest,

making it available for other

researchers, students, and

professionals.

The purpose of her

qualitative research study

was to explore the

perceptions of advanced

masters’-level mental health

counseling students and

recent graduates regarding

multicultural awareness,

knowledge, and skills to

provide effective counseling

services and interventions to

African American women

who have co-occurring

histories of childhood

sexual abuse and substance

abuse.

This spring, she has been

teaching Assessment

Techniques in Counseling,

Techniques of Counseling,

and Counseling

Techniques for Children

and Adolescents. In

addition, Dr. Stoner-Harris

is currently in the process of

collaborating with

colleagues from the

University of Iowa to

submit a proposal focused

on the mental and emotional

complex trauma school

children in Haiti, with

suggestions of how school

and mental health

professionals can

collaborate to provide

interventions for those

needs.

Dr. Stoner-Harris is happily

anticipating her graduation

from the University of Iowa

this May. She will be

teaching, Professional,

Legal, and Ethical Issues

in Mental Health

Counseling for the 2013

summer term.

Congratulations

Dr. Stoner-Harris!

Dr. Nikels has been on

sabbatical for the Spring

2013 semester. During her

sabbatical, she has been

completing scholarly work

for the PACERS program.

The focus of her work has

been on interpreting the

data collected on the

PACERS program so that it

can be shared in journal

articles and professional

presentations. She is also

currently writing grants to

ensure the continuation and

expansion of the program.

In regards to expansion, Dr.

Nikels is hoping to take the

next steps toward

implementing the PACERS

program at the middle

school level.

Dr. Nikels will return this

summer to teach

Developmental

Counseling and Diagnosis

in the School Setting and

will be back in full swing

for the fall semester. This

fall, she will continue her

endeavors in the world of

online learning by teaching,

Counseling Theories,

Developing and Managing

Comprehensive School

Counseling Programs,

and Legal and Ethical

Issues in School

Counseling- all online!

Dr. Nikels’ presence has

been missed in the

Department and we cannot

wait to welcome her back

with open arms.

We’ve missed you

Dr. Nikels!

PACERS is

an AT&T

grant

funded

mentoring

program

through

Rock Island

High School

and the

Department

of

Counselor

Education.

PACERS

Counseling Connections PAGE 4

Positive Achievement and Creativity Equals Righteous Success

Contributed by Leslie Scheck

PACERS has had a great second

semester at Rock Island High School. This

semester we have been focusing on

Napoleon Hill’s Principles of Positive

Mental Attitude as well as doing Career

Exploration. Students are learning how to

be positive in order to reach their goals and

be successful in life. They also explored

how their skills, passions, and values relate

to their career choice.

PACERS was lucky enough to have

Xplicit Poet and other spoken word artists

come to the school for performances and a

workshop. Students were able to write their

own spoken word poems titled “Letter to

Self” and some volunteered to share with

the group. It was a great experience and a

lot of fun! Students also attended the Quad

City Youth Conference in January learning

about healthy relationships, drug use, body

image, and domestic violence.

PACERS has also been participating in

activities outside of school as well. The

PACERS group took part in college visits

to Black Hawk College and WIU-QC’s

Riverfront campus. Students took part in

college tours, career activities, as well as a

mock classroom lesson. PACERS

continues to give back to the community

while working hard in school. In December

students participated in the Martin Luther

King gift event, where they wrapped gifts

for children in need. Students also

volunteered at the Place2B in Rock Island,

sorting and organizing clothes.

It has been a great year for PACERS for

giving back to the community, working on

academics, and making great memories.

The end of the year celebration trip to Six

Flags is coming up soon and 12 PACERS

students will be graduating at the end of

May! Thanks to all those that make this

program possible and for everyone’s hard

work!

Check out our

website at:

www.wiu.edu/

coehs/qc/cned/

pacers/

MLK Wrapping Event

Students at the Quad Cities Youth

Conference

Counseling Connections

It has definitely been

another busy semester for

the Counseling

Association!

In February, many

members and officers

donated their time to

prepare a meal for the

participants at the Place2B

in downtown Rock Island.

Those in attendance had a

fun time cooking for the

kids, and getting to know

more about the

organization. In March,

our secretary, Rachel Grim,

reinstated the Counseling

Association’s affiliation

with the Illinois Counseling

Association, allowing

members to vote on

important, statewide issues

and participate in ICA

functions. Also in March,

the Counseling Association

voted in officers for the

2013-2014 school year.

In April, many members

and officers of CA

participated in the Family

Resources Clothesline

Project at Take Back the

Night, located in

Schweibert Park in Rock

Island. Participants handed

out glow sticks and

promoted the organization

to the community.

Manage Your Stress

Week continues to be a bi-

annual success, with the

CA promoting healthy

eating, exercise, wellness,

and self-care with healthy

snacks and information – in conjunction with

Student Government

(SGA). Thank you to SGA

for their help!

We are looking forward

to another great school

year!

PAGE 5

Did you know that by being

accepted into the

Department of Counselor

Education, you

automatically become a

member of the WIU-QC

Counseling Association?

Don’t forget to list this

valuable membership on

your resume and get

involved in the

organization!

Department of Counselor Education 3561 60th Street Moline, IL 61265-5881 USA

309•762•1876 - cned@wiu.edu

WIU-QC Counseling Association Contributed by: Allison Efline

CNED Labs The WIU-QC

Counseling Association

2013-2014

President

Allison Elfline

Vice President

Rachel Grim

Treasurer

Amy Zero

Social Chair

Skyler Dobernecker

Secretary

Lauren Brandt

Faculty Advisor

Dr. Alexander-

Albritton

Officers

Since the beginning of the year, the counseling labs

have found new homes. Rooms 286C and 286D house

two of the counseling labs and room 214 houses the

new children’s lab. If you haven’t already seen the new

labs, please stop by to take a peek.

Jacob Glazier in the Children’s Lab

Please join the Facebook

group at

http://www.facebook.com/

group.phpgid=263602040104

&v=wall

Thank You

To the past Board

Members for their

dedication & service

Leslie Scheck

Marcy Aronson

Amy Zero

Alison Elfline

Rachel Grim

PAGE 6

Xi Chapter of Chi Sigma Iota Contributed by Jennifer Welvaert

Membership in Chi

Sigma Iota Xi is awarded to both

students and graduates of the

WIU Department of Counselor

Education. Candidates must

complete 18 hours of graduate

coursework in counselor

education, have earned a grade

point average of

3.5 or better, and be recommended

for membership in CSI by the

chapter.

Chi Sigma Iota Xi Officers

2013-2014

President

Bryan Dietsch

Vice President

Amy Zero

Secretary

Rachel Grim

Treasurer

Janell McGruder

Membership Chair

Jessica Bartz

Faculty Advisor

Dr. Tiffany Stoner-Harris

Spring semester, Chi

Sigma Iota- Xi Chapter

hosted Saturday morning

study sessions open to any

students interested in

taking the National

Counselor Examination.

Students were welcomed

each week with breakfast

kindly provided by

counselor education

department faculty and

alumni. Students

participating in the study

sessions presented

information based off the

NCE’s eight sections and

provided the rest of the

study group with study

materials and practice

exams. The students now

eagerly wait to receive the

results of their test

performance from the

National Board of Certified

Counselors.

April 5th, 2013 marked

Chi Sigma Iota- Xi

Chapter’s initiation

ceremony. Dinner was

provided for all Xi Chapter

members as new members

were initiated into the

chapter, graduating

students were recognized

with honor chords, and new

officers were installed. Chi

Sigma Iota- Xi Chapter is

pleased to announce the

new officers for the 2013-

2014 school year. The new

officers are: Bryan Dietsch,

president; Amy Zero, vice

president; Rachel Grim,

secretary; and Jessica

Bartz, membership chair.

Xi Chapter is also

delighted to have Dr.

Stoner-Harris act as the

primary faculty advisor

next school year. Chi

Sigma Iota- Xi Chapter

would like to wish the new

officers and members the

best of luck next school

year as they continue

working towards the Chi

Sigma Iota mission to

promote scholarship,

research, professionalism,

leadership, advocacy, and

excellence in counseling,

and to recognize high

attainment in the pursuit of

academic and clinical

excellence in the profession

of counseling.

Chi Sigma Iota

http://www.csi-

net.org/

Angela Bryner, Marcy Aronson, Shanen Norlin, Dr. Leslie

W. O’Ryan, Amanda Griffith, & Jennifer Welvaert at the

Chi Sigma Iota Xi Spring Induction Ceremony

Thank you to the past board

members for a job well done!

Jennifer Welvaert

Shanen Norlin

Amanda Griffith

Angela Bryner

Marcy Aronson

Past Faculty

Advisor

Dr. Leslie W. O’Ryan

contest, which earned her free registration to the conference!

Congratulations! It was very inspiring to watch these students be

acknowledged for their hard work. Ashley Judd was the keynote

speaker and she definitely proved to be a highlight for the conference.

Currently, there is a call for proposals for next year’s ACA conference

which will be held in Honolulu, Hawaii - mark your calendars now!

Please visit their website for more information at:

http:www.counseling.org/

Counseling Connections PAGE 7

Fall Semester- 2013

August 19, Mon. -- Classes Begin

September 2, Mon. -- Labor Day -- No Classes/University

Closed

September 3, Tues. -- Classes Resume

October 18, Fri. -- Fall Break– No Classes

October 21, Mon. -- Classes Resume

November 25-29, Mon.-Fri.-- Thanksgiving Break– No

Classes

November 28-29, Thurs.-Fri. -- Holiday - University Closed

December 2, Mon. -- Classes Resume

December 9-13, Mon.-Fri. -- Final Exam Week

December 14, Sat. -- Commencement

ACA Conference 2013: Cincinnati, Ohio

The Riverfront campus is now home to undergraduate classes in business and technology, engineering, human services,

and arts and sciences. Following precedent established and maintained at the John Deere Road location, the new state of

the art location features high-tech classrooms, computing, and engineering laboratories, student services, the U.S. Bank

Writing Center, and a Library annex. The new building also features the Goldfarb Grand Atrium where students, faculty,

staff, and visitors can collaborate, study, learn, and interact with a scenic vista of the Mississippi River.

WIU-QC Presentations: Dr. Newgent, along with faculty from Youngstown State University,

conducted a research poster presentation titled: Spirituality as an

Insulating Factor Against Non-Suicidal Self-Injury: Research

Findings and Counselor Practice Suggestions. This presentation was based upon an article that will be published in

the Journal of College Counseling. Dr. Alexander-Albritton, Amanda Griffith, and Shanen Norlin also co-presented at

the ACA Conference. Their 60-minute presentation was titled: Puppy Love: Using Dogs as a Unique Approach to

Wellness Across a Variety of Counseling Spectrums.

WESTERN ILLINOIS UNIVERSITY RIVERFRONT CAMPUS

3300 River Drive, Moline, IL 61265 (309) 762-9481

Kiely, Janell, Allison, Marcy, Dr. Alexander-

Albritton, Shanen, Amanda, Angela, & Megan

CONGRATULATIONS TO ALL OF THE 2013 GRADUATES!

Several WIU-QC counseling students travelled to Cincinnati, Ohio for the annual American

Counseling Association (ACA) conference March 21-24. Marcy Aronson, Megan Becker,

Angela Bryner, Allison Elfline, Amanda Griffith, Janell McGruder, Shanen Norlin, and

Kiely Suhr all attended the conference. Some of these students also had the opportunity to

represent the Department of Counselor Education in various ways; Amanda Griffith and

Shanen Norlin had the privilege to present to over 120 people at their first conference and

Angela Bryner won runner-up for her submission to the ACA graduate student essay

ALUMNI UPDATE FORM

Counseling Connections PAGE 8 If you are a CNED Alumni please send this form to:

Department of Counselor Education, Western Illinois University Quad Cities;

3561 60th St. Moline, IL 61265

or complete it online at www.wiu.edu/counselored/alumni.html

Name_______________________________________________ Graduation Year_____________________

Name while at WIU ____________________________________ Email Address______________________

Home Phone__________________________________________ Advanced Degree____________________

Address__________________________________________________________________________________

City_________________________________________________ State__________Zip_________________

Employer_____________________________________________ Work Address_______________________

City_________________________________________________ State__________Zip_________________

Work Phone___________________________________________ Job Title___________________________

Any personal or job related news?

_________________________________________________________________________________________________________

_________________________________________________________________________________________________________

_________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Alumni

Spotlight

Matt Beck, M.S.Ed., NCC

Matthew’s visible role as an LGBTQ ally has been fostered by 12 years of combined teaching and professional school counseling experience at elementary, middle, and high schools settings. Matthew holds professional certifications as a K-12 professional school counselor and teacher in Iowa and Illinois and is a Nationally Certified Counselor.

Presently, Matthew is in his 6th year as the professional school counselor at Erie Elementary School in Erie, Illinois. Here his passion and energy lies in creating developmental school counseling programs that lay the foundation of respect for all students, staff, community members, and families. In 2012-2013, Mr. Beck led Erie Elementary School in addressing biased language concerns,

discussing gender nonconformity, and reading family diversity books through the use of GLSEN’s applauded toolkit-Ready, Set, Respect! Despite opposition and the alarming ban of all LGBTQ resources and conversations in his school building, Matthew along with parent and colleague support, continued to persevere by creating a family reading night outside of school that offered children healthy and respectful conversations, age-appropriate family inclusive books, and curriculums that advocate for all differences. One way Matthew sustained a welcoming school climate amongst the push-back was by participating in No-Name Calling Week, which aims to break down stereotypes and foster inclusiveness. “Where Children Come First”, Erie’s district motto, has served as Matthew’s motivation and success in getting age-appropriate LGBTQ and family diversity resources and books back in his school counseling office.

Matthew continues to advocate that it is never too early to “plant the seeds” and teach our young children about celebrating differences.

Matthew’s respect-for-all philosophy has positioned him as a presenter in the educational community in helping schools address LGBTQ and multicultural issues. Since earning his M.S. Ed. in school counseling from Western Illinois University in 2008, Matthew has presented in several educational courses at Western Illinois University on helping to create safe and affirming school climates. Since 2010, Matthew has worked with graduate level students in group counseling settings and served as a substitute instructor for

professors in the Counselor Education Department at Western Illinois University.

Preparing our future multicultural

counselors, teachers, and administrators

on being accessible LGBTQ allies in our

schools is top priority for Matthew.

Starting in Fall 2013, Matt will be a full-

time student in the Doctor of Philosophy

degree program in Counselor Education

and Supervision at The University of Iowa.

The Department of Counselor Education

would like to wish special congratulations

to alumni, Matt Beck! He has been

selected as the Gay, Lesbian, & Straight

Education Network’s (GLSEN) 2013

Educator of the Year. This award

recognizes an exceptional education

professional who has enriched their

community by ensuring that all students,

particularly LGBT students, are safe from

bullying and harassment. The award

honors an educator who works not only to

ensure safety, but impacts measureable

change that is visible within that person’s

school district and community.

Congratulations to you, Matt!

http://www.glsen.org/cgi-bin/iowa/all/

news/record/2959.html