TPC Journal-Vol 10- Issue 2-FULL ISSUE

The Professional Counselor | Volume 10, Issue 2 201 Group Work SLPs that correspond to group work can be similar to those under the helping relationships core curriculum. For example, students could partner with a local counseling agency that provides group counseling services. Students could determine if clients encounter any barriers to receiving group counseling and implement a plan for eliminating the barrier(s). A further example is perhaps if the agency has a group in which they would like to see more culturally relevant topics used in order to attract a more diverse group of clients. Students partnering with this agency could perform outreach to discover what clients would like to see at the group and any barriers, such as transportation, to attending this group. Another possibility for an SLP is for students to facilitate a group counseling experience for an agency or shelter for no cost to those participating in the group. Conclusion SLPs have the potential to enhance the learning experiences of students within graduate counselor education programs. Although not previously emphasized within counselor training, SLPs may be developed and implemented within a variety of core counseling content areas as suggested by CACREP (2015). From an advocacy and social justice perspective, SLPs also may provide students with multiple opportunities to experience the needs of clients and identify barriers to providing counseling services with diverse client populations. Ultimately, by utilizing SLPs, counselor educators can help foster CITs’ advocacy and social justice identities, preparing them for work as responsible citizens and effective counselors. Conflict of Interest and Funding Disclosure The authors reported no conflict of interest or funding contributions for the development of this manuscript. References Alvarado, M., & Gonzalez, P. A. (2013). Experiences in service learning among counselor education students. VISTAS Online . https://www.counseling.org/docs/default-source/vistas/experiences-in-service-learning- among-counselor-education-students.pdf?sfvrsn=6 American Counseling Association. (2014). ACA code of ethics . Arnold, R., & McMurtery, R. F. (2011). Integrating service learning into counselor education: Applications and implications. The Researcher: An Interdisciplinary Journal , 24 (1), 59–74. Backer Condon, B., Grimsley, C., Knaack, L., Pitz, J., & Stehr, H. J. (2015). The art of service learning. Nursing Science Quarterly , 28 (3), 195–200. https://doi.org/10.1177/0894318415585624 Barbee, P. W., Scherer, D., & Combs, D. C. (2003). Prepracticum service-learning: Examining the relationship with counselor self-efficacy and anxiety. Counselor Education and Supervision , 43 (2), 108–119. https://doi.org/10.1002/j.1556-6978.2003.tb01835.x Bergman, D. M. (2013). The role of government and lobbying in the creation of a health profession: The legal foundations of counseling. Journal of Counseling & Development , 91 (1), 61–67. https://doi.org/10.1002/j.1556-6676.2013.00072.x Bjornestad, A., Mims, G. A., & Mims, M. (2016). Service learning in schools: Training counselors for group work. Journal for Specialists in Group Work , 41 (3), 190–208. https://doi.org/10.1080/01933922.2016.1186764