Counselors' new roles topic of CLU talk

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Diana Stephens, who has a doctorate in human and organizational systems from Fielding Graduate University, supervises school counseling candidates in K-12 settings.

Photo: Brian Stethem

(THOUSAND OAKS, Calif. – Oct. 22, 2008) A California Lutheran University professor will discuss the changing roles of school counselors in the 21st century at 1:30 p.m. Monday, Nov. 10.

Diana Stephens, an assistant professor of counseling and guidance, will present the findings of her dissertation study on “The Site-Supervision of School Counselors-in-Training: An Interview Study of Promising Practices,” which have implications for all stakeholders in kindergarten through 12th-grade education.

She will discuss how new trainees in California are inducted into the profession so they can successfully work with administrators and teachers to address the diverse academic, social and career needs of all students on campus.

Stephens, who has a doctorate in human and organizational systems from Fielding Graduate University, supervises school counseling candidates in K-12 settings. Last year, the Camarillo resident presented information on a successful program she assists with at E.P. Foster Elementary School in Ventura during the Achievement Gap Summit hosted by State Superintendent of Instruction Jack O’Connell.

Before coming to CLU in 2006, Stephens spent nine years working in the school counseling program at the University of Redlands and more than 25 years as a clinical counselor in private practice and the nonprofit sector. She has a long history of advocating for children and adults in the areas of diversity, equity and social justice.

CLU’s Center for Equality and Justice is sponsoring the free presentation. It will be held in the Roth Nelson Room on Mountclef Boulevard on the Thousand Oaks campus. For more information, contact the center at (805) 493-3694 or cej@callutheran.edu.