Academic Courses as Outreach: Teaching as a Model of Outreach Delivery

1. Academic Courses as Outreach: Teaching as a Model of Outreach Delivery Tom Golightly, Ph.D. Dallas Jensen, Ph.D Counseling and Psychological Services Brigham Young University Provo, Utah

2. CAPS Mission • Counseling and Psychological Services (CAPS) offers preventive education, consultation, individual, group and couples counseling (as well as referrals to other agencies which provide similar services) for developmental, emotional or interpersonal difficulties that arise during the educational process. We espouse a Counseling Center philosophy recognizing that our mission is to assist student in fulfilling their educational goals by helping them overcome obstacles that interfere with their ability to succeed in college.

3. Teaching Fits the Mission • Psychological Difficulties/Personal Development • Impede academic performance and progress • Building character/Life skills • Increase retention • Academic/Learning Concerns • Impedes academic performance, related to retention • Career Concerns • Related to academic progress, lifelong service, character building, life roles after college

4. Other Factors Worth Noting • BYU students: 10.5 semesters to graduate. • University interested in matriculation • Surveys of Student Needs, Reported problems • Obstacles of freshmen: poor study skills (60%), time management (67%), fear of failure (40%) poor concentration (41%) • On warning/probation (<2.0): 43% sensitive concerns/depression/anxiety; double typical student. • 80% of students enrolled indicated they needed to improve study skills, more than 50% high school did not prepare them for college-level work.

5. Current Teaching Program: 34 courses offered Life Planning and Decision Making: Student Leadership Development, Individual Development, Positive Psychology/Living, Performance Psychology, Developing Personal Character, Tutoring Career Exploration/Career Strategies:Employment, Graduate School, Pre-Law, Pre-Medicine, Pre-Dentistry, Pre-Health Professions, Exploratory Internships Essential College Skills: Effective Study and Learning, Surviving and Thriving at the University, Test Preparation, Advanced Reading Strategies, Financial Management

6. Enrollment in StDev Courses (University Enrollment – 32,000) • *- years University enrollment was between 27,000 – 28,000 (-12%) • Fall 2015 offerings: • 122 sections • 33 courses

7. What students are saying… • This has been the most useful and applicable course I have taken at BYU. This course should be a must for any student. The principles I learned in this class have made the college workload far more manageable and I thoroughly enjoyed every class period. I actually looked forward to Mondays because of this class. • Thanks for a great semester of learning about myself and the importance of being myself in my career exploration. I will continue to use the tools I have developed to further my education. • This class changed my outlook on life and hopefully I'll continue applying these things for the rest of my life. • This course opened my mind to many ideas. It definitely helped me develop as a student. Because of it I am much more confident about my future, both in academics and ultimately my career. • Really great professor. Is very passionate about the subject matter and provided a lot of real world experience. He also made the class very applicable to our every day lives. Loved the meditation/relaxation segments.

8. Course Examples StDev 109: Effective Studying and Learning StDev 117: Career Exploration (subsets) Availability for 437 students One section for int’l students and two for women Typically under-classmen Wide ranges of career maturity Content • Availability for 325 students • Some students referred by academic support units and other advisors • Some students are under university academic sanction • Content

9. 2 Additional Examples StDev 247: Performance Enhancement StDev 358: Leadership Training Akin to paraprofessional training Knowledge and practice-based course - Focus on identification/recognition and beginner counseling skills - Strategies for self-care also taught Content • Students in performance arenas (student-athletes, music, dance, theater arts, academic performance, etc.) • Experientially-based course • Heavy focus on CBT techniques • Content

10. Sample Activity • Adjusting to your population • Mindfulness (Here and Now) • Positive Psychology – Flow

11. Drilling Down:The Example of SPoPL Student Development 214R: “The Science & Practice of Positive Living” • Since 2010 • Twice/semester; Fall and Winter • 20/25 students

12. What I Hope to Share: • One example of ways to take expertise out to the campus community via a course/workshop format • How the course works • Basic philosophy • Ingredients • Process

13. What I Hope to Share: • The utility of measuring the effectiveness of what we’re doing • What the data says • Ideas to get you thinking about outreach in a class or extended workshop • Creative ways to meet demand • Not just a ‘reactive’ service

14. Development of the Course • Intent: create a combination of intellectual + experiential learning about increasing well-being… • …that also happens to yield a grade, and course credits… • …and meshes with aims of outreach • Prevention, education • Mental health professionals for the campus, not just clients in our offices

15. Development of the Course • What can I offer? • What have I enjoyed teaching? • How can I use what I’m interested in to enhance the mental health of the campus? • The pitch to the higher-ups: • Create a vision for what the course could offer • Show how it could be good use of resources • Night class?

16. Philosophy of the Course • Enhance well-being/emotional health in 15 weeks • More than one way to balance a scale • The absence of disease =/= health • Educate, invite new perspectives, discuss...not therapy • Perhaps more palatable for some students? • feels different than a focus on pathology, distress • Hammer HARD on discarding the typical mentality when they walk in the classroom door

17. Shawn Achor talks (very fast) about happiness

18. Course Structure • Experiential learning • Biggest ROI • Supported by science/research • Cemented by writing, discussion • Basic process of the course: • “Science of ______” • Experiential Assignment • Record thoughts/feelings • Discussion & Follow-up • Rinse & repeat

19. Mar 2 The Science of Interpersonal Connections • Mar 7 Discussion & Follow-Up • Mar 9The Science of Happiness: What is it, anyway? • Mar 14Discussion & Follow-Up • Mar 16The Science of (Di)Stress Management • Mar 21Discussion & Follow-Up • Mar 23The Science of Decision Making: Dealing with Ambiguity • Mar 28Discussion & Follow-Up • Mar 30The Science of Mindfulness • Apr 4Discussion & Follow-Up

20. Ingredients • 12 Modules, topics related to well-being and mental/emotional health • Media presentations by students • A sprinkling of readings, quizzes • Discussion groups • Investment Points (self-graded) • Final synthesis paper What kinds of topics?

21. Happiness

22. Savoring

23. Stress Management

24. Mindfulness

25. Decision Making

26. Exercising Will

27. Others • Interpersonal Effectiveness • Purposes and values • Character Strengths • Gratitude • Self-Compassion, Awe, Empathy, Altruism

28. Example Module: Purposes & Values • Research on values, meaningfulness • How aware? (Values sort) • How engaged? • What do you want to be about? • Can you start living in those directions? • Two assignment options, journal, discussion, wrap-up

29. Sample Experiential Assignment: Gratitude Gratitude II Experiential Assignment: Gratitude Letter Think about the people in your life that have significantly contributed to you in some way. Consider those who have been especially kind to you but may have never heard you really express your gratitude. Write a Gratitude Letter to one of these individuals describing in concrete terms why you are grateful. The letter needs to be in-depth and concrete: name specifics the person did for you, and exactly how it has affected your life. Perhaps share what you are doing now and how you often remember their efforts. Make it come alive. Note: this is a letter, not a text, tweet, facebook message, or thank-you note. Once you have written the letter, the next step is to deliver the message. You have some options here—the first two are more challenging but more rewarding, the third one may be easier but you’ll miss out on some of the rewards. It’s up to you which one you choose but I want to invite you to push yourself.   Options 1. Deliver the letter in person and read it to the person. 2. Call the person if they are too far away to visit, and read them your letter over the phone. 3. Send your letter through regular mail/email.   Make sure to note thoughts/feelings/reactions about your experience, and its effects on you and the other person, in your course journal. For the discussion groups, be prepared to share a bit about who you thanked and why, and what kinds of things you included in your letter.

30. Discussion Groups • Small groups • Takes some initial coaching • Provide some back-up questions • Everyone share their experience • Students write about these groups in their final papers

31. Investment Points Completed at the end of each unit • Experience 30 • Journal 10 • Discussion 10 50 x 12 = 600 of the 1000 possible points

32. Assessing Effectiveness:Or How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Just Measure Something • Pilot study • Pre/Post for several semesters (Fall ‘12 – Winter ‘14) • About 140 total • How do I want to measure it? • Some qualitative, some quantitative • Some ambitious, because research study • Some quick and easy • Simple pre-to-post change • Administrators like number-y things • Gaining Campus Commitment to Outreach

33. Tools Used: • Psychological Well-Being Scales • Autonomy • Environmental Mastery • Personal Growth • Positive Relations • Purpose in Life • Self Acceptance • Life Orientation Test-Revised • Outcome Questionnaire 45.2 • Self In School • Mindful Attention Awareness Scale • Savoring Beliefs Inventory • Gratitude Questionnaire-6 • Subjective Happiness Scale • Approaches to Happiness Questionnaire

34. So…Does It Work?

35. So…Does It Work? (MANOVA highlights)

36. So…Does It Work? • 95/133 people started in the clinical range on the OQ • = students that need help may be self-selecting into the class • Post-hocs: more advanced students benefited a bit more from the class • No difference between in therapy/not in therapy at time of class • But those with previous therapy differed significantly from those without

37. What Do Students Say?Snippets from papers, course evaluations: (Prevention/Education?) “Yes, I have to admit this 2 credit course is probably the easiest ‘A’ I will ever receive, but it has been the most impactful 2 credits of my college career.” “To be honest I thought the class would be something I could blow off and get an easy A. As the semester progressed I realized this class was what was holding me together.” “I signed up to take this class because I needed two extra credits I needed to fill in and learning how to positively live sounded really interesting. I did not really know what I was getting myself into.” “Prior to this class I had never paid much attention to what I feel in a given moment, or what happiness really means to me.”

38. Student Reactions (Maintenance/Intervention?) “My reasoning behind taking this class was due to how difficult last year was for me. I went through a lot of trying personal experiences. Overall I was not happy with who I was or where my life seemed to be heading.” “I elected to take this course during a pretty tough time in my life….I feel that I can walk from this class with mental and emotional tools.” “I have become more understanding of myself and less frustrated or intolerant of the emotions that I have that I do not control.” “This class has really changed me and I am sure will keep changing me.” “Going in to see a therapist? Yeah, that was something that I would never do. Yet, here I was, discussing with my parents whether I needed to seek professional help. I had been suffering from depressed thoughts and feeling extremely forgotten….I am here to say that this positive living class helped me learn coping strategies that eventually helped me overcome some of these depressed thoughts.”

39. More Student Reactions “One thing I really didn’t expect but loved was how much we were expected to apply what we learned.” “With an observing mind I’ve come to understand more about myself than I could ever have done without. Mindfulness in itself has been a useful tool, but combined with value-oriented motivation, willpower, and all of the other concepts I’ve practiced throughout the semester, I feel that my capacity to live happily has improved substantially.” “While I had hoped to enjoy this class, I must admit I am surprised by how effective it has been in changing my life for the better. Specifically, practicing mindfulness, assessing my values, and savoring things have led me to experience a more full and positive life.” “This class teaches so much more than textbook. It teaches how to improve your life. I think a lot more education needs to be like this.”

40. Acknowledgments, Caveats, and Various ‘Yeah, buts….’ • Self-selecting students? • Full semester course may or may not be a forum that you have available to you on your • Usual obstacles—getting the word out, filling • Limits on scope (25 students x 15 weeks) • Support from administrators

41. Yes, this IS outreach! • Sneak in some education/prevention, engage students in actual practice of attending to their psychological health, without it being therapy • Maybe doesn’t look like the first image we get in our heads when we think ‘outreach’ • Proactively taking our expertise as mental health professionals out to the campus • vs. waiting for students to come to us in distress • Not just a ‘reactive’ service

42. Factors contributing to success • Student Life/Development: Equivalent to an academic college (UCC, FAC, FDC, VP position) • Clinicians have faculty status, expectation to teach • History: Since 1970’s • Word of mouth • Buy-in of faculty/clinicians, Hours to teach • Support of broader administration/mandate • Liaisons w/ Advisement Centers

43. Difficulties and Complications • ‘Filler’ class, easy? Making courses academic • How to grade ‘personal development’ • Lack of faculty interest/buy-in at times • Balance with clinical demands • Difficulty assessing outcomes/effectiveness • Clinical training vs. student development training • Respect from academic areas • Credit vs. required vs. elective

44. Effectiveness? • Consistent student contact: • Do students who take the classes use therapy less or more? Answer: More 11% to 7%. Explanation. • Course Evaluations: Higher than average on campus for course and instructor • Continued enrollment (levels up from other colleges) • Improved Liaisons with departments, agencies, colleges (e.g., Athletics, Residence Life, General Education, Advisement Centers, Deans) • Students complete requirements for graduation one semester before others.

45. Suggestions For building a program • Tailor to mission of college/university and center • Must have buy-in of clinicians—teaching meets a need. • Present case to administration (with data) • Start small, one class. Experimental/activity classes • Gather data: Needs assessment and outcomes of course(s) • Spread the workload • Market skills of PhD-level clinicians as clinicians, teachers, researchers.