Participation Type
Paper
Session Title
Session 1.09 Environment, Health, and Development
Presentation #1 Title
Top Blown Off: The Intersection Between Counseling, Advocacy, and Mountaintop Removal
Presentation #1 Abstract or Summary
Counseling professionals have an opportunity to advocate for the overall wellness and mental health needs of Appalachian residents affected by mountaintop removal. In this presentation, different forms of advocacy as well as the implications for counseling professionals will be discussed. Competent counseling practice is multifaceted. For over two decades, the leadership and members of the American Counseling Association (ACA) have further expanded competent counseling to include multicultural and advocacy competency with the full adoption of the Multicultural Counseling Competencies (Sue, Arredondo, and McDavis, 1992) and ACA Advocacy Competencies (Lewis, Arnold, House, & Toporek, 2002). An offshoot of the advocacy competencies is social justice advocacy, which focuses on the promotion of equality and elimination of injustice among clients (Toporek, Lewis, & Crethar, 2009). Within Appalachia, professional counselors have a unique opportunity to advocate for the needs of those affected by mountaintop removal. The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA; 2013) defines mountaintop removal as a method of coal mining involving the use of explosives to remove the top layer of soil thereby exposing the coal seam underneath. The environmental and health effects of mountaintop removal have been a concern among many Appalachian natives and environmentalists. With recent research demonstrating the negative effect of mountaintop removal on self-rated mental health (see Zullig & Hendryx, 2011), counseling professionals are presented with opportunities to advocate for the mental wellness and overall needs of their Appalachian clientele. References Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). (2013). Mid-Atlantic mountaintop mining: What is mountaintop mining? Retrieved from http://www.epa.gov Lewis, J. A., Arnold, M. S., House, R., & Toporek, R. L. (2002). ACA Advocacy Competencies. Retrieved from http://www.counseling.org Sue, D. W., Arredondo, P., & McDavis, R. (1992). Multicultural counseling competencies and standards: A call to the profession. Journal of Counseling & Development, 70, 477-486. Toporek, R. L., Lewis, J. A, & Crethar, H. C. (2009). Promoting systemic change through the ACA Advocacy Competencies. Journal of Counseling & Development, 87, 260-268. Zullig, K. J., & Hendryx, M. (2011). Health-related quality of life among central Appalachian residents in mountaintop mining counties. American Journal of Public Health, 101, 848-853.
At-A-Glance Bio- Presenter #1
Cassandra G. Pusateri is a native of Appalachia. Throughout her academic and professional pursuits, Cassandra has attempted to raise awareness about cultural and advocacy issues specific to the Appalachian region through teaching, service, and scholarship. Cassandra is an Assistant Professor at Youngstown State University in Youngstown, Ohio.
Top Blown Off: The Intersection Between Counseling, Advocacy, and Mountaintop Removal
Harris Hall 139
Counseling professionals have an opportunity to advocate for the overall wellness and mental health needs of Appalachian residents affected by mountaintop removal. In this presentation, different forms of advocacy as well as the implications for counseling professionals will be discussed. Competent counseling practice is multifaceted. For over two decades, the leadership and members of the American Counseling Association (ACA) have further expanded competent counseling to include multicultural and advocacy competency with the full adoption of the Multicultural Counseling Competencies (Sue, Arredondo, and McDavis, 1992) and ACA Advocacy Competencies (Lewis, Arnold, House, & Toporek, 2002). An offshoot of the advocacy competencies is social justice advocacy, which focuses on the promotion of equality and elimination of injustice among clients (Toporek, Lewis, & Crethar, 2009). Within Appalachia, professional counselors have a unique opportunity to advocate for the needs of those affected by mountaintop removal. The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA; 2013) defines mountaintop removal as a method of coal mining involving the use of explosives to remove the top layer of soil thereby exposing the coal seam underneath. The environmental and health effects of mountaintop removal have been a concern among many Appalachian natives and environmentalists. With recent research demonstrating the negative effect of mountaintop removal on self-rated mental health (see Zullig & Hendryx, 2011), counseling professionals are presented with opportunities to advocate for the mental wellness and overall needs of their Appalachian clientele. References Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). (2013). Mid-Atlantic mountaintop mining: What is mountaintop mining? Retrieved from http://www.epa.gov Lewis, J. A., Arnold, M. S., House, R., & Toporek, R. L. (2002). ACA Advocacy Competencies. Retrieved from http://www.counseling.org Sue, D. W., Arredondo, P., & McDavis, R. (1992). Multicultural counseling competencies and standards: A call to the profession. Journal of Counseling & Development, 70, 477-486. Toporek, R. L., Lewis, J. A, & Crethar, H. C. (2009). Promoting systemic change through the ACA Advocacy Competencies. Journal of Counseling & Development, 87, 260-268. Zullig, K. J., & Hendryx, M. (2011). Health-related quality of life among central Appalachian residents in mountaintop mining counties. American Journal of Public Health, 101, 848-853.
