Human Services Dictionary

Master Reference for the NCE, CPCE, and the HS-BCPE Exams, 2nd ed

Howard Rosenthal

• Publisher: Routledge
• Year: 2020
• eBook ISBN: 9780429850783
• Edition: 2
• Topic: Psychology
• Subtopic: Mental Health in Psychology
• Index: Psychology

This thoroughly expanded edition of Howard Rosenthal's Human Services Dictionary is an essential resource for counselors tackling licensing and certification exams such as the National Counselor Examination (NCE) and human service workers who wish to pass the Human Services Board Certified Practitioner's Examination (HS-BCPE).

With over 650 new entries, including terminology related to new areas such as neuroscience, emerging psychotherapeutic strategies, and the new NCE domain areas, definitions are purposely worded to help test takers answer typical questions that commonly show up on exams. Key features include reader-friendly definitions with accompanying examples and extensive cross-referencing, as well as short biographies of important figures in the field, a short history of human services, summaries of popular research experiments, and specialized and slang terms specific to the human service profession. Finally, a useful and up-to-date resource guide is included that delineates common statistical tests, psychoeducational instruments, and organizations.

Written in a clear and accessible style, this resource is suitable for anyone in the helping professions, from beginning undergraduate students to seasoned professionals.

A

A

(1) In research, behavior modification, and applied behavior analysis (ABA), a baseline measure. (2) In rational-emotive behavior therapy, an activating event. See AB/ABAB design, A-B-C/A-B-C-D-E/A-B-C-D-E-F theory, and baseline.

AA

See Alcoholics Anonymous.

AACD

See American Association for Counseling and Development.

AAMFT

See American Association for Marriage and Family Therapy.

AARP

Formerly the American Association of Retired Persons, this organization was founded in 1958. It is a nonprofit, nonpartisan organization with a mission aimed at improving the lives of older adults and empowering them to choose how they live.

AB/ABAB design

A two-phase continuous measurement research design popular with behaviorists in which A equals the baseline and B the intervention/treatment process. Can be extended to an ABAB format in order to rule out confounding variables by noting whether the second AB pattern mimics the first AB pattern. Generally used with a single subject.

abandonment

(1) Occurs when a helper terminates a client without informing the client of this fact. This is generally considered an ethical violation. A helper can ethically terminate a client (i.e., it is not abandonment) even if the client insists on returning for services if the helper has genuinely tried to help the client for a reasonable period of time but cannot, or if the helper believes another provider would be more competent, and referrals are provided. (2) In child abuse, the act of leaving a child alone.

abasement

Henry Murray’s term to describe the need to comply, atone, confess, surrender, or even accept punishment due to feelings of inadequacy.

abatement

To reduce or eliminate unwanted symptoms or pain.

A-B-C/A-B-C-D-E/A-B-C-D-E-F theory

A principle of Albert Ellis’s rational-emotive behavior psychotherapy (REBT) in which A equals an activating event, B the individual’s belief system, and C an emotional consequence. At D, the counselor then disputes B if it is irrational or illogical (i.e., D stands for dispute), which results in E, a new healthier emotional consequence. Some sources add F, the desired feeling.

ABC model of crisis intervention

A model suggested by Kristi Kanel for dealing with clients immobilized by an emergency. The practitioner should: A, use basic attending skills to establish rapport with the client and maintain contact; B, identify the problem; and C, explore new coping skills with the client.

aberration

(1) A tendency to depart or stray from normal thoughts, feelings, or behavior. (2) A disorder.

ability tests

Used to determine one’s talents and proficiencies. Measures of aptitude assess future or potential performance, while measures of achievement assess current skills. In some of the older literature, the term is loosely used as a synonym for aptitude.

ableism/ablism

Discrimination or prejudice against an individual who has a physical, emotional, behavioral, cognitive, intellectual or neurological disability. A common example would be when an able-bodied person is picked for the job even though the individual is not as qualified as a person in a wheelchair.

abnormal

(1) Thoughts, feelings, and/or behavior that deviate from the normal adjustment process or cause problems for the individual and/or society. Often abnormality is defined in relation to a given theory of personality or culture. (2) Can also refer to a statistical score outside of the normal range and includes positive attributes such as giftedness.

abreaction

A psychoanalytic term that describes a client’s expression of a repressed emotion. Originally used to describe a release via hypnosis. In the popular press the term “catharsis” is often used synonymously. The emotional release is viewed as curative.

abscissa

A horizontal reference line on a graph often used to plot the independent/experimental variable. Also known as the x axis.

absent parent

A parent who is not living with their children.

absolute confidentiality

In ethics, expresses the idea that confidentiality is never broken. Although this was true at one time it is not true now, such as when a client threatens to harm himself or others. See relative confidentiality.

absolute poverty

The notion that a given (i.e., numerical) income is necessary to reach a minimal level of sustenance. Often contrasted with relative poverty which implies that the person’s standard of living exceeds the sustenance level but is below others who live in the community.

absolutist thinking

In rational emotive behavior therapy created by Albert Ellis, the notion that thinking in terms of absolutes (“I must do this,” or “I should do that,” or “I ought to be able to”) is unhealthy and leads to human unhappiness.

abstinence

Refers to the practice of voluntarily refraining from a given action (e.g., not drinking alcohol or not engaging in sex).

abstinence syndrome

See withdrawal syndrome.

abstract

(1) The ability to understand symbolic concepts. (2) A brief synopsis of a journal article that appears just under the title of the article and before the actual article begins. By reading the synopsis, the human services worker or counselor can usually ascertain if the article is pertinent to one’s area of interest.

abuse

To mistreat or harm another individual (e.g., child abuse) or yourself (e.g., self-mutilation or substance abuse) in a physical or emotional manner.

ACA

See American Counseling Association.

academic portfolio

See portfolio.

Academy of Certified Social Workers (ACSW)

A national certification offered by the National Association of Social Workers (NASW) that has a list of requirements including NASW membership, a Council on Social Work (CSWE) accredited MSW degree, specific employment and supervision, continuing education, evaluation, and more.

accelerated learning

The act of giving a child learning experiences that are usually reserved for older children. Intended primarily for gifted or talented children.

acceptance and commitment therapy (ACT)

Pronounced like the word “act.” Created in 1982 by the American psychologist Steven C. Hayes, this approach fuses behavior therapy, mindfulness, cognitive therapy, counterconditioning and positive reinforcement. The approach has six core principles: 1. Cognitive defusion: Step back and detach from your own thoughts and mental images since they are not always true; 2. Contact the person in the present moment: Use mindfulness—also sometimes called “be here now”; 3. Acceptance: Allow thoughts and feelings to come and go. Do not fight them or struggle with them; 4. Self-as-context: Can be called the observing-self in some of the literature. The “you” observing the changes in your life stays the same; 5. Values: What really matters to you in your life? Look carefully at the big picture. What is meaningful in life? 6. Committed action: Doing what it takes to live your values even when it is difficult. In short: A, accept thoughts and feelings. C, choose a valued direction in life, and T, take action to change your life. Some experts rely on ACT—with or without neurofeedback—to promote peak performance in athletes and clients in counseling. The research is mixed on the efficacy of this approach, with critics charging this modality is not truly distinct from other paradigms.

accommodation

(1) In Piaget’s theory, the act of accommodating/modifying cognitive patterns (known as schemes) to understand new objects and/or experiences. A young child learns the concept of a car (assimilation), but still believes a tractor is a car. Once the child understands a tractor is not identical to a car, accommodation has been mastered. A student who learns to use a new software program would constitute another instance of accommodation. A breast-fed baby, for example, will need to alter a cognitive scheme to begin drinking from a cup. Comprehensive exams often feature assimilation/accommodation questions. See assimilation and equilibration/equilibrium. (2) Counselors and human services practitioners loosely use the term to describe a change in one’s way of thinking or behavior to fit a new situation. (3) Altering an environment for persons with special needs or disabilities. Common examples include wheelchair ramps or using interpreters. A student with a disability might get permission to take an exam in a different environment than the rest of the class or might be afforded more time to complete it.

accountability

(1) Implies that human services workers and counselors can document or calculate the effectiveness of the treatment process or their required job duties. (2) The notion that counselors and clients are responsible or accountable for their actions. Documentation for insurance companies or third-party payors to verify that a given course of intervention was necessary and carried out would serve as an example.

accreditation

A process by which an agency or association recognizes that a program has met certain established qualifications, requirements, and standards. A human services program in a college might seek accreditation via the Council for Standards in Human Service Education (CSHSE), while a graduate counseling program would seek accreditation from The Council for the Accreditation of Counseling & Related Educational Programs (CACREP). The American Psychological Association (APA) accredits psychology programs. Social work programs would be evaluated by the Council for Social Work Education (CSWE). Hospitals are accredited via the Joint Commission on Accreditation of Health Care Organizations (JACHO), while suicide and crisis hotlines/helplines generally use American Association of Suicidology (AAS) standards.

acculturation

The process of learning the behaviors and expectations of a culture. This is an anthropological term that is sometimes used to describe the process an individual goes through when transferring into a new culture and attempting to assimilate new customs.

ACES

See adverse childhood experiences.

achievement test

A measure of what a person has already learned or achieved in terms of knowledge, performance, or skill. ...

Table of contents

• Cover
• Half Title
• Title
• Copyright
• Contents
• Acknowledgments
• Introduction: Why This Dictionary is Going to be Your New Academic Best Friend
• Early Steps in Human Services Education, Harold L. McPheeters, M.D.
• Human Services Terms A to Z
• Resources
• About the Author