11/01/2024

Reimagining Career Counselor Curriculum for Underserved Populations

By Natalie Gerlach

Think back to getting your current job and consider the process you went through to get it. Did someone help you? Did you need certain requirements? Now imagine you didn’t have that support and didn’t meet as many of those requirements. Would you still land the job? This scenario mirrors the reality for many people today. Socioeconomic challenges often impact an individual’s ability to obtain certain forms of employment based on limited resources available (Pham, 2024). These jobs consequently are also often not aligned with their own passions (Fukuura, 2021). Research indicates a correlation between lower socioeconomic status and increased mental health (Potts, 2020). This then raises the question about the ability for those who are of lower economic status and have mental health issues to develop adequate vocational skills.

This issue has come to light more now than in previous years (Ngui, 2010). Career counselors play a crucial role in helping clients align their passions, personality, and values to employment. Unfortunately, exploring this information is often not a priority to someone who does not have the luxury of choices, not when there are bills that need to be paid. This is a prominent issue that is lacking information in career theory with how to address preparing people for careers who have limited capabilities and resources (Juntunen, et al, 2013). Having worked with individuals experiencing homelessness and those in poverty for several years, it is clear there is a gap that needs to be filled. These individuals often lacked programs and assistance to obtain work. Many of them had little education and extensive mental health issues. Those I spoke to had employment prior to experiencing their homelessness but often it was a job they had out of survival and not one based on their passions, personality or values. Often, career development focuses those who are afforded the ability to choose.

The impact a career counselor can have on individuals who are of low income and have mental health issues is substantial. Often individuals who have mental health issues do not feel as though developing their own careers is an option due to “…the experience of living with mental illness [resulting] in feelings of uncertainty about the future and doubt about one’s capability for work” (Gewurtz, et al, 2006, p. 215). Living with a mental illness can sometimes be debilitating on a varying scale. This often leads to individuals not knowing how to plan out their life with symptoms they must accommodate for, in addition to choosing a career that meets their needs (Cappon, 2024). Many must take the first position they can get to support their families. Career counselors can provide critical support to these individuals by helping them navigate their career paths despite economic and personal challenges.

Counselor educators have a responsibility to prepare career counselors to serve every population. Here are a few of the factor’s counselor educators should consider when building career counseling curriculum:

• Current unorthodox support systems in place for an individual
• Financial barriers and socioeconomic status
• Emotions individuals with mental illness may harbor
• The necessity for workplace flexibility based on various mental health diagnoses
• Systemic barriers and untapped strengths for those in lower socioeconomic statuses
• Industries that can accommodate individuals with mental health limitations
• The need to integrate an individual’s personality and values within their career journey, even amid challenges such as low income, experiencing homelessness, or mental health issues
• Awareness of self-held biases and assumptions when working with clients
• Equal access for individuals of any income level
• Recognize when to refer clients to other providers for mental health concerns that fall outside your qualifications

More targeted programs and research need to be put in place to address this current issue. Initiatives incorporating the above factors can provide help to those who would otherwise not have access to resources like career counseling. Programs bridging the gap could potentially foster a more diverse and robust workforce. Further research needs to be done to investigate the correlation between socioeconomic status, mental health, and career development to enhance support within the community. Systemic barriers within income disparities and mental health highlight the need for continued study, so as to impact comprehensive policy reforms in created curriculum for future counselors. These reforms should prioritize equitable access to resources and foster resilience, enabling individuals to navigate their career paths amidst adversity. The research to be done will impact how career educators continue to shape the field of career counseling. This groundwork would ultimately influence the effect career counselors have within this field on those who are within these underserved populations.

References

Cao, X., Zhang, H., Li, P., & Huang, X. (2022). The influence of mental health on job satisfaction: Mediating effect of psychological capital and social capital. Frontiers in Public Health, 10. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpubh.2022.797274

Cappon, A., & Mathew, D. (2024). Career counselling considerations for individuals with mental disorders. Canadian Journal of Career Development, 23(1), 132–145. https://doi.org/10.53379/cjcd.2024.386

Fukuura, Y., & Shigematsu, Y. (2021). The work ability of people with mental illnesses: A conceptual analysis. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, 18(19), 10172. https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph181910172

Gewurtz, R., Kirsh, B., Jacobson, N., & Rappolt, S. (2006). The influence of mental illnesses on work potential and career development. Canadian Journal of Community Mental Health, 25(2), 207–220. https://doi-org.libproxy.udayton.edu/10.7870/cjcmh-2006-0022

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Hoon, R. (2021, April 8). What to do if your job is hurting your mental health. Vault.

Juntunen, C. L., Ali , S. R., & Pietrantonio , K. R. (2013). Social class, poverty, and career development. In Steven D. Brown & Robert W. Lent, Career Development and Counseling: Putting Theory and Research to Work (2nd ed., pp. 245–274). John Wiley & Sons, Inc.

Ngui, E. M., Khasakhala, L., Ndetei, D., & Roberts, L. W. (2010). Mental disorders, health inequalities and ethics: A global perspective. International Review of Psychiatry, 22(3), 235–244. https://doi.org/10.3109/09540261.2010.485273

Pham, M., Lam, B. Q., & Tuan Ngoc Bui, A. (2024). Career exploration and its influence on the relationship between self-efficacy and career choice: The moderating role of social support. Heliyon, 10(11). https://doi.org/10.1016/j.heliyon.2024.e31808

Potts, L. C., & Henderson, C. (2020). Moderation by socioeconomic status of the relationship between familiarity with mental illness and stigma outcomes. SSM - Population Health, 11, 100611. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ssmph.2020.100611

Redekopp, D. E., & Hudson, M. (2020, June 9). The broader aims of career development: mental health, wellbeing and Work. Taylor & Francis.

Natalie Gerlach, B.A. in Psychology and Spanish, CBHCM, is a community advocate and has experience working with various populations within social work, to include homeless, juveniles, and mentally ill individuals for 3 years. Currently, she is a Career Coach at the University of North Florida, Jacksonville, FL. She can be reached at natalie.gerlach@unf.edu.