ASSESSING THE QUALITY OF COUNSELING-SERVICES - DEVELOPING ACCOUNTABLEHELPING SYSTEMS

Professional counselors in school, campus, and mental health settings are facing increasing demands for accountability with respect to the c ost and quality of their services. This article reviews dimensions of quality and ways of assessing these in counseling settings, with parti cular emphasis on the development of ongoing programs of quality impro vement. Such programs are described as mechanisms for science-practice integration within counseling settings, providing decision support to ols for triage, treatment planning, and the management of professional services.