International Capacity Building

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The European Board for Certified Counselors (EBCC), an affiliate of NBCC, is located in Lisbon, Portugal, and its mission is to promote and support European countries in the development of a strong counseling profession. EBCC works with European partners in their efforts to support capacity development related to mental health, career development, and counseling resources on the continent.

On February 6, 2020, EBCC hosted a meeting for European partners that also engaged NBCC and Affiliates staff and board members. This meeting served as an important forum for our European partners to discuss their achievements, challenges, and concerns, and for NBCC staff to update the partners on upcoming goals and changes in programming and credentials.

NBCC has been a recognized NGO by the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) since 2007. In 2012, NBCC was reclassified as an NGO in Consultative Status by UNESCO.

In May, NGOs were invited to respond to UNESCO’s Draft Medium-Term Strategy for 2022–2029. International Capacity Building staff led the efforts to organize NBCC’s response to this extensive survey. Our response emphasized the importance of mental health as part of UNESCO’s mandate, and feedback was provided on such initiatives as the role of the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goals and Priority Africa, and priority target groups, including youth. In addition, NBCC provided an opinion on how UNESCO can best communicate with NGOs and how NBCC could become involved in UNESCO priorities based on already existing programs and partnerships.

The Global Livingston Institute (GLI) has been a Mental Health Facilitator (MHF) program partner in Uganda since 2012. NBCC International Capacity Building staff were invited to participate as presenters as part of GLI’s East Africa Virtual Academic Summit Series on September 18, 2020. Eugenie Yang, Program Manager and lead administrator for the MHF program, and Dr. Wendi Schweiger, Director of International Capacity Building, presented to a virtual audience from Africa and the United States about the MHF program and the partnership with this innovative organization based in Entusi, Uganda, and Denver, Colorado.

GLI has been one of the most intentional MHF partners in Africa and this almost decade-long relationship has led to one of two outcome articles about the MHF program in Africa: “An Evaluation of the Mental Health Facilitator Programme in Rural Uganda: Successes and Recommendations for Future Implementation” (by Van Leeuwen, Adkins, Mirassou-Wolf, Schweiger, and Grundy) in the Journal of Psychology in Africa.

Holos Sánchez Bodas y Berneman has been an NBCC partner since 2007, making them one of our earliest international partners. Located in San Isidro, Argentina, this counseling training institution provides approved training degrees for counselors to practice and teach in this diverse country. Its leaders, Andrés Sánchez Bodas and Claudia Berneman, have been instrumental in strengthening and professionalizing counseling not only in Argentina, but also in other Latin American countries. The Counselor Certificado Nacional (National Certified Counselor – Argentina) was launched in 2012. Created in consultation with NBCC, this was seen as a significant step toward furthering counseling professionalization.

As part of their ongoing efforts to further counselor education, Holos Sánchez Bodas y Berneman hosts national conferences bringing together counseling leaders, teachers, and practitioners. Dr. Kylie Dotson-Blake, NBCC’s President and CEO, and Dr. Wendi Schweiger, Director of International Capacity Building, were honored to be invited to speak at the digital 18th National Counseling Conference on September 19, 2020, highlighting the importance of certification in this country’s professionalization efforts.

NBCC is a sponsor of the Global Forum on Innovation in Health Professional Education. This Forum, held at the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine, was founded in 2012 and brings together stakeholders invested in topics related to health professional education and the intersection between health professions. NBCC has represented the discipline of counseling at this Forum since 2012 and has been active in advocating for the voice of mental health at the National Academies.

On December 3, 2020, NBCC staff attended a digital workshop bringing together experts from across health professions to discuss what we have learned about health professional education during the pandemic. This event highlighted lessons learned and what this pandemic has brought to light in how the health professions educate students toward becoming competent professionals, what adaptations have been made that would be positive to continue, and what changes need to be made now and in the future.

NBCC has been a recognized NGO by the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) since 2007. In 2012, NBCC was reclassified as an NGO in Consultative Status by UNESCO. A bi-yearly conference for NGOs is held by UNESCO, and NBCC attended this year’s digital conference from December 16–18, 2020.

As part of the agenda, NGOs were given the opportunity to draft content to be included in the draft recommendations from the UNESCO-NGO Liaison Committee to UNESCO. NBCC saw the opportunity to include mental health as an important component within UNESCO’s efforts to strengthen education, especially during the pandemic, and the following was included in the recommendations: “The International NGO Conference invites the Directorate General of UNESCO to . . .[e]mphasise the importance of education for the mental health and well-being of children and families, taking into account the impact of the health crisis on early childhood.”

On December 17–18, 2020, the International Capacity Building Department held its first international digital conference, Mental Health Connections: Counseling Across the Globe. Fourteen guest presenters representing nine countries presented to 211 registrants from 36 U.S. states, Argentina, Bulgaria, Canada, Japan, Mexico, the Philippines, Portugal, Puerto Rico, and Uganda.

Because of the conference’s success, NBCC intends to make this a yearly event and tentative plans for 2021 include expanding the conference to encompass a three half-day schedule in order to provide an increased opportunity for learning about counseling internationally and accompanying continuing education and to better accommodate a balance between registrant and presenter time zones. In addition, while the inaugural conference included speakers on an invitation-only basis, the intention for 2021 is to include an opportunity for domestic and international counselors to submit presentation proposals so that offerings will include international efforts from other organizations and universities in addition to NBCC’s partnerships and programs.

NBCC was honored to be invited to conduct the second Mental Health Facilitator (MHF) training in Manila, the capital city of the Philippines, on Nov. 17–20. 2019, training three master trainers and 27 trainer candidates. Located in the Western Pacific, the Philippines has a population of over 100 million people. The country is known for its luxurious beaches, luscious rainforests, delicious foods, and friendly people. There is a strong need for mental health resources in the Philippines. According to the World Health Organization, only 3%–5% of the country’s total health budget is spent on mental health, and 70% of this is spent on hospital care. The Philippines has slowly implemented laws that help those with mental health conditions.

The MHF program trains people outside the field of mental health in foundational helping and referral skills to increase service capacity for meeting global mental health needs. The first MHF training in Manila was held in October 2018 in conjunction with the Lyceum of the Philippines University. This led to the opportunity to partner again in 2019 with the purpose of developing the MHF program with the Lyceum of the Philippines University and the Association of Psychological and Educational Counselors of Asia-Pacific. In November 2019, the training was led by Dr. Stephen Sharp, Vice Chair of the NBCC Board of Directors, Dr. Neil Duchac, Treasurer of the NBCC Board of Directors, and Eugenie Yang, Program Manager of the International Capacity Building Department in NBCC’s Foundation and Professional Services Division.

NBCC is a sponsor of the Global Forum on Innovation in Health Professional Education. This Forum, held at the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine, was founded in 2012 and brings together stakeholders invested in topics related to health professional education and the intersection between health professions. NBCC has represented the discipline of counseling at this Forum since 2012 and has been active in advocating for the voice of mental health at the National Academies. 

On November 14 and 15, 2019, the Forum held its first workshop fully dedicated to the topic of mental health through the exploration of the Social Determinants of Mental Health. Dr. Wendi Schweiger, Director of International Capacity Building, served on the planning committee for this workshop, which included a panel comprised of mental health professionals who were recipients of fellowships through the Minority Fellowship Program at NBCC, the American Psychological Association, and the Council on Social Work Education. Dr. Robert Horne, a 2013 NBCC Minority Fellowship Program Fellow, represented the NBCC Minority Fellowship Program as part of this panel and discussed his own history and present work on behalf of underrepresented persons.

On November 5 and 6, 2019, NBCC and the African Union Southern Africa Regional Office (AU-SARO) jointly sponsored a conference titled Conference on Improvement of Mental Health Services in SADC and COMESA Regions. Representatives from universities and ministries in Botswana, Malawi, Mauritius, Mozambique, Namibia, and South Africa attended. Representatives from AU-SARO; COMESA; the World Health Organization; the United Nations Development Programme; UNICEF; and the Guidance, Counselling, and Youth Development Centre for Africa were also represented at this inaugural conference. NBCC was represented by Ms. Victoria Torres, Chair of the NBCC Board of Directors; Dr. Camille Humes, NBCC Board of Directors member; Dr. Kylie Dotson-Blake, Interim President and CEO; and Dr. Wendi Schweiger, Director, International Capacity Building. 

The conference focused on the challenges related to the treatment of mental health and resource allocation toward this issue in Africa. Emphasis was placed on how mental health intersects with the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goals and the African Union’s Agenda 2063. NBCC presented its Mental Health Facilitator program as one potential solution to increase mental health service capacity in member countries. AU-SARO and NBCC, partners in increasing capacity on the continent, will continue to discuss ways to work together toward meeting mental health needs in Africa with cultural appropriateness and sustainability as long-term goals.

As NBCC marks its 15th year of work in the international arena to promote mental health worldwide, it is giving a new name to that work to better suit an organizational restructuring.

The International Capacity Building department is now part of NBCC’s new Foundation and Professional Services division. International Capacity Building replaces the old NBCC International name.

The focus of International Capacity Building remains firmly rooted in the goal of reaching more underserved and never-served populations through the promotion of certification, professionalism in counseling, and mental health training. International Capacity Building will continue to offer its longtime programs, including institutes, country-specific certification, and Mental Health Facilitator training, as well as promoting the Global Career Development Facilitator credential in work outside of the U.S.

Dr. Carl Sheperis, former Interim President and CEO of NBCC, was invited to attend and present at a meeting held at the Irvine, California, office of the National Academies. As part of the Global Forum on Innovation in Health Professional Education, for which NBCC is a sponsor, the meeting focused on the well-being of learners, trainees, faculty, and health professionals and relationship of well-being to the social determinants of mental health.

This meeting also served to begin planning a workshop scheduled for November 2019 on the Social Determinants of Mental Health. Dr. Wendi Schweiger, NBCC’s Director of International Capacity Building, is serving on the planning committee for the workshop, which is the first of this forum that will focus exclusively on mental health.

NBCC participated in the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) annual International Conference of NGOs (Non-Governmental Organizations) from Dec.17–19 in Paris, France. On behalf of NBCC, past Interim President and CEO, Dr. Carl Sheperis, and Director of NBCC International Capacity Building, Dr. Wendi Schweiger, attended working sessions on topics such as “Communication, Information, Dialogue” and “Acting Together: The Collective Strength of NGOs.” The event allowed NGOs around the world to come together and engage on information that could impact the following year’s agenda.

On Oct. 16, 2018, the Global Livingston Institute (GLI) held their Annual Celebration in Denver, Colorado. GLI has partnered with NBCC over the years on both the Mental Health Facilitator and institutes programs, training over 100 local Ugandans and guiding two institute groups through Uganda and Rwanda.

NBCC was honored to be invited to the annual event. In support of GLI’s achievements and development, NBCC looks forward to further collaborations in the upcoming years.

Although GLI is a not-for-profit organization located in Denver, Colorado, the organization works on community initiatives and development in Eastern Africa, primarily Uganda and Rwanda. For example, in the organization’s efforts of fostering education and job creation, employing Uganda locals, they built the Entusi Resort and Retreat Center and, recently, a model farm to demonstrate sustainable living techniques.

The 2018 Uganda Institute, in partnership with the Global Livingston Institute(GLI), provided a hands-on, immersive learning experience for a group of counselors. Read more.

In conjunction with the Ministry of General Education, the National Guidance and Counselling Association of Zambia (NAGCAZ) held its second National Conference on Guidance and Counselling on Aug. 23–24. Under the conference theme of “Improving Learner Performance Through Guidance and Counselling,” counseling professionals, policymakers, students, and other stakeholders gathered to explore the delivery of guidance and counseling in the education system and share experiences on how to strengthen the profession.

It was NBCC’s pleasure to return to the conference, and accompanying NBCC’s director, Dr. Wendi Schweiger, was Dr. Donna Gibson, a professor and chair of the Department of Counseling and Special Education at Virginia Commonwealth University. In addition to attending, Dr. Gibson also gave a presentation on “The Role of Self-Determination in Counselling Learners With Special Needs.”

Counseling leaders from Malawi and Uganda say their recent visit with NBCC and area universities will be crucial as they continue to build skills needed in their countries. Read More

NBCC attended the November 2017 workshop for the Global Forum on Innovation in Health Professional Education. The theme of this November’s meeting was Improving Health Professional Education and Practice through Technology – A Workshop. The global forum is dedicated toward innovation and educating the public on health care, including mental health care.

NBCC held its fourth Rwanda Institute in partnership with the Global Engagement Institute. Led by co-leaders Chris Townsend and Julie Smith, institute leaders and attendees of past institutes, they traveled with eight other participants to Kigali, Rwanda.

Across the nine days in Kigali, participants were given the chance to learn about Rwanda’s culture and history through activities such as visiting the Kigali Genocide Memorial. Additionally, the group also worked with their professional Rwandan counterparts by taking a Mental Health Facilitator (MHF) trainers training and then conducting a training with an organization that works with sexual trauma survivors from the 1994 Rwanda genocide.

In the continued expansion of the institutes program, NBCC and the Global Engagement Institute held its first Vietnam Institute that began in Ho Chi Minh City from October 21-29, 2017. The trip included five counselors who are board certified, one of whom currently resides in Vietnam.

Throughout the week, participants were introduced to Vietnam’s mental health development by meeting local mental health professionals, being trained as Mental Health Facilitator (MHF)trainers, and taking part in training staff and volunteers of two local organizations as MHFs. The trip also acquainted the counselors to Vietnam’s local culture by exploring the city and trying different foods, visiting markets, and going on a boat excursion.

More information about the inaugural Vietnam Institute can be found here and we encourage you to learn more about the upcoming 2018 Vietnam Institute.

In September 2017, NBCC attended the Global Livingston Institute’s (GLI) fourth annual iKnow Concert Series. The concert series, to promote HIV/AIDS awareness, took place from September 9th-16th across three cities in Uganda - Lira, Masaka, and Kabale. The concerts permitted a space for individuals to get tested, provided information booths, and prepared areas for blood donations. In between the concert dates, GLI also facilitated three Mental Health Facilitator (MHF) trainings across the different cities.

NBCC partners with GLI in both the MHF and institute programs and will continue to plan future trainings and trips. Please check back for more information on the 2018 Uganda Institute located on the International Capacity Building institutes page.

Staff from NBCC and NBCC’s board chair attended IAC’s annual conference in Buenos Aires, Argentina, from April 20-23, 2017. The conference’s theme was Active Counselling for Social Development. The four days offered keynote speakers and presenters from around the world and provided participants the option to attend a variety of plenaries, working groups, and breakout sessions. The 2017 conference covered numerous topics, such as domestic violence, education, poverty, substance abuse, and more.

NBCC attended the organization’s bi-annual workshop of the Global Forum on Innovation in Health Professional Education. The theme of this workshop was Exploring a Business Case for High-Value Continuing Professional Development. The global forum focuses on health education innovation and how to best work with contemporary issues in health care. By gathering a variety of stakeholders and individuals across multiple disciplines, the forum hopes to create a system of ideas to implement in various settings.

NBCC, in partnership with the Global Livingston Institute (GLI), recently brought seven U.S. counselors from diverse backgrounds to Uganda, where they explored the local culture by visiting the Transcultural Psychosocial Organisation, the Counselling and Guidance Center of Makerere University, and the Uganda National Mosque.

The institute for service learning was held March 23 – March 30.

During a Mental Health Summit, the counselors received the opportunity to present on counseling topics both relevant to their experience and applicable to the students and staff of Kabale University. They also met with Mental Health Facilitators (MHF) from the MHF-Uganda Program to gain a better understanding of their work and community impact. In the final days of the institute, the group traveled to Akagera National Park in Kigali, Rwanda.

GLI is a not -for-profit organization located in Denver, Colorado, focusing on innovative approaches to international development and improving global communities. GLI’s work is focused in Eastern Africa and fosters education and job creation, and includes the building of the Entusi Resort and Retreat Center, which housed a portion of the institute trip. Entusi is a site for retreats, conferences, and summits and employs 18 full - time local Ugandans.

In partnership with the Global Engagement Institute (GEI), NBCC held its second Malawi Counseling Institute. Leading the institute was Dr. Lorraine Guth, a professor and the clinical coordinator in the Department of Counseling at Indiana University in Pennsylvania. Six Counselors who are board certified with diverse counseling backgrounds attended the institute in Lilongwe, Malawi. They engaged in teaching and curriculum development for the Africa University of Diplomacy, Counselling and International Relations. The participants also had the opportunity to present on various counseling topics for mental health professionals. In addition to the presentations, the counselors also met with the African Malawi Counselling Association and Mental Health Facilitator participants to gain a better understanding of the development of Malawi’s mental health professions.