Background
For more than 35 years Gary Schoener, director of Walk-In's Consultation and Training Institute, has provided these services around North America and in some instances in other parts of the world. The focus of the Institute is on issues related to professional impairment and misconduct by social services and health care professionals, educators and clergy. Many of the Institute’s training materials are used by professional organizations, regulators and professionals in supervisory roles.
Services of the C&T Institute are defined and priced by project. Income supports Walk-In's mission and client services.
Contact Gary Schoener to discuss needs, scope and pricing.
Consultation Options
Much consultation is done by phone, but on occasion via the internet or face to face, and involves assistance and advice regarding issues of professional impairment and/or misconduct. These include everything from brief phone calls to lengthy phone conferences and consultation sessions for:
- Persons in administrative or supervisory positions investigating complaints;
- Ethics committees, licensing boards, and others;
- Clinics, practice groups, churches, schools, seeking help in responding to a complaint
- Those seeking information about assessment and rehabilitation of offenders
- “Coaching” of other professionals seeking to do evaluations
Training Options
Workshops of varying lengths from half a day to several days are customized to meet the needs of the sponsor. Examples include:
- Training for other evaluators or teams to develop skills to do evaluations;
- Training for ethics committees and review bodies related to issues of professional boundaries, return to practice, monitoring, etc.
- General orientation and training concerning the nature of boundary violations and boundary violators
- The assessment of a broad range of impairments which may impact professional work
Multidisciplinary Evaluations
These involve intensive evaluations of professionals who are under disciplinary order or whose employer or licensing body requires an evaluation and a rehabilitation plan. Evaluations are also done to determine the success of a rehabilitation plan which has already been carried out and address return to work, practice safeguards, etc.
Evaluations are done via review of background materials, clinical interview, interview of those who have provided services to the professional and/or his/her family, and interview of collaterals (family, colleagues, etc.). Psychological testing is done and depending on the situation, specialists in the practitioner’s field may be consulted.
Examples of professionals evaluated:
- Clergy, church officials, spiritual counselors, youth leaders & youth pastors, and others of virtually all denominations, including non-denominational
- Psychotherapists & counselors – psychologists, psychiatrists, social workers, mental health workers, professional counselors
- Substance abuse & alcoholism counselors
- Educational professionals – teachers at all levels of education; administrators and principals
- Coaches, coaching assistants, and various sports and recreational personnel
- Physicians
- Nurses
- Chiropractors
- Dentists & dental hygienists
- Physical therapists; occupational therapists
Issues of Impairment or Professional Functioning
Evaluations are tailored to (a) the specific situation and case; (b) the requirements of the party requesting the evaluation. Some evaluations are done specifically at the request of the professional him or herself, while others are done under some sort of order (e.g., licensing board). Conduct which may lead to such an evaluation:
- Boundary violations and unprofessional conduct, including but not limited to inappropriate sexual talk or touch
- Inappropriate social contact with parishioners, clients, patients including via internet
- Alcohol or substance abuse
- Presumed mental health problems including various types of depression, anxiety disorders, possible psychosis, personality disorder, etc.
- Problems with anger and relationships with other staff; the “disruptive practitioner”
- Inability to concentrate or focus
