Discussion: Connect Care-Seeker to Community

Discussions: Solution-based Short-term Pastoral Counseling Phases are this course’s unique final project. This discussion forum covers Phase Four: Connect Care-seeker to Community. Be fully engaged in Phase Four! After reviewing the readings and other course content, artificially move your predetermined care-seeker (i.e., Crossroads’ Care-seekers: Bruce, Joshua, Brody, Justin, or Melissa) through Phase Four.

NOTE: These forums require that you draw upon ALL required course resources to substantively develop each phase in our Solution-based, Short-term, Pastoral Counseling process. Make every effort to be attentive to our Solution-Based Short-term Pastoral Counseling (SbStPC) Handout. The distinctive phase features are delineated in the SbStPC handout. Be noticeably attentive to the distinctive phase features and required course resources in this forum. Use the following headings to organize your post.

· Rapport and Relational Alignment. Briefly explain how you will maintain rapport and check your relational alignment (i.e., use DISC language) to support forward progress. Also briefly describe your care-seeker’s behavioral position (i.e., willing, blaming, attending).

· Phase Four Distinctive Features. Narrate movement of care-seeker through Phase Four’s distinctive features (i.e., purpose, goal, chief aim, role/responsibility, use of guiding assumptions) and apply pertinent insights and techniques from the required course resources.

· Supportive Feedback Break. In light of your care-seeker’s unique journey, what insight(s), technique(s), and resource(s) will you need to reinforce in order to support his/her forward progress in community?

· Phase 4 Marker. Describe a marker that indicates successful disengagement from counseling is underway.

· Food for Thought? In what ways do Hebrews 10: 24-25 and the following websites, inform how to prepare your ministry or agency-based context for effective Phase 4 connections?

·

Mental Health Ministries

·

Why Small Groups?

·

Discover Resources Near You

·

An Example of a Local Church’s Counseling Support

PACO 500

Discussion Assignment Instructions

The student will complete 4 Discussions for the Solution-Based Short-Term Pastoral Counseling Phases in this course. The student will post one thread of at least 450 words by 11:59 p.m. (ET) on Friday of the assigned Module: Week. The student must then post 1 reply of at least 150 words by 11:59 p.m. (ET) on Sunday of the assigned Module: Week. For each thread, students must support their assertions with a citation from each required PACO 500 course resource. T

here

should be 6 source citations (1 citation for each required course resource) in your initial post. Each reply must incorporate at least 1 scholarly citation. Your initial post and reply should follow current APA or Turabian standards.

This course utilizes the Post-First feature in all Discussions. This means you will only be able to read and interact with your classmates’ threads after you have submitted your thread in response to the provided prompt. For additional information on Post-First, click

here for a tutorial.

PACO 500

Discussions 1

PACO 500

Discussion Guidelines & T.I.P.S.

(To Insure Personal Success)

Due to the nature of these research-based discussions, these learning activities have something of a “paper~presentation-like” feel (i.e. higher word counts, evidence-based research, thoughtful analysis with examples, application, and specific structure and style). Consider these discussions as meaning-making opportunities. They are not designed to be opinion-based discussions but rather for the development and assimilation of pertinent material for your course’s cumulative learning experience. With this in mind, the remainder of this document provides basic parameters and an Addendum: T.I.P.S –To Insure Personal Success in these unique research-based conversations.

Basic Parameters:

· You will meet the first expectation of the discussions by posting a well-developed, evidenced-based discussion thread. Get this! Your initial thread sets the stage for a classmate’s contributions. All required sources and readings/-to-date must be meaningfully woven into the thread. That includes a citation for each required course resource (check your Syllabus for clarification on the required course resources) in each Discussion thread. Required sources and readings-to-date are delineated in the Course Schedule and emphasized in your Professor’s communiques.

· After posting the discussion thread, you are required to post a well-developed, evidence-based reply to at least 1 of your classmate’s threads. Make sure to noticeably support all assertions/claims, etc. (i.e., School of Behavioral Sciences students use current APA standards and School of Divinity students use current Turabian Form). Complete in-text citations or footnotes and a References or Bibliography section are required.

· An annotated outline format (see end of document) is required to provide organizational clarity, easily viewed material, and to align with the course’s connected, collaborative, cumulative research/writing approach. As a live, evolving document, it then can be easily provisioned with insights from your degree’s learning journey. Make sure to build every post from a x document. This file could become a resource for future counseling sessions. If you have a related discussion question, “raise your hand” in the Question & Answer Center.

· Unless otherwise stated, the discussion thread must be at least 450 words. Unless otherwise stated, threads are due on Friday 11:59 p.m. (ET). The final discussion has a different rubric as it focuses on a specific module’s content.

· Unless otherwise stated, the discussion reply must be at least 150 words. Unless otherwise stated, replies are due on Sunday 11:59 p.m. (ET).The final discussion has a different rubric as it focuses on a specific module’s content. The final discussion also has different due dates. Please check the Couse Guide for more information.

· Your Professor’s feedback will assess according to these guidelines and as delineated in the Discussion Grading Rubric.

The overarching goal of each discussion is to promote critical thinking within the classroom and to produce knowledge that is essential for the completion of subsequent learning activities. This is achieved by satisfying two directives.

· Remain noticeably connected to all of the readings by integrating what you have already learned into the current discussion (cite/reference accordingly). In this course, all learning activities lean and connect in your unique final project – see first four discussions (Phases 1-4). This means assignments will have varying levels of freshly synthesized redundancy.

· Do not disconnect; continue to push supporting truths, insights, and techniques FORWARD!

· For example, each discussion thread must noticeably integrate at least 1 pertinent insight from each required course resource/readings-to-date. Each discussion reply must noticeably integrate at least 1 pertinent insight from a required resource/reading to date.

· Pertinent material from all required readings-to-date should be synthesized weekly (see Course Schedule) and integrated into subsequent learning activities.

· Develop an atmosphere for learning in every post by “digging deeper” and “exercising striking influence.” In other words, do not hesitate to respectfully challenge and/or resource weaknesses in a classmate’s posts (cite accordingly). This is NOT opinion-based interaction; make assertions that noticeably connect with verifiable truth (i.e., create a path of investigation via appropriate citation).

· State areas of agreement (dig deep). Perhaps this already comprises the bulk of your response to classmates’ posts. However, simply reiterating what has already been said or stating “I agree” does not help you or your classmates learn. Instead, dig deeper into the readings/presentations and noticeably “contribute and/or “add to” the developing conversation, especially with assertions/affirmations/arguments grounded through appropriate citations/footnotes and References/Bibliography.

· State areas of disagreement (i.e., exercise striking influence) with your classmate’s post; cite accordingly. Your instructor is not suggesting that you should launch into offensive attacks (we can disagree agreeably) but to demonstrate an influence that probes what is said and challenges thinking. You can make statements such as “While I agree with…I tend to disagree with . . .” (then state why and noticeably support the rationale). You can also say “I was intrigued with your statement that. . . but I’d like more explanation. What can you tell me about. . . ?” Or, “I’d like to explore your concept of . . . further. My question is. . . “. NOTE! When you pose a question or leading statement, continue with sufficient insight from the readings to help the reader track with your thinking about the matter in question.

Disagreement is perfectly acceptable within a discussion if it is offered respectfully and substantively, as a well-thought out and supported response (cite accordingly) within assignment parameters. For interaction to truly flourish, critical thinking and respectful challenges should influence every conversation.

· The following foundational axiom is essential to meaning-making:

Without timely and sometimes “striking” interaction, there is no significant growth!

Inspiration supports this premise: “As iron sharpens iron, so a man sharpens the countenance of his friend” (Pro. 27:17, NKJV). “Digging deeper and exercising striking influence” will add to our collective growth and development.

By way of illustration, think about gardening. Visit a nursery and ask a gardener how to plant azaleas. You may be shocked to hear that the root ball must sliced before planting. Sounds detrimental to the health of the plant, doesn’t it? Actually, cutting the sides of the root ball allows the roots to make a fresh connection with life-giving earth. If this does not occur, eventually the roots will continue to grow inward rather than outward, causing the azalea to languish and eventually die. Likewise, the use of striking influence empowers growth and development by challenging root-bound ideologies.

Addendum
With these basic parameters and axiom in mind, the following Discussion T.I.P.S. will amplify guidelines and equip you to satisfactorily complete assignment expectations. Redundancy is intentional to reinforce expectations.

TIP 1: It is very important that you refer to the Discussion instructions and rubric frequently, become attentive to each discussion’s prompt, and ask a specific question(s) when unsure of how to proceed! Do not post a Professor-related question in the Discussions. Instead, “raise your hand” in our Question & Answer Center.

· Each discussion requires 1 initial thread and at least 1 reply to a specific point of reference within the classmate’s thread. The completion of this discussion engagement is not dependent on receiving a classmate’s response to your thread but upon
your
initiative to interact with at least 1 classmate’s thread. Though not required, it would be helpful to interact further with those who respond to your thread.

TIP 2: Good form invites the reader into the flow of your thoughts!

· Each discussion thread must be thoughtfully developed with sufficient organizational clarity so that the most inattentive reader can easily “get-thoughts and verify claims” (i.e., create an itch the reader is invited to scratch – Acts 17:11). For example, if a discussion prompt poses 3 questions, identify the questions and then carefully proofread your corresponding answer. Bullets and bold may be used to clearly present questions.
· Similarly, each discussion reply must noticeably relate to what is being addressed. For example, that Reply,
must strengthen
another’s thread. In some way, point out the statement or missing element you would like to challenge and/or clarify further, then substantively respond with freshly cited material from the readings. Do not merely reiterate or affirm what a classmate has stated; add to!!

· Proofread carefully and eliminate distractions such as misspellings, poor word choices, and awkward syntax. Develop posts on a x document. Correct spelling and grammar errors that are highlighted by the x’s red and green squiggly underlining. Follow current APA standards or Turabian form.

TIP 3: Remain noticeably connected to the readings!

Each central assertion should offer thoughtful analysis grounded in an assigned reading, assessment, handout, or power point presentation with an appropriate citation and meaningful example. For example, if one of your assertions uses notions from Nichols (2017) and a Rice (2018) Solution-based, Short-term Pastoral Counseling Handout, then 2 intext citations/footnotes and a References or Bibliography section are required. As mentioned earlier, School of Behavioral Sciences students follow current APA standards and School of Divinity students follow current Turabian Form. Support the assertion with a pertinent example to make sure the most inattentive reader gets your thought. Never assume the reader understands what you are writing or knows the source of your assertion. Every reply should follow the same pattern.
· Anchor assertions first in the required materials, assessments, lectures, and then integrate insights from secondary sources (e.g., Bible, recommended texts and articles, etc.).

TIP 4: Each reply should noticeably strengthen a Classmate’s thread!

Make every effort to noticeably strengthen or add to assertions, especially if a classmate’s post is unclear, shallow, or unsupported. If a classmate did not satisfactorily address a particular point, then provide what is needed. Do not state what was missed without filling in the “blank”! Avoid affirmation as it is too easy to add nothing substantive to the discussion. Make every effort to offer additional substantive thoughts regarding a classmate’s thread (i.e., more than just “I like this student’s idea.”). It should explain why you like the idea (or not) through a well-thought out and grounded response.
· Consider these action verbs as you seek to strengthen a classmate’s thread: point out, identify, explain, describe, illustrate, compare, examine, relate, compose, propose, prepare, evaluate, revise, value, assess, etc.
· Anchor assertions first in the required materials, assessments, lectures, and then integrate insights from secondary sources (e.g., Bible, recommended texts and articles, etc.).

TIP 5: Make every effort to form Christ in our research-based conversation with each other (i.e., Gal. 4:19; 2 Peter 1:1-15).

In other words, treat each discussion as a F.A.I.T.H. Gym.
Seek to Find Additional Information That Helps exercise and develop Christlikeness (i.e., life; Lk. 21:19), under the authority of the Word of God, through the person and work of the Wonderful Counselor, and within the midst of healthy relationships. Make every effort to pursue and invite the imitation of Christ (i.e., like Paul, pursue imitation and influence imitation; Eph. 5:1; 1 Cor. 11:1).
Page 2 of 5

PACO 500

Discussion Grading Rubric

Criteria

Levels of Achievement

Criteria

Advanced 92-100 (A- to A):
Satisfies criteria w/ excellence

Proficient 84-91 (B- to B+) :
Satisfies Criteria

Developing (C- to C+):
Satisfies most criteria

Below Expectations (F to D+):
Does not satisfy criteria

Not Present

Points

Earned

Content 70% (87.5 points)

Thread

65 to 70 points
· All key components of the discussion prompt are answered in the thread.
· The thread has a clear, logical flow. All major points are stated clearly.
· All major points are supported by required evidence-based sources/readings-to-date and good examples or thoughtful analysis.

59 to 64 points
· All key components of the discussion prompt are answered in the thread.
· The thread has a logical flow. Most major points are stated.
· Most major points are supported by required evidence-based sources/readings-to-date and examples or analysis.

53 to 58 points
· The discussion prompt is addressed.
· The thread lacks flow and content. Major points are unclear or confusing.
· Major points include minimal examples or analysis.

1 to 52 points
· The discussion prompt is addressed minimally or not at all.
· The thread lacks content. Major points are unclear, confusing or not discussed at all.
· Major points are not supported by examples or analysis.

0 points

Reply

16.5 to 17.5 points
· One Reply directly addresses a specific point of reference within a related thread.
· The reply is a significant contribution supported by at least 1 required evidence-based source/reading-to-date, reflects thoughtful analysis of subject matter and thread.

15.5 points
· One Reply addresses a point of reference within a related thread.
· The reply is a contribution supported by at least 1 required evidence-based source/reading-to-date, reflects analysis of subject matter and thread.

13.5 to 14.5 points
· One Reply addresses a related thread.
· The reply lacks flow and content. Reply is unclear or confusing.

1 to 12.5 points
· One Reply marginally addresses a related thread.
· The reply lacks relevancy or clarity.

0 points

Structure 30% (37.5 points)

Organization / Style/Sources

23 to 25 points
· The thread is presented with appropriate headings in bold, annotated outline with concise sentences, and organizational clarity.
· Thread’s minimum word count exceeds 450 words.
· The reply contains a salutation and exceeds 150 word count.
· Required number of sources/readings-to-date are employed; follows current APA standards or Turabian Form without format errors.

21 to 22 points
· The thread is presented with most headings in bold, annotated outline with sentences, but slightly lacking organizational clarity.
· Thread’s minimum word count of 450 words is met.
· The reply contains a salutation and meets or exceeds 150 word count.
· All but two of the required number of sources/readings-to-date are employed; follows current APA standards or Turabian Form with minimal format errors.

19 to 20 points
· The thread is presented with partial headings, without annotated outline and/or clear sentences, and/or lacks organizational clarity.
· Thread’s minimum word count of 450 words is met.
· The reply does not contain a salutation and/or meet 150 word count.
· All but three of the required number of sources/readings-to-date are employed; reflects several errors related to current APA standards or Turabian Form.

1 to 18 points
· The thread is presented without headings and/or clear sentences, and lacks organizational clarity.
· Thread’s minimum word count of 450 words is not met or exceeded.
· The reply does not contain a salutation and does not meet 150 word count.
· All but four of the required number of sources/readings-to-date are employed; reflects many errors related to current APA standards or Turabian Form.

0 points

Grammar/

Spelling

11.5 to 12.5 points
· Spelling, grammar are correct. Sentences are complete, clear, and concise.
· Paragraphs contain appropriately varied sentence structures.

9.5 to 10.5 points
· Sentences are reasonably complete, clear, and concise. Minor issues with proofreading/editing are noted.
· Paragraphs contain appropriately varied sentence structures.

8.5 points
· Sentences are less complete, clear, and concise. More pervasive / significant issues with proofreading / editing are noted.
· Paragraphs marginally contain appropriately varied sentence structures.

1 to 7.5 points
· Writing is not at the graduate level. It was clear that the work had not been edited or proofread. Multiple issues are noted.
· Run-on paragraphs are observed. Sentence structure is not varied.

0 points

Total

/ 125

Page 1 of 2