Professional Research

GSCA does not distribute research surveys on behalf of members or the public. However, in the interest of furthering the research that makes school counselors able to better themselves and assisting those who are in pursuit of higher degrees, we post surveys which have been screened by the GSCA Journal Editor for validity. We ask that school counselors participate as they are able in order to continue and support research in the field.

If you have a survey/research you would like posted below, please email info@gaschoolcounselor.org. Please include the exact text you would like published and a copy of the IRB approval letter. Your request will be reviewed and approved by our review committee before it will be posted.

Posted 1/6/26

Examining the Role of Organizational and Contextual Factors on School Counselors’ Perceived Social Determinants of Health Competency

You are invited to participate in a dissertation study conducted by Tevin Middleton in the Department of Counselor Education at the University of Iowa.

The study aims to examine the effects of organizational and contextual factors, such as perceived organizational support and inter-organizational collaboration on school counselors’ perceived social determinants of health (SDoH) competency (e.g., knowledge, attitudes, actions).

You are eligible to participate in this study if you:

Have an active license/certification in school counseling from a U.S. State or territory,
Currently serve as school counselor in a K-12 setting in a U.S. State or territory, and
Have at least six (6) months of professional school counseling experience beyond completion of a school counseling master’s degree program.

If you would like to participate, you will complete an electronic survey, which should take approximately 15 to 20 minutes to complete. Your responses will be anonymous, and your participation is voluntary.

Upon completion of the survey, you will be eligible to enter a drawing for one of one hundred $25 Amazon electronic gift cards; if you enter into the drawing, your contact information will remain confidential.

If you have questions, you may contact Tevin Middleton by email (tevin-middleton@uiowa.edu).

Survey Link

Sincerely,

Tevin Middleton, M.Ed, tLMHC, NCC
Doctoral Candidate, Counselor Education & Supervision
Health Policy Research Scholar, Robert Woods Johnson Foundation

Posted 12/23/25

My name is John Creger, and I am a doctoral candidate in the University of West Georgia’s Professional Counseling and Supervision Program. I am currently collecting data for my dissertation, and you are invited to participate in a research study entitled, “Factors Affecting School Counselor Job Performance on the Georgia Counselor Keys Effectiveness System (CKES).” I am completing this research under the direction of my dissertation chair and faculty advisor, Dr. Kyndel Tarziers.

This research study aims to investigate the impact of school counselors' time utilization and implementation of school counseling programs on job performance effectiveness. The benefits of this study include insights into school counselor performance evaluation systems and the implementation of comprehensive school counseling programs. In turn, this study may help policymakers, counselor educators, administrative supervisors, and school counselors with identifying ways to support school counselors’ professional development and practice.

To determine your eligibility, participants must be: (1) 18 years of age, (2) A Certified P-12 Georgia School Counselor, (3) Evaluated using the CKES tool during the 2024-2025 school year.

Your participation is completely voluntary. Your information and responses will remain anonymous and confidential, and all responses will be protected in accordance with ethical research guidelines. Please click on the Qualtrics link if you meet the eligibility requirements for the study and would like to participate.

https://westga.co1.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_4HHZRM5Hu91MjjM

Contact Information:
Student Co-Researcher: John Creger, jcreger@my.westga.edu
Doctoral Candidate
University of West Georgia (UWG), Ed.D. Professional Counseling and Supervision

UWG Faculty Supervisor: Dr. Kyndel Tarziers. KTarziers@westga.edu
Assistant Professor
Department of Counseling, Higher Education and Speech Language Pathology

IRB Contact: irb@westga.edu
IRB ID: UWG25-E092

Posted 12/23/25

Social media has a significant impact on the mental health of students and their interactions with one another. With devices like laptops and smartphones, young people can connect instantly. My dissertation study aims to examine how school counselors can support students as they navigate this digital landscape. Participants for this study include currently practicing school counselors based in the United States. Eligible participants will be targeted through school counseling-related online communities, word-of-mouth recruitment at conferences, and snowball sampling from those willing participants. Eligibility will be determined through initial screening demographic questions that inquire about participants' education and employment.

If you are interested in participating in this study, please follow the link to the survey https://westga.co1.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_aeKgKxD6VkK8gVo.

Questions? Please contact Dr. Morgan Jenkins, Clinical Assistant Professor, at mjenkins@westga.edu.

Lea Ponticelli Beshears

lea.ponticelli3@gmail.com

Doctoral Student in Professional Counseling and Supervision

University of West Georgia

Posted 11/24/25

Help Shape the Future of School Counseling and AI!

We invite all school counselors to participate in the National Survey of School Counselors’ Practices and Perspectives on Artificial Intelligence (AI). Your voice matters! This research will inform future policies and ethical guidelines for AI use in school counseling.

The survey is short(5 minutes), confidential, and accessible on any device.
Take the survey today: https://survey.unf.edu/jfe/form/SV_6WNb0QmYMdqfibc

Why participate?

Influence national standards and best practices
Ensure safe and effective integration of AI in counseling
Represent your state’s perspective in this important conversation

Please share this opportunity widely with your colleagues and networks. Together, we can shape the future of school counseling!

Thank you for contributing to this important research effort. If you have any questions, please contact us at annu.k@unf.edu.

Annu Kallarackal
Graduate Research Assistant
Department of Leadership, School Counseling, & Sport Management
College of Education & Human Services
University of North Florida

Posted 11/21/25

Psychologists from the Georgia Psychological Foundation (GPF), faculty and doctoral students from the Department of Clinical Psychology at Mercer University, and faculty at Mercer’s Tift College of Education are working together because we would like to contribute our resources toward supporting the mental health needs of middle and high school students across Georgia. We are taking a first step by conducting a needs assessment to learn what is already in place in schools and how we might help! We are thus contacting school personnel across the state of Georgia to please complete this BRIEF survey to help us gather information to help you in the important work you do! We are hoping to have all the information collected by Friday, December 5^th. The link is below.

https://merceruniversity.co1.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_5zGef3k7DgXwVHU

Sincerely,

Michelle M. Robbins, Ph.D.

Chair and Clinical Professor

Department of Clinical Psychology

Mercer University

Posted 9/11/25

Updated 10/16/25

I am still in need of 10 interviewees. To participate in an interview, please click 'Yes' at the end of the survey and share your contact information. You do not have to answer every survey question to participate in an interview. Feel free to contact with questions. Thank you!

Hi! My name is Jenny Tollison. I am a doctoral student at the University of West Georgia. I am inviting K-12 school counselors to participate in a study titled "An Ecological Examination of the Factors that Impact Mental Health Programming in K-12 Schools: A School Counselor's Perspective." The purpose of this study is to investigate how school counselors currently address student mental health in K-12 settings. Your participation will contribute to a deeper understanding of strengths and potential barriers to addressing mental health in schools. Through this study, I aim to clarify the role that school counselors play in addressing student mental health as well as identify ecological system components that help or hinder the services they are equipped to offer and maintain. Eligible participants are K-12 certified (clear renewable or non-temporary) school counselors who are at least 18 years old and have at least one year of K-12 school counseling experience.

You can click on this link to access a short survey that explores how school counselors support student mental health. You are also invited to participate in an interview that offers School Counselors the chance to share their insights and experiences in delivering mental health services within K-12 schools.

Contact Information:

Researcher: Jenny Tollison

Department: School Counseling

Doctoral Candidate, University of West Georgia (UWG), Ed.D. Professional Counseling and Supervision

Contact Information: jtollis3@my.westga.edu

Supervision UWG Faculty: Dr. Julia Whisenhunt

Department: Counseling, Higher Education and Speech Language Pathology

Professor, Assistant Department Chair, and Program Director

Contact Information: jwhisenh@westga.edu

IRB Contact: irb@westga.edu

IRB Approval #: UWG25-070