Assessing the Quality of Counseling Services: Developing Accountable Helping Systems

Abstract

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