For this paper, three innovative practices are presented and analyzed. Examples with explanations of why these practices are innovative, issues and problems that prompted the use of the approaches, the needs addressed by the practices, and the strengths and weaknesses of the practices are described. In addition, a description of why these practices are examples of innovative excellence is provided with an explanation of why they are used as best practices or to benchmark processes.
As a counselor and test examiner, the three innovative practices currently used during my counseling practice and reviewed for this paper include the following: use of VCT (Voluntary Counseling and Testing) for HIV (adapted for all age groups, particularly youth); use of CA (conversational Analysis) to examine recorded VCT sessions; and use of time charts to understand patterns in audio-recorded data.
VCT (Voluntary Counseling and Testing) for HIV is an innovative strategy that is now becoming more widely used nationally and internationally to prevent and care for HIV/AIDS. This is a cost-effective strategy to help people change their behavior. VCT includes many services beyond the drawing and testing of blood and providing of counseling sessions. VCT provides prevention and clinical management of HIV related illnesses, prevention of mother-to-child transmission, and it provides psychosocial and legal support. VCT provides a holistic approach and assists people in their lives, promoting behavioral change and referrals for early care and support (Family Health International [FHI], 2005). Specifically, VCT is adaptable to a young population, as tends to be the case predominantly found in my counseling efforts.
Boswell and Baggaley (2002) reported needs that are attended to in VCT for the young (p. 7):
Assertiveness and negotiation skills
Risk-taking and experimentation as related to developing safer behaviors and setting limits
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