Counselor education professor receives Ohio Counseling Association award for excellence in research and writing

Rick Wantz, Ed.D., professor of counselor education and mental health counselor education program advisor, received the Ohio Counseling Association (OCA) Award for excellence in research and writing in the field of counseling. The award is given to an individual who has demonstrated extraordinary research and writing ability, as evidenced by journal publications for the counseling profession.

Wantz has been a professor of counselor education at Wright State University for over 20 years. During his career, he has published 25 journal articles, three book chapters, eight editions of Counselor Preparation, six critiques in the Mental Measurements Yearbook, served on two editorial boards and made numerous presentations at professional counseling conferences. He has received various awards such as the Wright State Excellence in Scholarship and Outstanding Faculty Member awards, the award for AMHCA Professional Service and Leadership to a State Chapter and the ACES Publication in Counselor Education and Supervision award.

Wantz is currently researching perceptions of mental health service providers (MHSP) such as counselors, psychologists, marriage and family therapists, psychiatrists, psychiatric nurses and social workers. This research will help the counseling profession understand their perception by the public and how counselors can better advocate for the advancement of their profession as well as other MHSP.