Richard Cleveland

Assistant Professor Georgia Southern University

  • Statesboro GA

Richard Cleveland's research is focused in school counseling outcome research, quantitative research methods and factor analysis.

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Georgia Southern researchers work with Georgia Public Safety Training Center to revise training standards for state public safety officials

Researchers in Georgia Southern University’s Tactical Athlete Readiness and Preparedness Program (TARP) have teamed up with the Georgia Public Safety Training Center (GPSTC) to ensure the readiness and resilience of Georgia’s public safety officials. Members of the TARP in the Waters College of Health Professions have worked to revise the fitness training standards for Georgia’s police cadets with a focus on functional fitness, mental resilience and injury prevention. In addition, the program has formed a partnership with the GPSTC, Georgia’s premier training facility for all state and local public safety related units to include police, fire and communication. Bridget Melton, Ed.D., professor of exercise science and lead faculty member of TARP, said that due to high stress and health concerns, some police and public safety officials are at high risk for cardiovascular disease or other fatal illnesses. “Our program provides state academies with fitness exercises that increase overall cadet fitness and focuses on injury prevention,” said Melton. “Our program focuses on occupational focused fitness to hopefully encourage a more positive view of exercise that will stick with cadets even after their academy training is done.” Richard Cleveland, Ed.D., associate professor of leadership, technology and human development, heads resilience and mental health for the TARP team, and has created a Mindfulness-Based Tactical Instruction curriculum for the state of Georgia. “Tactical athletes need training and support for resilience and mental health, but too often it’s only presented as a one-time workshop or seminar,” said Cleveland. “Our program dovetails into the state’s resilience curriculum for officers, but provides ‘bite-sized’ mindfulness practices within the fitness program. This gives cadets repeated practice at using mindfulness and embeds it within their context using police language, actions and behaviors.” The partnership was made possible due to a subgrant GPSTC was awarded from the Criminal Justice Coordinating Council to fund TARP at their facilities due to the program’s comprehensive view of officer wellness, which is aimed at improving de-escalation skills among recruits through mental and physical training. “We are pleased to form a partnership with the GPSTC and the Tactical Athlete Readiness and Preparedness Program,” stated Chris Wigginton, director of GPSTC. “This partnership will allow public safety professionals to be better prepared in their personal and professional lives. Some of the many benefits will be a reduction in injuries, being better prepared to use needed skills in rapidly evolving situations, and the resiliency and mental health component. As word has gotten out of the possibility of the GPSTC implementing this program we have already been contacted by several states regarding the initiative.” Additionally, graduate students in the Department of Health Sciences and Kinesiology participate in the program and gain firsthand and practical experience by performing training and assessment for state instructors. TARP is part of Georgia Southern’s Tactical Athlete Initiative, which aims to reduce the number of injuries and increase readiness and preparedness of tactical athletes. The interdisciplinary team consists of the following Georgia Southern faculty members: Bridget Melton, Ed.D., Professor Richard Cleveland, Ed.D., Associate Professor Greg Grosicki, Ph.D., Assistant Professor Haresh Rochani, DrPH, Associate Professor Mary Beth Yarbrough, Lecturer Sarah Davis, Lecturer TARP is just one example of the work coming from Georgia Southern University’s Tactical Athlete Initiative. The Tactical Athlete Initiative is a multi-discipline collaboration providing research, training and support for military, police, fire and EMS workers. The Tactical Athlete Initiative has partnered with multiple agencies including the Statesboro Police Department, Statesboro Fire Department, Bulloch County Sheriff’s Office, Forsyth County Sheriff’s Office, Waycross Fire Department, Georgia Public Safety Training Centers, Federal Law Enforcement Training Centers and the United States Army. If you're a reporter looking to know more about this partnership at Georgia Southern University the let us help. Richard Cleveland, Ph.D., is an assistant professor in the Department of Leadership, Technology & Human Development at Georgia Southern simply click on his icon to get in touch or contact Georgia Southern Director of Communications Jennifer Wise at jwise@georgiasouthern.edu to arrange an interview today.

Richard Cleveland

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Biography

Dr. Richard Cleveland is an Assistant Professor in teh department of Leadership, Technology & Human Development. Dr. Cleveland's research interests are focused in assessment, school counseling outcome research, student/client spirituality, and mindfulness.

Areas of Expertise

Stress Response
Student/Client Spirituality
Assessment
School Counseling Outcome Research
Mindfulness

Accomplishments

Nominee, Jack Miller Service Award. College of Education, Georgia Southern University

2018

SoTL Research Fellow. Awarded by Centers for Teaching & Technology, Georgia Southern University

2015 - 2016

Award of Excellence for Academic Assessment Program Report, MEd Counselor Education Concentration in School Counseling Program

2014 - 2015

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Education

Seattle Pacific University

Ph.D.

Counselor Education

2013

Seattle Pacific University

M.Ed.

School Counseling

2005

Seattle Pacific University

B.A.

Mathematics

1999

Affiliations

  • American School Counselor Association
  • Georgia School Counselor Association
  • Southern Association for Counselor Education and Supervision
  • American Counseling Association
  • Association for Spiritual, Ethical. and Religious Values in Counseling

Articles

School Counselors, Multiple Student Deaths, and Grief: A Narrative Inquiry

Journal of Counseling & Development

Hannon, M. D., Mohabir, R., Cleveland, R. E., & Hunt, B.

2019

A team of 5 school counselors were interviewed to learn how they professionally and personally experienced the deaths of multiple students in 1 year in their school while attending to the needs of the school community. By using narrative inquiry, 5 themes emerged from the analysis: gravity of the losses, logistics of care, personal vs. professional conflicts, increased student cohesion, and efficacy. Recommendations for counselor preparation, research, and counseling practice are offered.

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Extending Tobin’s mindfulness in education

Cultural Studies of Science Education

Cleveland, R. E.

2018

A special issue of Learning: Research and Practice dedicated to mindfulness is summarized with the assertion that the contributions illustrate a perspective for successful mindfulness scholarship. Specifically, definitional components of mindfulness practice are just as essential for mindfulness scholarship. After a review of the special issue, this perspective for mindfulness scholarship is presented, and the article closes with two examples of mindfulness scholarship aligned with the 3-component framework of intention, awareness, and non-judgment.

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Student Happiness, School Climate, and School Improvement Plans: Implications for School Counseling Practice

Professional School Counseling

Cleveland, R. E., & Sink, C. A.

2018

To align with a more holistic perspective of wellness, the authors advocate for the inclusion of student subjective well-being (SWB) or happiness ratings as part of school climate assessment within school improvement plans (SIPs). Relevant theory and research demonstrate the reciprocal relationship between student perceptions of school climate and their overall SWB. Within the context of school improvement planning/assessment and counselor program accountability, the authors provide recommendations for school counselors’ evidence-based practice.

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