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College Freshmen Speak Out on Habits, Parents, Social Networking and DiversityThe findings of The American College Freshman study, the nation's oldest and largest empirical study of higher education, were released earlier this month by the Cooperative Institutional Research Program (CERP) of the Higher Education Research Institute (HERI). Involving 13 million current freshman students at 1,900 institutions, the study produced information on student "habits of mind" essential to ensuring success in academic work, the use of social networking sites in student communication and student understanding of diverse cultures. Also examined in the 2007/08 study were trends in parental involvement in college-related decisions. The two "habits of mind" in which the most freshmen report "frequently" engaging were supporting opinions with logical arguments (58.2%) and asking questions in class (54.4%). The parental engagement question focused on whether involvement in a series of decisions and actions was "too much," "right amount," or 'too little." Noteworthy were the number of matters in which students would have liked greater parent involvement. Highlighted findings and commentary can be found in this HERI research brief. A comprehensive set of findings can be found in the Chronicle of Higher Education, which detailed The American College Freshman study in a February 1, 2008 feature. Worth Reading - Combating Depression Results in Worker and Workplace GainsSystematically identifying and treating employees' depression symptoms is likely to result in higher job retention, fewer sickness-related absences and increased worker productivity, a National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH) sponsored study has recently found. Earlier research had shown that employees who are depressed are less productive and experience a higher rate of absenteeism. This and other studies have shown that organized screening and enhanced depression treatment can significantly improve health. However, few employers have implemented such programs, in part because their return on investment has been unclear. Counselors should consider using these findings in supporting the creation and extension of mental health counseling initiatives as a part of employee assistance programs. 15 Named Ross Trust Scholarship Recipients by ACA
Doctoral level Masters level The nomination and application process for the 2009 competition will begin during the early fall semester. Watch counseling.org and ACAeNews for details. Reliable Resource - Hurricane Impact on Mental Health DataThe Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration's (SAMHSA) Office of Applied Studies (OAS) has just released an 8-page report based on data from the SAMHSA's National Survey on Drug Use & Health that provides substance use and mental health data before and after Hurricanes Katrina and Rita in both the Gulf State disaster areas and the rest of the nation. It also examines the impact of displacement on Gulf State disaster area residents. ACA Best-Seller on Solution-Focused Counseling in Schools Revised
This book offers a refreshingly positive and practical approach to resolving a diverse range of problems from preschool through high school. Drawing on the most recent research and on his extensive experience as a school practitioner and trainer, Murphy presents a step-by-step guide to solution-focused counseling in today's schools. This strength-based approach is illustrated through real-world examples and dialogues from actual counseling sessions. User-friendly forms, questionnaires, and handouts are provided for immediate application with students, teachers, and parents. The revised book will be available in mid-February. Order #72873 ISBN 978-1-55620-247-6 ACA Link to Amazon Helps Members, Supports AssociationUse the ACA portal to Amazon.com for your next book order and support your profession! ACA earns referral fees on each order, and these funds are used to support professional programs and services of the organizations. Should you be shopping for books and other products, use this Amazon link and you will be participating in the largest Internet partnership of its kind. Please continue, however, to order your ACA book titles through the ACA bookstore. US Department of Education Call for Grant Proposal ReviewersSeveral departments of the federal government have put out a call for peer reviewers for grant programs relevant to counseling in the schools. Reviewers are needed for the Elementary and Secondary School Counseling Grants Program and the Safe Schools/Healthy Students Grants, a process that is performed online and through a series of conference calls. Practicing counselors, supervisors and counselor educators are encouraged to apply for these compensated positions. Interested readers should send an email indicating interest and a current resume to the 2008 peer review contractor, Federal Business Services and the appropriate program officer(s) identified below: Elementary and Secondary School Counseling Program-Send email and resume to: osdfs@fbs-dc.com and Loretta.McDaniel@ed.gov Safe Schools/Health Students Program-Send email and resume to: osdfs@fbs-dc.com and Jane.Hodgson@ed.gov. ACAF Grad Student Essay Competition Now Open: Entries Due April 25Over its 11-year history the ACAF Graduate Student Essay Competition has produced some remarkable examples of scholarship and commentary. The 2008 Competition is now open! ACA Graduate student members can voice their opinions, compete to win prizes and have their essay published on the ACA website and in Counseling Today. Students should write 750 words on one of the following topics: 1. What is the single most important issue you see facing the counseling profession over the next decade? Complete contest rules, prizes and submission instructions are available at acafoundation.org or from ACA Member Services at 800-347-6647, X222. The deadline for the submission of essays is April 25, 2008. Fast Fact - Hispanic Population Headed Toward 100 MillionThe US Census Bureau has projected the Hispanic population in America to grow to 102.6 million in 2050. According to this projection, Hispanics will constitute 24 percent of the nation's total population at that point. Texas, Ohio Universities among ACA Ethics Competition WinnersThe fourth annual ACA Ethics Case Study Competition is now history and winners have been announced. Following are the institutions, student teams and faculty representatives of the award winning entries: Masters Level Competition: 1st Place: University of North Texas 2nd Place: Oakland University 3rd Place: Argosy University-Seattle Doctoral Level: 1st Place: University of Toledo 2nd Place: Old Dominion University 3rd Place: The University of Akron Congratulations to the winners! ACAF Counselors Care Fund Appeal Results in Doubling of ContributionsContributions doubled this year for the American Counseling Association Foundation (ACAF) 2007 year-end Counselors Care Fund Appeal. During the January Board meeting in New Orleans, ACAF Trustees heard firsthand accounts of the impact Counselors Care grants had on the people and programs affected by Hurricane Katrina, including an account by a doctoral student whose counseling studies had been severely interrupted by the tragedy. His grant is now allowing him to address personal and family matters and resume his educational and career dream. Gifts to the ACAF Counselors Care Fundare making a difference in the lives of ACA members! The Trustees thank all of the donors who contributed and urge you to keep contributing. To learn more about the important work of the ACA Foundation or to make a contribution to the Counselors Care Fund go to: www.acafoundation.org. Noteworthy Events and Important DatesFebruary 15-18, 2008 February 20-23, 2008 March 26-30, 2008 March 31-April 1, 2008 (Pre-conference on March 30) ACA divisions, branches, and regions are valuable sources of learning and professional development. Information on events will be posted approximately eight weeks prior. This information is made available to ACAeNews via the ACA master calendar and the various organization web sites. Send calendar items to jmacdonald@counseling.org. Please provide the sponsor, dates, site and contact person information. Information posted here is restricted to that sponsored by ACA divisions, branches, regions and related organizations. Tell a Professional Colleague or Counseling Student about ACAeNewsACAeNews is disseminated by subscription only. If you believe a colleague would like to receive this electronic newsletter, they can send an email to listserv@listserv.counseling.org and leave the subject blank. In the body of the email, type the following: Subscribe aca-enews First Name Last Name. Counseling students can also keep abreast of important professional information by reading ACAeNews regularly and grow more knowledgeable about the important worked being performed by ACA. About ACAeNewsACAeNews is published biweekly by the American Counseling Association for the benefit of members and the counseling profession. Any reference to a product, service or activity or listing of a web site in ACAeNews does not imply endorsement by ACA. Any views and opinions are those of the sponsoring organization and may or may not be shared by ACA. Direct comments, questions and submissions to fburtnett@counseling.org. All submissions will be subject to review by ACA for accuracy, timeliness and relevance to the readership and may be edited to meet space parameters. Brian Canfield, President Richard Yep, Executive Director Debra Bass, Interim Director of Marketing Frank Burtnett, ACAeNews Editor ACA Web site: www.counseling.org © 2008 American Counseling Association, 5999 Stevenson Avenue, Alexandria, VA 22304. Telephone: 703/823-9800. Email: fburtnett@counseling.org. Permission is hereby granted to reproduce anything contained in this newsletter as long as the American Counseling Association is identified as the original source of the information. Unsubscribe InformationYou have received this message as a service of your ACA membership or because of a subscription to the aca-enews@listserv.counseling.org listserv. If you wish to be removed from our mailing list, please visit http://www.counseling.org/EmailRemoval or email acamemberservices@counseling.org with the subject line "REMOVE". Please allow 72 hours for removal. Contact Information
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