Don W. Locke Elected 60th ACA President

The votes have been counted and Don W. Locke, EdD, professor of counseling and Dean at Mississippi College in Clinton, Mississippi has been elected as the 60th president of ACA. Dr. Locke will assume the President-Elect role on July 1, 2010, and President on July 1, 2011.

Dr. Locke has been an active volunteer throughout his career at the ACA branch, region, division, and national levels, including service as ACA Parliamentarian in 2007-2008.

ACA also recognizes the two additional candidates for president: Brad Erford, PhD, and Michael Lazarchick, PhD, and thanks them for their many professional and leadership contributions. ACA is proud to have attracted such a strong group of candidates who wish to serve in leadership roles.

Recession and Economic Downturn Results in a "New Poor"

Every recession in history has taken its toll on the middle class, but some analysts believe the current economic downturn may be more devastating than previous ones, resulting in a "new poor" in America. In February, the New York Times reported that safety nets such as unemployment compensation are being stretched to the limits and the nation could see a much larger population of people affected by long-term job loss.

Those same analysts believe the economy must create 100,000 new jobs per month just to absorb entrants to the workforce.

New Book by Conference Keynoter Gerald Corey on Professional, Personal Milestones

ACA Conference keynote speaker, Gerald Corey, reflects on personal and professional experiences throughout his 50-year career as a counselor, teacher, counselor educator, supervisor, and writer in his inspirational new book, Creating Your Professional Path: Lessons From My Journey. Dr. Corey shares lessons he has learned -- and is still learning -- as a way to mentor other professionals, promote self-reflection, and help readers create their own professional path. In the book, 18 graduate students and new professionals also share stories about their journeys, describe challenges they have faced, reveal what was most helpful to them in pursuing their career path, and provide recommendations for getting the most out of educational experiences.

Topics covered include Dr. Corey's reflections on and turning points in his journey, how he developed his approach to counseling and group work, the counselor as a person and as a professional, the benefits of being mentored and mentoring others, becoming an ethical counselor, choosing a career path, professional writing, and self care.

Meet Dr. Corey at a special book signing in the ACA Bookstore in the Pittsburgh Convention Center, Sunday, March 21, at noon. His keynote session is at 9 am Sunday followed by an informal session "AfterThoughts with Dr. Gerald Corey."

2010 | 232 pgs
Order #72899
ISBN 978-1-55620-309-1
List Price: $24.95
ACA Member Price: $19.95

Worth Reading: Public Gives American Higher Education So-So Grades

A study released in February by the Public Agenda and the National Center for Public Policy and Higher Education offers a less than flattering perspective on the current state of higher education in America. The core messages in "Squeeze Play 2010: Continued Public Anxiety on Cost, Harsher Judgments on How Colleges Are Run," is that a growing number of Americans think colleges today operate too much like businesses -- more concerned with their bottom line than with the educational experience of students. Sixty percent of survey respondents hold this view, up from 52% in 2007. The report also found that most Americans feel colleges could admit far more students without lowering quality or raising prices, and could spend less to maintain a high quality of education.

The survey, conducted with 1,000 Americans, also found that a growing number of Americans believe college is essential to success -- 55%, compared with 31% in 2000. At the same time, fewer -- 28%, compared with 45% a decade earlier -- think college is available to the majority of qualified, motivated students. On the positive side, nine in 10 Americans say it is somewhat or very likely that their own high-school-age child will attend college, and the majority believe almost anyone who needs financial help to go to college can get loans or financial aid, but 83% said students had to borrow too much money if they do so.

How to Volunteer Your Counseling Services to Returning Troops and Families

Few volunteer opportunities by licensed professional counselors can be as meaningful as joining the Give An Hour initiative, a nonpartisan, nonprofit network of mental health professionals providing free counseling services to returning military troops and their families. Volunteers are asked to give 1 hour of free service each week for up to 1 year. The men and women who have defended our freedom and their families have given unselfishly. Joining Give An Hour allows professional counselors to give back.

Reliable Resource: ACA-ACES Syllabus Clearinghouse Growing

Since its inception last year, the ACA-ACES Syllabus Clearinghouse has received approximately 10,000 visits, has more than 300 syllabi posted, and represents professional sharing at its finest. A new feature allows contributing professors to identify recommended texts, making the site even more of a one-stop shop for help and inspiration in developing counselor education courses. It also offers authors an excellent opportunity to showcase their textbooks.

If you have a new or revised syllabus for the spring semester, you can submit it to the clearinghouse by visiting:

Relevant Research: Job Stress Results in Human and Economic Costs

The findings may not be earth shattering, but a recent report in the American Journal of Health Promotion and posted on the Health Behavior News Service confirms what counselors working with depressed clients have previously discovered---psychological stress in the workplace makes it more difficult for affected workers to perform their roles and be productive. Researchers at the Work and Productivity Institute for Clinical Research and Health Policy Studies at the Tufts Medical Center also discovered that depressed workers had problems at work and experienced absenteeism, resulting in significant human and economic costs.

Conference Clipping #1: Free Consults in Pittsburgh

Free consults are available to ACA members who are attending the ACA 2010 Conference & Exposition, March 18-22 in Pittsburgh.The consults are on a variety of professional and personal issues. Go to: http://www.counseling.org/sub/career/consultations.aspx and schedule yourself for:

• Employers/Universities: List your open position and conduct live interviews at the conference
• Job Seekers/Candidates: Interview for open positions during the conference
• Career consults: Job search strategies, mock interviews, resume critiques
• Ethics consult: Meet with Erin Marz, Manager of Ethical and Professional Standards
• Private Practice consult: Meet with Bob Walsh and Norm Dasenbrook, authors of Private Practice Pointers

Fast Fact: Teen Pregnancy Rise Reverses Decade of Decline

The teenage pregnancy rate among girls 15 and 19 rose 3% between 2005 and 2006, according to the Guttmacher Institute, a nonpartisan research group concerned with worldwide reproductive health. The increase reverses a trend of the last decade in which teen pregnancies declined.

Conference Clipping #2: 1-Day, 2-Day Registration Options Available

Want to Present at the ACA 2011 Conference in New Orleans?

The online Call for Proposals for the ACA 2011 Conference & Exposition, March 23-27, in New Orleans, will go live on Monday, March 29, 2010. The submission deadline is June 2, 2010 at 5 pm ET.

ACA has specific interest in these topics for 2011: Disaster mental health, social media, military members and their families, and the Revised DSM (DSM-V). ACA is also actively seeking advanced programs in all topics.

The Call is for Pre-conference Learning Institutes and regular conference Education Sessions.

Pre-Conference Learning Institutes

• Focus on advanced skills, techniques and approaches that counselors can utilize in their day-to-day work
• Are presented by highly-qualified experts in the field
• Offer a smaller class size, which gives attendees a more intense learning experience
• Take place the two days prior to the start of the conference (March 23-24, 2011)
• Are offered in two formats: Daytime Sessions, 6 contact hours and Evening Sessions, 3 contact hours

Education Sessions

• Make up the core conference (March 25-27, 2011)
• Are offered in three different formats: 90-Minute Program, 60-Minute Program, 30-Minute Project/Research Poster Session (takes place in Convention Center Exhibit Hall)

Note: Class sizes for 90- and 60-minute programs are based on room capacity. Complete details will be available on the website along with submission instructions.

Calendar: After the Snow---A Blizzard of Spring State Conferences