April is Counseling Awareness Month and ACA wishes to congratulate all counseling professionals for their significant contributions to serving the needs of individuals and families across the life span. Keep up the excellent work!
In this edition readers will find:
- ACA Membership Certificate--50% Off During April
- ACA in the News: New York Times Interviews Members
- Medicare Coverage Bills for Licensed Professional Counselors Introduced
- ACA Publishes Definitive Encyclopedia of Counseling
- Relevant Research: New Findings on Influence of Admission Tests
- Worth Reading: Economy is Influencing Institution Admission Behavior
- Your First Free CE Credit is Here!
- Conference Clipping: Submit Program Proposals for Pittsburgh 2010
- Fast Fact: Mother's Day Celebration Reaches 101 Years
- Grants, Grants, Grants: Opportunities for Individual and Program Support
- Attention: ACA Member Authors
- How Is the Economy Affecting You and Your Clients?
- Reliable Resource: Directory of Hotlines and Referral Sources
- Calendar: Counseling Awareness Month, Plus SD, CT and MD Conference
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2009 Conference Clipping
ACA wishes to thank Capella University for sponsoring this issue.
ACA Membership Certificate--50% Off During April + Free Shipping
Show your commitment to your profession and its ethical standards and practices by displaying an ACA Membership certificate! To help you celebrate Counseling Awareness Month, ACA is offering the ready-to-frame ACA membership certificate with a gold border for only $8.50. Regular price is $17. And we will ship it to you for free! To take advantage of this special offer, please call 800-347-6647 x222 (M-F, 8 am – 7pm). Credit card only. Offer not available online. To view wood or metal-framed certificate options, log on to the ACA website using your username and password, click on Counselors, then on Framed Certificate Order Form.
ACA in the News: New York Times Interviews Members
ACA scored a big media hit this week with an article in the April 7, 2009 print edition of The New York Times and in the online version on April 6, 2009. ACA media relations staff assisted the reporter by coordinating interviews with two ACA members--one on the west coast and one on the east coast on an article related to keeping up "appearances" while job hunting. Dr. Robert Chope, a professor of counseling with San Francisco State University and a private practitioner was interviewed along with Dr. Michael Lazarchick, a career counselor from Pleasantville, NJ.
How big is big? The New York Times daily print edition has a circulation of about 1.6; the New York Times online edition has 14 million visitors per month.
Medicare Coverage Bills for Licensed Professional Counselors Introduced
Legislation has been introduced in both the House and Senate to establish Medicare coverage of licensed professional counselors. On March 23, Senators Blanche Lincoln (D-AR) and John Barrasso (R-WY) introduced S.671, the "Seniors Mental Health Access Improvement Act of 2009." The next day, Representative Bart Gordon (D-TN) introduced H.R. 1693, identical legislation with the same title. The legislation would also establish coverage of licensed marriage and family therapists. ACA and AMHCA worked closely with these members of Congress on the development and preparation of the legislation.
Please call, write, or e-mail your Senator asking them to cosponsor S. 671 and your Representative asking him or her to cosponsor H.R. 1693. Mention that this legislation will improve Medicare beneficiaries' access to outpatient mental health care in a cost-effective manner, by establishing coverage of highly-qualified LPCs.
Congress will pass Medicare legislation this year in order to prevent a scheduled 20% pay cut for physicians under the program from taking effect on January 1, 2010. We need counselor coverage to be part of this Medicare package.
Find contact information and suggested language at http://capwiz.com/counseling/home/.
For more information, contact Peter Atlee, at 800-347-6647 x242, patlee@counseling.org.
ACA Publishes Definitive Encyclopedia of Counseling
This new reference book is ideal for students, educators, supervisors, researchers, and practitioners seeking to quickly update or refresh their knowledge of the most important topics in counseling. More than 400 entries span the 2009 CACREP core areas used in counselor preparation, continuing education, and accreditation of counseling degree programs, making this a perfect text for introductory counseling classes or for use as a study guide when preparing for the National Counselor Exam. Counseling comes alive through the book's user-friendly writing style; instructive examples that connect readers to practice, teaching, supervision, and research; and the helpful cross-referencing of entries, as well as suggested resources.
2009 | 672 pages
Order #72879
ISBN 978-1-55620-288-9
List Price: $99.95
ACA Member Price: $74.95
Relevant Research: New Findings on Influence of Admission Tests
Research conducted by Thomas J. Espenshade and Chang Young Chung and reported in numerous educational and public media outlets in late March suggests the elimination of the standardized admission test requirement at competitive colleges would likely lead to gains by African American and Hispanic students, as well as economically disadvantaged applicants. Increased diversity has been witnessed at the growing number of institutions that have adopted a "test optional" policy in recent years, but increases are even greater when the testing requirement is eliminated entirely.
Espenshade and Chung will present their findings this month at a conference of admission officials to be held at Wake Forest University. Watch future issues for updates. Operating under a grant by the Mellon Foundation, Dr. Espenshade oversees the National Study of the College Experience in the Center for Population Research at Princeton University.
Worth Reading: Economy is Influencing Institution Admission Behavior
Airlines regularly oversell the number of available seats in order to fill all flights. Could colleges be using the same strategy this spring to ensure a full compliment of freshman students this fall? What does this mean for applicants?
Susan Kinzie of The Washington Post wrote recently about the "overadmit" approach being used this spring, especially by smaller private colleges and universities. Their motivation is the economy and institutional desire to attract a full freshman class. Her bottom-line conclusion: Admission to these competitive institutions may be a tad easier for the high school graduation class of 2008.
The Washington Post article...
Your First Free CE Credit is Here!
ACA is pleased to bring you the first installment of the brand new member benefit that will allow you to earn up to 12 CE credits per year at no cost! At the start of each month, ACA will send you an email identifying an article or book chapter that is featured that month through our Online Learning program. (The information also will appear in ACAeNews.) After you read the chapter or article and pass the 3-question test, you can earn one CE credit.
The featured book chapter this month is:
"Sexual Dual Relationships," a chapter in the ACA book: Boundary Issues in Counseling: Multiple Roles and Responsibilities by Barbara Herlihy and Gerald Corey.
To take advantage of this offer, please read these instructions first--before you click on the link to get started. The free course can be found under the heading, "Free Featured CE Course of the Month." To select the course, click on the "Add to Cart" button to the left of the course description.
Please note: If you have not yet logged in, the non-member rate of $25 will display in the shopping cart. Once you click on "Checkout," and log in as a member, the price will reset to $0.
Once the transaction is complete, you will receive two emails from ACA Member Services within a few minutes: the first is a confirmation of the transaction and the second email includes a link and instructions on how to log in to access the course. The email will give you a user name and password for this purpose. (If you are unable to click on the link that you receive in the second email, please cut and paste it into your browser.)
After you read the chapter, click on the exam icon to take the 3-question test. Upon successful completion of the test, you will be able to print your certificate directly from your own computer. That's it!
Ready to begin? Then click here to get started.
Questions or problems? Email us at: FreeCEoftheMonth@counseling.org. Phone: 800-347-6647, ext. 306. Want to purchase the book?
By taking advantage of this new ACA offering each month (a value of $18 per CE credit), you will save $216 per year--more than the cost of your ACA membership dues! We hope that you find this new member benefit valuable. Please note: all ACA online courses, book chapters, and JCD articles are approved by NBCC.
Conference Clipping: Submit Program Proposals for Pittsburgh 2010
Check out the photo gallery and media interviews from the ACA 2009 Conference & Exposition in Charlotte. Keynote speaker presentations will be posted soon.
Then, start thinking about the ACA 2010 Conference & Exposition March 18-22 in Pittsburgh, PA. The Call for Proposals for pre-Conference Learning Institutes and Education Sessions, a user-friendly online submission process, went live March 30. Proposals must be received by June 3, 2009. Questions? Email Debbie Beales at dbeales@counseling.org.
Summer Rates in effect thru August 31. Register now.
Fast Fact: Mother's Day Celebration Reaches 101 Years
The celebration of Mother's Day on May 10, 2009 will mark the 101st time America has honored mothers on the second Sunday in May. In recognizing mothers, the U.S. Census Bureau has released the following demographic information:
- Number of American mothers: 82.8 million
- Percentage of 15- to 33-year olds who were mothers in 2006: 55%
- Percentage of women 40-44 who were mothers in 2006: 80% (In 1976, 90% in this age group were mothers).
- Average age of women in 2006 who gave birth for the first time: 25 (Marks first decline in this measure since available in 1968).
- The month with the highest number of births: August
- The most common day for delivery: Wednesday
Grants, Grants, Grants: Opportunities for Individual and Program Support
You may find financial support for your clients and future work in the following four grant opportunities:
Professional Development Support
The NEA Foundation Leadership and Professional Development grants support public school teachers, counselors, support professional and/or faculty and staff in public institutions of higher education for one of two purposes: grants to individuals fund participation in high-quality professional development experiences, such as summer institutes or action research; grants to group collegial study, including study groups, action research, lesson study, or mentoring experiences for faculty or staff new to an assignment. Maximum award: $5,000. Deadline: June 1, 2009.
Financial Assistance for Military Sons and Daughters
Freedom Alliance Scholarships give financial assistance to daughters and sons of soldiers, sailors, airmen, Marines, and Guardsmen who have been killed or permanently disabled (100% VA disability rating) in the line of duty, or who are currently classified as a Prisoner of War or Missing in Action. Maximum award: One-year scholarships for undergraduate study. Deadline: July 31, 2009.
Programs Aimed at Seniors
The Brookdale Foundation works to advance the fields of geriatrics and gerontology and to improve the lives of senior citizens. The Brookdale National Group Respite Program supports community-based efforts to develop social model respite programs for elders with Alzheimer's disease or related dementia, and their families. The initiative awards seed grants to service providers that are planning to implement new, dementia-specific Group Respite or Early Memory Loss programs. One year grants of $7,500 are renewable at $3,000 for second year based upon evaluation of activities and potential for future continuity of the program. Deadline: July 1, 2009.
Partnering with Habitat for Humanity
The Habitat for Humanity Service-Learning Partnership program is providing funds for educators and schools to develop and implement service-learning projects in partnership with their local Habitat affiliate. For the 2009-2010 academic year, educators and their local Habitat affiliates can jointly apply for a one-year grant of up to $7,000 to cover educational expenses associated with the service-learning project. Deadline: May 15, 2009.
Attention ACA Members: Are You An Author?
Are you an ACA member who has had a book published in the last six months? Let your counseling colleagues know by sending a brief description of the book to Jonathan Rollins (jrollins@counseling.org) for publication in Counseling Today. Please include the following information: author's/editor's name, ACA membership, title of the book, publishing company (no self-published titles please), date published and one to two sentences offering an overview of the book's subject matter or intended audience. Book announcements are published in the "Recent books by ACA members" section of the monthly "Resource Reviews" column.
How Is the Economy Affecting You and Your Clients?
Please complete this very brief survey regarding the effects of the economy on you and your clients. ACA wants to know how we can help you during this challenging time and what you are doing to help your clients cope. The survey results will be shared with all members. If you completed the economic survey already, either at conference or on the website, we have recorded your responses and so you do not need to fill it out again.
Reliable Resource: Directory of Hotlines and Referral Sources
The National Mental Health Information Center of the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) maintains an up-to-date directory of 16 national hotlines and referral resources, including such support groups as the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children and Mental Health America.
Calendar: Counseling Awareness Month, Plus SD, CT and MD Conferences
April is set aside each year to recognize the important role that counseling and counselors play in the lives of people. Check out the Public Awareness Ideas and Strategies for Professional Counselors for ideas.
April 16-18
South Dakota Counseling Association
Sioux Falls Convention Center, Sioux Falls, SD
Information...
May 1, 2009
Connecticut Counseling Association
Rocky Hill Marriott and Conference Center, Rocky Hill, CT
Information: Rachel Collins at collinsrachelw@aol.com
May 1, 2009
Maryland Association for Counseling and Development
Johns Hopkins University - Columbia, Columbia, MD
Information...
ACA divisions, branches, and regions are valuable sources of learning and professional development. Information on events will be posted approximately 8-10 weeks prior. This information is made available to ACAeNews via the ACA master calendar and the various organization web sites. Send calendar items to dwilliams@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.
ABOUT ACAeNews
ACAeNews is published 24 times annually by the American Counseling Association for the benefit of members across the counseling profession. Any reference to a product, service, activity, or listing of a website 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.
Colleen Logan, President
clogan@argosy.edu
Richard Yep, CAE, Executive Director
ryep@counseling.org
Debra Bass, Director of Marketing and Communications
dbass@counseling.org
Frank Burtnett, NCC, NCCC, ACAeNews Editor
fburtnett@counseling.org
Don Kenneally, Internet Development / Production
dkenneally@counseling.org
ACA Website: www.counseling.org
Copyright 2009, 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.
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